Dina Toki-O: this is how I run my business

In the last month, Dina Toki-O reached 191,000 followers on Instagram, clocked up over 1 million views on Youtube and was named no3 in the Guardian’s list of the top 30 young people in digital media. Focused on fashion for Muslim women, she’s about to launch her own ready-to-wear designs. On top of this she’s a vital member of our Pitch2Rich judging panel. So, just how does she juggle it all?

Location: Currently in Kent

Business Pitch:

Subtly working towards a future where it will no longer be a shock or surprise that a Muslim woman adorning the ‘Hijab’ is ‘stylish’. Erasing the stereotypes from history and disassociating a woman who chooses to dress modestly with the word, ‘oppressed.’

Current computers:

Macbook Pro

Current mobile device:

Iphone 5

One word that best describes the way you run your business:

Instinctively

What apps/software/tools can't you live without?

Photoshop, iMovie, Nikon d5100, Sony NEX5T, google maps and whatsapp on my phone! My sewing machine, mannequin, Pencils and paper!

What’s your workspace like?

Well 6 months ago I got married and moved into a tiny 1-bedroom apartment in Kent that I’m still desperately trying to settle into and it’s difficult to create working space for myself whilst having to share! I’ve managed to take up a small corner of our bedroom and another small corner in the living room! Before marriage I was living in Cardiff with family and London for a year where it was easy to rent out a small art studio for work!

How do you make sure you achieve your goals each day?

Keeping lists. Most of the time my lists are kept mentally and I find myself going over and over them until done. I might sound crazy but actually I find that talking to myself while going about my daily breakfast routine about everything I need to complete for that day, in order, really helps. I find I’m the type of person who stresses out easily if I have a deadline to reach, and if I’m not successful in reaching it, I tell myself it doesn’t need to be done. When in reality, yes it does it really does, so it’ll end up popping back up in a few days and proceed onto that days mental list again! So I guess this means that maybe my mental lists should convert into written ones finally?

Do you have a motto that you live by?

Not so much live by, but definitely one that pops into my head every time things get difficult or I feel like giving up! ‘I don’t know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.’ Right at the beginning when I first ventured out into doing what I love, and it was nowhere near close enough to becoming a career, I was constantly trying to cater for the world. Although my platforms then were tiny I always thought BIG. Constantly craving thumbs up or recognition from everyone and my competitive streak was unreal. So if someone put me down, it meant I’d dwell on it for days and waste time stressing about petty situations that today, are my source of entertainment on a break! In reality you can ‘t please everyone, there’ll always be that one person who willgo out of their way to drag you down. A lot of people can’t handle seeing someone else successful. Of course I can take constructive criticism don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t be pursuing my dreams without it. But I’m talking about just those ‘haters’ or ‘trolls’ if you like. But you know what they say... ‘Haters are your motivators!’

What gadget can you not live without (not allowed to say phone or computer)?

Definitely my cameras, if I had to choose which one it would be the Nikon D5100. I use it for my videos and when I’m not traveling that means using it for almost half of the week!

What is the main personality trait that’s helped your business to be successful and why?

The majority of my work is based around my personality and right now the ‘brand’ is ‘me.’ I am slowly working on turning the brand into an actual clothing brand but right now I have a lot of different things that I do ‘work wise’ and not all generate income, however are so important in terms of building my profile and career. So, I guess the main trait is being honest and completely myself. I mean all I do is connect with people daily through social media. So it would be tough to do that if I wasn’t myself. I also believe that being personal is key with a lot of things I do like my YouTube videos and magazine columns. People like to be nosy and they love to see what other people are doing, went through, etc. That’s why social media is so popular, so if I heavily depend on social media to get my message across, it only makes sense for me to relay my messages as if speaking to a family member in the comfort of my own home.

What do you listen to while you work?

I put on the TV for a bit of background noise! Music is a deal breaker, it causes too much of a distraction and I end up having a party alone with my cup of tea at 2 o ‘clock in the afternoon.

What book/magazine/blog would you recommend people to read and why?

I used to be a big reader of all things fictional but honestly I can’t remember the last time I read a book! Majority of the time I’ll be online browsing blogs and online columns. I find that’s where I get a lot of inspiration from, online. Tumblr is always great for a motivational boost and Pinterest is a great way of keeping a creative visual page of your own inspiration. I keep up to date a lot with fashion and social news in South East Asia, as a lot of my following and opportunity has arisen in that part of the world. Particularly Singapore, Indonesia and Malaysia, and so a good mag I like to browse and have free-lanced for is ‘Aquila Style’ http://www.aquila-style.com/

What’s the secret to collaborating with brands and other businesses?

I think it’s important to ensure that if you’re going to be working alongside another business or collaborate, that you are 100% happy and realise that you are no longer the one making ALL the decisions. Sometimes I’ve jumped into an opportunity straight away without giving it a thought because it sounds so good, but when it comes to my vision and theirs, they’re two different things and that can honestly lead to serious frustration. Unless the deal is on your terms completely then fine, but in my experience, if two brands are coming together or two people, that means two minds and two different brand images completely. Just make sure you know what you’re getting yourself into and are okay with what the outcome can possibly be.

Who’s your hero and why?

My Mum, I guess it sounds cringing and cheesy but if I were to really think about it, it would be my Mum and I know everyone’s hero is his or her Mum. But whenever I get a moment where I’m stuck on a decision or what to do, I’ll always refer to the question ‘what would mama do’? I’ll always go to her for advice and her advice over the years always echoes in my thoughts whenever I need them. She’s one person in your life that will support you in anything you decide, with complete selflessness. What she’s achieved in life I look up to. She’s taught me it’s never too late to start something if you really want to, and most importantly she’s taught me not put up with crap from anyone!

What’s the best advice you ever received?

My husband is someone who’s also incredibly supportive of me and is constantly reminding me not to look at other people’s success and attempting to compete with it. My competition should be with myself. Looking and comparing myself to other peoples success is not going to help me, at the end of the day, I am my biggest critic.

The only thing I can do is strive to be best at what I do. To do that successfully, I have to strive to better myself. He’s constantly telling me I need to think big of myself and be overly confident too, if I doubt myself it will stop me from achieving my potential. I know from experience that he’s right too.

Do you have a motto that you live by?

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