We had the good fortune of connecting with Beverly Obasiolu and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Beverly, where are your from? We’d love to hear about how your background has played a role in who you are today?
I am from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. My background and upbringing made me who I am today because as a child I really didn’t have that much confidence because of my size believe it or not. I was ridiculed because I was skinny, which is crazy because it’s “glorified” today. I had to learn my worth and not to worry about anyone else that couldn’t help me which boosted my confidence. I have this self-worth and this self-love today with a ton of confidence in myself because of my upbringing and people at the time putting me down. Nowhere else but to go up! Learning so much about myself and what I was capable of doing also helped me and had such an impact on who I am today.
Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Faschic magazine is here to create opportunities and give individuals a chance to express themselves in the fashion industry. My magazine is designed to get that foot in the door after somewhat of an establishment as a model or business owner. I believe what sets my company apart from others is the passion and meaning behind it. The magazine was solely for novice models who didn’t have the opportunity to get themselves out there but I couldn’t be selfish and only focus on them. I then began to expand and include photographers, hairstylists, make up artists, and more. The reason is because the industry is nothing without them too. A lot of model magazines aren’t like that and I’d like to think I’ve inspired a few people. That’s what I’m proud of Professionally, I’ve gotten where I am today by staying consistent. If there’s something that I need to follow for myself, I make sure that I do so and others will see how serious I am about my brand. It’s definitely not easy because when you first begin, you have this “I want to please everybody” attitude which, there’s nothing wrong with that but you honestly can’t please everyone. You can try. I overcame a lot of the obstacles and challenges by organizing everything. What comes first and what’s most important? I asked myself, what does this company need? When you’re a business owner, trust me, there are so many lessons you learn along the way. I had to learn to effectively communicate with partners and people who were supporting the magazine by submitting. Another thing was, I had to make sure I wasn’t low-balling myself when it came to pricing my material. You want to be honest and upfront with everyone so we are all on the same page. I’ve also learned that people aren’t always going to understand or support your brand and that’s okay. You should keep doing your thing, not letting anyone or anything stop you. I want people to know that I didn’t have it easy in the modeling/fashion world. I worked hard and did more studying than showing my face on the runways because I wanted more than that. Here in Louisiana, it’s little to none when it comes to opportunities in nearly anything. I am unbiased and fair in what I do as business woman. My brand speaks for itself. I want the world to know that about my brand; that I put every part of me into it. I do all the layouts, the interviews, the cover, the color scheme, literally EVERYTHING!
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
That would be one dope trip! So I would definitely be the hostess and show my best friend a good time around the city. I’m a foodie and love seafood, so the first place we’d stop by would be somewhere to eat. My favorite spot would be Parrain’s Seafood Restaurant. Little bit on the pricey side but worth it,. I can tell you, you won’t be disappointed. After that, we can have a little fun going to Quarters. A lot similar to Main Event which is also another fun place. I love to play pool (billiards) and go bowling and both places have just that. I’m also into museums and the coolest one I’ll show my friend around is the Louisiana Art & Science Museum downtown. Such a great place to learn about interesting things. Next on the itinerary, another favorite spot we would go to is The Retreat. They have a great sauna to relax in, quiet time during a deep tissue massage or there we can get a facial. Who wouldn’t want to be pampered while on a trip? Maybe later on, me and best friend would get drinks at Kona Grill. They’ve got THE BEST pomegranate lemonade drink ever! It’s so delicious, you’ve got the try it. We would probably end up eating there too being that they have some nice cooked sushi too.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First, I definitely want to shout out God. Without him, nothing is possible. I wouldn’t have met the wonderful people in my life. I have been blessed and inspired by so many. I want to thank Francheska Felder for helping jump start my magazine when I went print back in 2018. I want to thank Rasheedah Williams for reaching out and wanting to be apart of a positive movement. I most importantly want to thank all the supporters and other talented individuals I’ve worked with so far like Don Mott with Shoot’em Service, Robert C. Williams, Jourdan Hilaire, Tameshia Sexton and Carla Cyprian. They all encourage me to carry on just like my family and other business friends.
Website: http://www.faschicmagazine.com
Instagram: @faschicmagazine
Twitter: @faschicmagazine
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/faschicmagazine
Youtube: http://youtube.com/faschicmagazine
Image Credits
first image was taken by Wil Norwood