Sisterhood and success were fully displayed as Elsa Majimbo and Grace Amaku sat onstage for a fireside chat during ESSENCE Hollywood House on Friday. Nandi Howard, ESSENCE VP of Content and Senior Content Director, led the Partner in Prime panel discussion between the two comedians. During the conversation, Majimbo and Amaku discussed their blossoming friendship, content creation and the ins and outs of cultivating a strong online presence. “Fostering relationships has been vital in my success because I know myself,” Amaku says. “I can talk forever, and that’s me. I’m extroverted, and that’s my power. I like to live within my power.”
Majimbo shared that their introduction began after following each other on social media. From there, the dynamic duo started a conversation and soon realized they were both moving to Los Angeles. After moving, the pair also decided to move their online connection to form a real-life friendship. “Grace and I hung out all the time,” Majimbo says. “We started living together, and we’ve been best friends ever since. We’re sisters.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 08: (L-R) Nandi Howard, Elsa Majimbo and Grace Africa attend the 2024 ESSENCE Hollywood House on March 08, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Both comedians have a massive social media following, especially across their TikTok platforms. Majimbo has 1.8 million followers, and Amaku does not stray far behind with her 1.6 million following count. While the partners continue to navigate the digital landscape together, they embrace the differences in their content style. Their authenticity, however, is the connecting tissue between the two.
“I’m here to spread joy as much as I can and not get distracted by anything else,” Amaku says. “I don’t get distracted by clout or trying to make myself something I’m not to get to a place I need to go. I know my worth, and I know I can bring so much to this industry.”
The besties shared how they maintain their friendship while also being business partners. Honesty and an open line of communication are what they found contribute to their successful business relationship. Additionally, they both revealed the biggest lessons they have learned from each other: setting boundaries and showing up for the people you love.
“Elsa helped me learn that there are certain ways to take care of myself,” Amaku tells the audience. “If she [Elsa] does not want to do something, she will say ‘absolutely no’ because she knows that she needs to. So, that has helped me to take care of me.”
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 08: (L-R) Elsa Majimbo, Nandi Howard and Grace Africa attend the 2024 ESSENCE Hollywood House on March 08, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
Majimbo adds, “Every time I know I have a problem, I can call Grace, and she will always pick up. I never used to do this, but at some point when we were living together, I started buying Grace flowers all of the time. That is what you do for the people you love, and she taught me that.”
The conversation continued with Amaku dropping several gems for content creators about elevating their social media presence. In true comedic fashion, the room filled with laughter as Amaku whipped her pink notebook out to read the tips she had learned since taking a course at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA).
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 08: (L-R) Elsa Majimbo, Nandi Howard and Grace Africa attends the 2024 ESSENCE Hollywood House on March 08, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Paras Griffin/Getty Images for ESSENCE)
From telling the crowd to develop their brand’s mission and message to understanding analytics, Amaku’s tokens of wisdom appeared to resonate with audiences as they took notes. Majimbo and Amaku ended the panel with sharing their hopes for the future of content creation for creators becoming business partners. While Amaku wants companies to give creators more agency in creating content for programs and brand rollouts, Majimbo simply wants influencers to do less.
“We’ve gotten to a point where I’m seeing so many ridiculous things,” Majimbo says. “I see people going out of their way to harm others and behave like they have no sense for views. The shift I’m hoping to see is people realizing that won’t take you anywhere and it can only do so much for you. I hope it dies as quickly as it came.”