Adaleta Avdić was born in Bosnia in the early 90s and came to the United States as a refugee when she was 5 years old. Having escaped a life of hardship and war, her and her family arrived in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and were part of a Catholic refugee rescue and taken in by a Catholic priest and his family. The help from the church allowed Avdić’s family to start a new life in the US and allowed her dad became a professional pilot. As his career progressed, Avdić family moved to Los Angeles, three years later.
Avdić has been working since she was 16 and went on to graduate from the University of Arizona, with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Business Writing. Taking that writing degree to a new level, Avdić established her blog adaatude.com in 2013 as part of a senior class college project. Fast forward to present day, after years of dedicated posts, she speaks to 85K readers with 47K unique page views a month. Now known globally as @adaatude on social media, she is sought after by major brands to be their brand ambassadors. Over 600,000 followers later, Adaleta Avdić is an accomplished Social Media Influencer and well-known blogger that covers various topics including beauty, travel, lifestyle and fashion.
Beyond the blog and social media, Avdić maintains a YouTube channel with over 10K followers that engage with her videos which are uploaded once a week. She’s always on the hunt for the perfect shade of lipstick, the best fitting clothes and a delicious meal while traveling and exploring the world. She actually worked as a professional in the tourism industry for 7 years before becoming a full-time blogger, so traveling is second nature to her. She even got engaged in Norway! Avdić has since settled down in Tucson, Arizona and will soon be a new homeowner. Of all her passions, she is most passionate about giving, and donating to local charities such as Casa de los Niños, and loves participating in local events and community gatherings.
Describe yourself in 3 words?
Ambitious, hard working, easy-going
When you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
I wanted to be a lawyer. As I grew up and realized I would have to be in school for much longer, I decided I didn’t want to do the late nights studying for any longer than I had to!
How did you get in the industry?
I got into the industry accidentally. My blog originally started as an electronic dance music information source for my friends, and once I graduated college, I began reviewing beauty products (which was always a big part of my life.)
What is the feeling of being a popular influencer?
I don’t feel any different, and to be totally honest, I wish more influencers just acted normally. We’re not anything special; just someone creating content that people have decided to tune in to.
What part of your job do you find the most challenging?
Honestly dealing with other bloggers can be quite challenging. There’s a lot of jealousy, and hatred towards others which is a big bummer given we should be raising eachother up; not breaking one another down. I’ve had a lot of negativity thrown towards me, because not everyone agrees with my antics, I’m not the thin stereotypical fashion blogger and I speak my mind. Naturally when you’re even a little different, people was gawk and find reasons to cause issues.
What did you learn from your biggest failure?
I learned that I need to take more time to react to specific situations. Not everything is a fire, and I don’t have to please everyone. However I should always be respectful no matter if the other individual involved is unprofessional.
What book should every entrepreneur read?
The Life Changing Art of Not Giving a F*** & also Crazy Busy
Tell us about your hit YouTube channel?And did you think one day will be so popular?
My YouTube channel started off as beauty reviews, and over time it expanded to travel since I did so much flying around with my old corporate job. It grew to 10,000 subscribers, but it has a ways to go. I’d love to be even more consistent, and genuinely take the time to ensure there’s a video every week that is of the quality I am comfortable sharing with the world.
How often do you post videos?
I try to post once a week, but that has turned into a few times a month. To be quite honest, I like professional quality photos on my channel versus just me vlogging. If I don’t find my vlogs interesting, then I’m not quite sure why anyone else would. This is why I am focusing on more professional quality video with my videographer.
What do you think is the secret to have a successful YouTube channel?
Some of the most successful YouTubers I watch, have always unapologetically been themselves. It’s so important to let people see your personality. When I first started I definitely had a “video voice” and now I am super comfortable filming in public and talking to my phone or camera. It gets easier over time.
What kind of music do you listen normally?
I love rap and hip hop. Kendrick Lamar and Atmosphere became two of my favorites because of my fiancé’s influence, but I love some Gucci Mane, Kodak Black, and Eminem.
What is your own definition of happiness?
Happiness is a state of acceptance and bliss when you realize that your life and your situation is good enough for you. When we stop comparing our lives to others, we finally realize that we are so incredibly lucky with or without everything someone else has. Perspective is truly everything.
What are the five things you can’t live without?
The Mr, my phone, ramen, IPAs & wine and travel.
Best advice ever given?
This was told to me recently by a girlfriend who got the advice from her husband, but it’s important not to have expectations of others because upbringing has a lot to do with how you behave and act with family and friends. If someone wasn’t raised to love the way you were, the person doesn’t know how to love you or care for you in the way you “expect” so it’s important to be open-minded and understanding that not everyone will satisfy your expectations.
What is next for Adaleta Avdić in 2019?
This year the team and I are focusing on press coverage, and creating raw real content. Rather than just sharing an outfit, I want to do something creative and have fun concepts lined up. This means we will be doing more creative direction and content planning to ensure all the ideas are original and pushing the brand to the next level.
What would be the dream holiday, and who would you go with?
I’m going to pick two spots – one tropical and one more city vibes. First off, I would love to go to the Maldives (I mean who wouldn’t) for a tropical getaway with the Mr. It’s been a bucket list item for years, and it just looks so peaceful and incredible. Not to mention all the amazing content I could capture. In terms of a city vibe, I would love to go to Tokyo and experience Japan.
What is your favorite healthy food?
I consider ramen healthy, but I’m sure it’s really not. Does that count? 🙂
And your favorite cheat food?
I love In N Out as a cheat meal – the absolute best fast food!
What would be a deal breaker on a first date?
A deal breaker would be lack of self awareness; it’s one of my biggest pet peeves when someone is not worried about the people around them and does not notice that they’re off base or causing disruptions.
Which project is still on your bucket list?
I would love to write a book in the next few years, mainly because I genuinely love to write. I’ve always been a big reader, but writing has been my passion for years because I have always been better at writing my thoughts than speaking them. Writing allows me to eloquently finalize what I’d like to express and say to any given person.
Idea of a perfect Sunday?
I love sleeping in, making some delicious breakfast and having a Bloody Mary or mimosa on a Sunday. Followed by a nice stroll in the desert. This is truly the perfect Sunday morning.
Do you support any charity?
I support Casa de Los Ninos in Tucson Arizona, as well as local women’s shelters.
Any exiting news you want to share with us?
We recently bought our dream home!
What does fashion mean to you?
Fashion is the expression of personal style through clothing. It’s one of my favorite ways to express myself.
How would you explain your fashion style?
I have very approachable style that can be dressed up or down. I don’t like to close off possibilities so I like to be comfortable with my accessories because those can really make an outfit more upscale, while the shoes can dress an outfit down easily. My style is usually comfortable, cute and casual.
How important is Social Media for you?
Social media was pivotal in my success and becoming of a content creator. Because times change and consumers want to see content in new forms, social media was the new digital marketing outlet which has made a lot of influencers very successful in their craft.
Where we can follow you?
Always on Instagram @adaatude but I can be found on most social networks and of course on my blog and YouTube channels. My blog is adaatude.com & my YouTube channel is YouTube.com/AdaletaAvdic
Quote: “If you love what you do, you’ll never work a day in your life.”
Actor/Actress: Emilia Clarke – she may be everyone’s crush but I mean come on. The Queen of Dragons!
Drink: Old fashioned or Cab Sav
City: New York City
Movie: The Notebook
Sport Team: Arizona Wildcats (basketball)
Song: Moshpit by Kodak Black
