My name is Ada Rojas and I am a New York digital influencer and entrepreneur. Both of my parents are from the Dominican Republic and I was born in the Bronx, NY. I am first generation Dominican-American.
How @AllThingsAda started
I’ve been blogging for 7 years now. I used to love reading fashion and beauty blogs, but couldn’t relate to any of them because none of the girls looked like me. None of them were women of color. None of them had hair like me, or curves like me. I didn’t see myself reflected in the online community that I loved so much so I decided to start my own blog. When I was younger people would always ask me about my curls or makeup and my friends used to always ask me for style advice when putting their outfits together so I knew it was definitely something that I would enjoy doing since it came really natural to me. I just wanted to share my passions on a little corner of the internet and talk to other girls that looked like me. Down the line, I eventually got into making videos and things just grew from there. It’s been seven years and not a day goes by where I’m not thankful for where this road has lead me.
I’ve been a natural all of my life. I come from a single family home of six and my mom couldn’t afford to send us to the salon weekly for blowouts. Getting your hair done in my house was definitely a luxury so I had to learn how to take care of my own hair because I didn’t have a choice. I was doing braid outs at age young age because that was the only way I could manage my hair. When I got to college my roommate had a flatiron and I borrowed it from her once to do my hair. After that I was instantly hooked and started straightening my hair repeatedly. I got heat damage and stopped wearing my hair curly because it looked terrible. I found the natural hair community on youtube in 2010 thanks to friend and was able to transition back to healthy curls. Thank goodness there is a lot more info and product options for curly hair now than when I was younger.
Representation is so important!
It’s the entire reason I starting blogging. It’s a huge part of why I still continue to do what I do. I love who I am and everything that makes me Ada and a lot of that has to do with the fact that I can identify with others who look like me and come from where I come from. Representation matters. What we see around us, especially what our youth sees, positively or negatively shapes our expectations for ourselves and each other.
I definitely learned to be comfortable in my skin over the years. I remember attending an almost all-white middle school in Florida with a small percentage of people of color and feeling really different compared to the other kids. I couldn’t understand why my hair was so different, or why body was so drastically different from the other girls. As I got older I started learning more about my culture and the history behind our people and where we come from and it just made me so proud to be a women of color and be comfortable in my own skin.
Fast facts about me
- My career inspiration: I’m such a huge fan of Myleik Teele and truly think of her as a mentor in my head. Everything about her is so dope to me and as a fellow entrepreneur I really appreciate her hustle and lust for life. I’m so inspired and influenced by women who are resilient, witty, and passionate and Myleik is it.
- My biggest role model: Selena Quintanilla will always be a queen to me. Her life was short but she lived it to the fullest. I love how aware she was of her influence and how she used it to spread nothing but love and positivity. She worked hard, but was kind and humble no matter how famous she was. She was proud of her roots and where she came from and used it to unite people and bring them together. With her passion and dedication she conquered the American Dream and brought her family along for the ride. The fact that she has been gone for more than 20 years and continues to have an impact on the community just as much as she did then if not more just shows that her legacy will live on forever.
- The most valuable lesson I have learned in my adult life: to trust your struggle. Every single hardship that I have been through has molded me into the person I am today. Sometimes its really hard to trust that what you are going through is for the best, but I believe there is always a reason for that season and in order to thrive in the next you have to thrive in the current. I believe in pushing past the struggles no matter how hard they may seem and making that lemonade.
I want to meet people in person and connect a face to the name. I want to give you a hug and know how your day is going. I don’t know if it’s a Latina thing, but I just love to interact with people in real time.
Ada is going on tour with Rocio Mora (@RisasRizos“>!
Click here to RSVP… it’s gonna be a good time!
Follow Ada on Instagram @AllThingsAda and subscribe to her YouTube channel, All Things Ada
Read Curly Content Creator RisasRizos Has a Surprise for Her Followers!
