The Artist Who Created A Talking Doll to Boost Self-Esteem in Depressed, Bullied Girls

TiffanyJ is no stranger to artistic expression and self-esteem advocacy. As a child, she suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts. So, at just 14 years old, she started sharing her feelings with the world through songwriting. By 24 years old, she was self-employed and, in August 2017, she released her first book It All Starts With Me: An Interactive Guide To Discovering Self and Loving.

“For a while, I had been on a mission with self-esteem advocacy, but that book did not reach the audience and mentees I had that were young girls,” said TiffanyJ. “I needed to offer them something outside of my annual Beauty, You Are Boot Camp. So, initially, my idea for Super Beauty, a character I created in the persona of a young black superhero, was going to come in the form of a book that would have a traveling mascot. It wasn’t until I started shopping around for a mascot that the idea of a doll came about. And the more I thought about it, the more I knew she had to talk.”

Although TiffanyJ mainly spreads the messages of anti-bullying, self-love, and confidence for boys in middle-income area schools, she also has a desire to get the message into more inner-city schools around the country. Black Enterprise caught up with TiffanyJ to talk more about her message and how she turned her vision of a talking doll into reality.

BE: Once you realized you wanted to turn your idea into reality, what are the first three things you did to get started?

1. Set a Goal: I made a promise to myself to have the dolls released in time to be a child’s Christmas wish list item.
2. Name Security: I searched the name in the U.S. Trademark database, and then applied for the trademark.
3. The Message: Scripted and recorded the rotating, inspirational phrases with my chosen voice artist, Eboni Belton.

If you notice, money wasn’t on the list. I’m very spiritual, and I knew God would take care of me.

BE: What are the key messages you want young girls who suffer from depression and their families to take away from Super Beauty?

The biggest message that I want girls to get is that there is only one of them and there will never be another! My slogan is one of the phrases the doll asks the girl to repeat “Nobody Do Me Better Than Me.”

• Your differences make you unique and beautiful. Your individuality is the freedom to claim your identity.
• A pep talk is only a squeeze away. The doll randomly rotates the phrases, so you can’t predict which phrase she’ll speak.
• With this doll, I am targeting toddlers and elementary-aged children. I have other products geared toward older ages. I hope to sell the Super Beauty Pep Talker in Wal-Mart and other retail store chains. The doll is available for pre-order now on the website, and is expected in time to make Christmas lists.

Visit www.iamtiffanyj.com for more info.