“I kept pitching myself.” How at 20 years old, Flex Mami transformed herself into a brand.

Lillian Ahenkan, more commonly known as Flex Mami is a woman of many talents. She's an International DJ, MTV presenter, author, podcast host, model, creator of the critical-thinking card game, ReFlex, social media influencer and a professional opinion haver. 

In recent weeks, the 26-year-old sat down with Mia Freedman on the Lady Startup podcast to discuss how she went from working in PR to becoming the independent, multi-disciplinary Australian media personality she is today.

Listen to the whole interview with Flex Mami and Mia Freedman on the Lady Startup podcast here. Post continues below.

Flex started off by explaining that her journey to becoming a lady startup, began when she was 20 years old working in PR. 

"I was working in PR and social and digital comms and I was pretty naïve," Flex began sharing with Mia.

"My boss kept trying to teach me foresight and to see the bigger picture. Whether we were pitching for a product, brand or experience, [she wanted us] to look at every consumer and how they would perceive it. But I couldn't stop being so literal.

"I couldn't escape that thinking because I'd been used to literal thinking up until that point. I couldn't be lateral," she explained.

Watch the trailer for Overshare, the podcast hosted by Flex Mami, Kelly McCarren and Lama Zakharia. Post continues below.

"It was just taking a toll on my self worth because I tied the two so intrinsically. And I thought, maybe it's not the job. Maybe it's because the job is my only thing, it's my only priority. So if I get a hobby, I'll like my job more," she said.

During the same period, Flex was also going out but not drinking; and therefore, wanted to find a way to continue to be out and enjoying nightlife without spending so much money. So she met the club promoters and suggested that instead of paying DJs when the club is half empty early in the night, rather get her to do it for free. 

And then, while still working her full-time job in PR, Flex learnt how to DJ.

View this post on Instagram

Love all these pre-Roni memories that I’m getting tagged in. The first was last year, and the second was May 2018. What a TIME.

A post shared by  ✨ FlexMami ✨ (@flex.mami) on Apr 15, 2020 at 7:52pm PDT

"From the point when I knew I was going to start DJing, I downloaded the software, got the headphones and changed all of my bios. I said that I was a DJ, constantly made reference to what I was doing and kept pitching myself," she explained.

At the time, promoters were also more interested in people's looks over their DJing ability. So Flex used this to her advantage and began marketing herself more than the music.

"As soon as I knew that people only care what I look like when I come to the venue, I realised that it's up to me to start marketing myself and how my image intertwines with the music. So for the longest time I was brand building.

"What I wore, what I said I played, how I presented myself, what clubs I said I hung out at, how I promoted myself virtually. All of these things took precedence over the music I was actually playing for that hour, three times a week."

These days, Flex Mami continues to DJ, owns both ReFlex the Game and Flex Factory, co-hosts her very own podcast, Bobo and Flex and has built a community of almost 100,000 Instagram followers.

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It be like what? That.

A post shared by  ✨ FlexMami ✨ (@flex.mami) on Jun 27, 2020 at 11:21pm PDT

Read more about Lady Startups:

• How Australian entrepreneur Poppy King revolutionised the beauty industry not once but twice.
• When a photo of their shoe design broke the internet, these 2 mums' lives changed overnight.
• In 2010, Olympian Steph Prem suffered a horrific injury that changed the course of her life.

Feature image: Instagram/@flex.mami