Taysha Valez “de Ames” is an entrepreneur who was born in New York City. At 28, she is founder of TRImyTAY~Telecom Inc. (IBC) — making her the youngest global telecom owner in the world — and the instantly international non-profit organization, Gilded Hills Literary Society. TAY also is known as the (very private) princess of pricey because of her world record breaking prices on fashion, literature and beauty products. Taysha Valez is most well-known for her socialite collection mascara (starting at $1,589 a tube) and noted for creating a new niche industry called the OAT industry (OAT is a what the word HAUTE really sounds like. OAT stands for “Original And Timeless” and “Over A Thousand.”) All the products the OAT industry offers,including her Gilded Hills novellas, are over a thousand dollars each. Although extremely private, TAY was profiled in many media outlets, including Entrepreneur Magazine, TheYBF.com, TOYs for Girls, Vanity Fair Germany, Women’s Wear Daily and the family-owned TRIllionairess Weekly Magazine. TAY also is a hot topic on slanderous, tabloid style, false, speculating gossip forums and sites around the Internet. She says, “My only fear is seeming ungrateful. I am so grateful for so many things — too many things and people to count. All I can say is ‘thank you, merci, gracias’ so much daily.”
What are you working on right now?
myTAY! I am totally consumed with all things mobile, social shopping and mobile search. Mobile, mobile, mobile. I can’t say it enough. myTAY has so many amazing mobile things up our ruffled sleeves. We have www.GildedGosSIP.com, a mobile social-shopping discovery engine. We have TRITextual text-based human powered mobile search, static mobile search, a mobile ad server called krysjmobile, a niche wireless network called myTAY PCS launching during fashion week, which offers unlimited text, talk, 3G and gratis international dialing. So many great things for myTAY. And it all boils down to mobile search and social-shopping.
3 trends that excite you?
How fast and how instantly international the mobile space is and how infinite the possibilities are. There are so many niches to exploit and so many conversations to be apart of. And I also love the community slash tribe trend. Small is totally the new big. People are finally realizing that not everything is for everyone. And THAT’s fine …
How do you bring ideas to life?
I’ve been doing business since I was 15. So, it’s always the same thing. Being focused and trusting that my niche has potential to sustain itself. When 1,000 people spend $1,ooo with you, it will always equal a million. And that’s always my core. OAT, original and timeless in the experience, and over a thousand. I don’t know any other way. Honestly I see it! I draw it up! And I find the team, and we execute. Then we do it all over again. It gets easier over time. My core audience expects me to come up with a zillion OAT offerings. I’ve worked very hard to build the foundation that I have. And now with their encouragement I’ll branch out a little, allowing more people in to experience all this OAT shabby chic fun!
What is one mistake that you’ve made that our readers can learn from?
Second guessing myself. Straying too far away from OAT. Letting the noise of people outside my niche seep through. But that was at the beginning. Now I am so focused, I don’t even hear anyone besides the people I am focused on. It amazes me how many opinions people have on things, people and places that they have never tried, met or experienced. That’s the catch-22 of the Internet, hence the reason why social interaction with your core audience is a must!
What is one book and one tool that helps you bring ideas to life?
“Conversations With God” always keeps me on track. I love that book. I’m not super religious. I just really enjoy the tone of that book.
Photoshop! I adore it. So many ideas come to life. I take my handmade story boards for all my ideas, and then I translate them using Photoshop.
What is one idea that you’re willing to give away to our readers?
1800dropandgiveme20! I need someone to make a mobile text and voice app that makes me exercise. It’s like bootcamp, but on the mobile. But in a very very tough love kind of way.
Is being a young Gen-Y entrepreneur a benefit, or does it hinder your growth in business?
First let me start off by saying that I’ve dealt with, and deal with, every “ism” there is. Sexism, racism, ageism, class-ism and so on and so forth. And the only thing that can stop anyone who’s doing everything as right as they can is themselves. There is always some sort of support, somewhere. And once you’re in motion, everything falls into place. Being a part of Gen-Y is a blessing. I’m not afraid of anything or anyone. And that’s totally a Gen-Y thing. I see a positive or lesson in every negative, so being Gen-Y, I would not change it for the world. All I can say for Gen-Y entrepreneurs is, we got next!
If you were not a serial entrepreneur, what alternative career path would you have followed?
Neuro-scientist for sure. I am in love with the brain and how it works. I consider myTAY and Oat shabby chic mobile a brain search engine. (It sounds like oat shabby chic mobile brain surgeon if you say it super fast.) More toward the behavioral side of things. Like why people do the things they do, why they buy, what part of the brain makes us want to love, hate, hurt, help, etc. It’s a fascinating science.
Connect:
E-mail Taysha Valez: [email protected]
Websites: www.myTAY.com
www.gildedgossip.com/profile/3/ThePrincessofPricey
Mario Schulzke is the Founder of ideamensch, which he started a decade ago to learn from entrepreneurs and give them a platform for their ideas.