Today we’d like to introduce you to Blessing Bromgard.
Hi Blessing, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
A friend once said they admired me because I’m “not afraid to reach for the stars,” but I’ve always been afraid. Afraid of failing, afraid of losing everything, afraid I won’t succeed, afraid I’ll be a laughing stock. But when you’ve lived your whole life accustomed to struggle, the only option is success, and that determination to break generational curses far outweighs any fear. You see, I’ve been through many different struggles in my life. A lot of financial struggle, heartbreak, and trauma, but you can’t let all of that keep you from doing great things. I’ve always been incredibly determined and stubborn to reach my goals.
Growing up, I was always the outcast, the weirdo, the quiet kid with no friends. I suffered through bullying my entire school career, and it only got worse as social media became popular. I was catfished, cyber-bullied, and ridiculed online as much as I was bullied in person. I developed social anxiety and depression as a result of all the bullying, and I quickly became cynical. In my senior year of high school, I met Liza Koshy, now a comedian and actress, at a football game. We were both officers on our school’s dance teams, and she was my partner when we did crossover (a tradition where officers introduced the other team’s officers to the team). At the time, I didn’t know who she was, but my team did, and they were star-struck. During the conversation, she never struck me as being stuck up or a “do you know who I am” type of person, which I admired. I later discovered her YouTube channel, and she’s been one of my inspirations ever since. She, too, struggled with mental health, so she was an advocate, and her YouTube channel was dedicated to putting smiles on others’ faces, using social media for good instead of all that bad I had seen it be used for. Liza and others like her inspired me to create my own safe space on the internet. Today, I have exactly that.
While the growth of my community has slowed down due to a much-needed mental health break, it is still something I’m very proud of. My TikTok channel, ijust.likeb, is dedicated to uplifting others. Our Baby Banana Tree Squad mantra has been “Be a nub on a stump” because I bought a banana tree that grew another tree out of nothing, a stump of a cut-down tree. That stump used to be a second tree but was cut down, and when I bought the tree, the stump had a growth point, or a “nub.” I believed that tree, hoping it would grow a second one again from the stump, and it did, and to this day, it remains a metaphor for my entire channel. When others cut you down to the ground, it’s not over, and you can still rise again, just like that baby banana tree did. My channel has built a humble community of 14,000 supporters where people are safe to be who they are and express themselves without fear of ridicule. My moderators and I work tirelessly to ensure any negativity is removed and my page remains a safe space for anyone who needs it.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been relatively smooth so far?
It definitely could have been a smoother road. I have faced many obstacles in my personal life and online as I’ve built my community and business. I started building an eCommerce business back in 2021 under the name BananaLeaf. At first, it started as an Amazon FBA business selling plant accessories, and my first two products to launch were plant stands; one version was metal and the other wood. That did not take off as I thought it would, and I am still paying back the debt I fell into from its failed launch. BananaLeaf has morphed a couple of times since it first was launched, from Amazon FBA to Printify to Etsy, and even though it has not been nearly as successful as I hoped, it has taught me a lot. Each lesson has been precious.
Every time something didn’t work out, didn’t sell, or didn’t get as much attention as I wanted it to, I learned a valuable lesson about business and myself. If it weren’t for all of the people I had met during my customer service job at a small company called HIREtech, I wouldn’t have had the courage to start my own business in the first place. The past couple of years have been the hardest. From problems at my job to financial hardships to health issues to an overwhelming feeling of being lost, I never gave up hope that things would get better and that I would find my way. I finally figured it out a couple of months ago and took a leap of faith, reenrolling in school. I had always felt that my college career was incomplete. After all, it had left me with a string of dead-end jobs that were utterly unsatisfying. Returning to school will allow me to make the career change I need while also having the freedom to continue building up my community of baby banana trees.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might need to become more familiar, what can you tell them about what you do?
I’ve loved performing, dancing, acting, and singing from a young age. I was often told that I needed to be better, was too weird, wasn’t popular enough, and needed to have what it takes. Those words and many others swirled in the back of my mind as I self-sabotaged almost every audition in college. Being a Theatre and Dance major, all I wanted was to be in a show, one show, but the doubt I had meant I didn’t take auditions seriously enough. However, I finally got my wish last semester and was cast as a Daughter in “Lover Boy,” a new work. “Lover Boy” subconsciously set the stage for building on my creativity. It taught me that being unique, not weird, is beautiful. When TikTok first became popular, I was incredibly resistant to watching videos on the platform. One day, a work friend convinced me to try out TikTok. She knew I was creative and helped me to realize I would have unlimited creative freedom in posting videos and could make a positive impact. That conversation was the catalyst for setting up my channel and building it up to what it is today. For me, TikTok isn’t a career; it isn’t a job or even a hobby. It’s a need. There was a period this past year when it was tough to post my usual uplifting videos encouraging others. How was I supposed to be encouraging strangers online when I couldn’t even get myself out of bed? Not posting my usual uplifting morning videos got very lonely, and I realized that I was also uplifting myself by posting those videos for others. With ijust.likeb and the baby banana tree squad, I can move on. So many people have told me how my videos have helped them; a couple have even said I’ve saved their lives, but they don’t realize that my videos have also pulled me out of the dark. The world outside can be cruel; we all need a place to take refuge and be heard, even if that place only exists online. I am proud of what I have built and can’t wait to see where this journey leads.
We all have different ways of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
Success is synonymous with happiness. All the money in the world can’t buy happiness because it comes from within, and once you’ve found it, it can’t be taken away. Many people look at success as monetary, and that’s partly true, but that also depends on your goals. What are your goals? Have you worked towards them? What fulfills you? Have you gone after that? Obtaining your goals and going after what meets you all contribute to your happiness and, ultimately, your success.
Pricing:
- $5 TikTok subscription (optional)
Contact Info:
- Website: designsbybananaleaf.etsy.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ijust.likeb/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ijust.likeb
