Yumna Jawad is the owner of the Feel Good Foodie and has 2 million followers on TikTok.
Photo Credit: Feel Good Foodie
Yumna Jawad is the founder of the Feel Good Foodie brand.
She has 2 million followers on TikTok and says its ban will impact her business.
She's built her website and other platforms to help diversify her income.
This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Yumna Jawad, founder of the Feel Good Foodie. It has been edited for length and clarity.
When I think about the upcoming ban on TikTok, which could take effect as soon as Sunday if the Supreme Court doesn't intervene, I feel sad. There's a social and cultural aspect of TikTok that I'm going to miss if the app goes away. It's always felt more diverse and interesting to me than other social media.
TikTok disappearing could also be a big deal for my company, Feel Good Foodie. I have over 2 million followers on TikTok and make money from sponsored posts and content creation. The ban will impact my income, but not as much as some other influencers. Luckily, I learned early on in my content creation career that having diverse income streams is critical.
Losing access to my Instagram was an important lesson
I started Feel Good Foodie in 2013 to teach myself how to cook. My Instagram following grew quickly, and I had a lot of fun learning in this public setting. About 18 months in, I had about 300,000 followers, and I was starting to get free products and occasionally be paid by brands.
One day in 2014, I woke up, and my account was deactivated. It happened to other food accounts too, and we never figured out why. But it was really scary. I realized I was building this passion and avenue to make money, and it could all just go away.
Luckily, I got my account back in about 24 hours. But I had learned an important lesson about diversification.
I quit my day job when my influencer earnings took off
At the time, I was making about $80,000 a year as a marketing consultant. About two years into Feel Good Foodie, my revenue from social media surpassed my marketing income. When I hit a six-figure income from Instagram, I quit my marketing work.
In 2016, Instagram changed its algorithm, and I realized fewer people were seeing my posts. That's when I started a website. I wanted to know that my audience could find my content, even if the algorithm didn't show it to them. Creating the website helped me maintain control.
Today Feel Good Foodie is a very substantial business (I'm always hesitant to be more specific about my income β that's part of the culture in my Lebanese family). I have 12 contractors working for me who help produce content, and I'm making more than I ever would be in marketing.
I have about seven different income streams, which keeps the business stable. About 60% of my revenue comes from my website, where I make money from ad revenue. Another 30% comes from sponsored content, most often on Instagram and TikTok. I also make money from my cookbook, and Facebook, YouTube, and Pinterest accounts.
My rates for sponsored content could dip by 25%
Although I've diversified, a TikTok ban will still create a blip in my income. Most of my sponsored content is sold as a package, where I post the same video on Instagram and TikTok. I charge with both platforms in mind.
If TikTok is banned, I won't be able to charge the same amount. I would expect to see a 20-25% reduction in what I make from sponsored content.
Luckily, I have really solid audiences elsewhere. My website averages about 7 million page views a month, which makes it very appealing to advertisers, and I have more than 4 million followers on Instagram. I'll be OK, but other content creators who are more reliant on TikTok may not be.
I'm lucky my skills are transferable to other platforms
Social media platforms come and go, but it's not easy for advertisers to make the switch. It takes a long time for brands to feel comfortable with a new platform. I was on TikTok for about three years before I was paid to post there. It will take advertisers time to accept any new platform users migrate to.
Luckily, I've built skills that are transferable to other platforms. I'm disappointed about the TikTok ban, but optimistic about the health of my company.
Sean "Diddy" Combs' attorneys slammed the prosecution of the rapper as "sexist"
Mark Von Holden/Invision/AP, File
Sean "Diddy" Combs' attorneys called the criminal sex trafficking case against him "sexist."
The attorneys also said prosecutors' video evidence show their client is innocent.
They said the videos depicting so-called "freak offs" show "sexual activity between fully consenting adults."
Attorneys for Sean "Diddy" Combs revealed in court filings this week that a key part of their defense strategy for the hip-hop mogul's sex trafficking case will be to attack the prosecution as "sexist" and argue that video evidence of his so-called "freak offs" will vindicate him at trial.
Combs' attorneys made the comments in a partially-redacted seven-page letter to the Manhattan federal judge overseeing the rapper's criminal case as part of a bid to obtain their own copies of the recordings in preparation for Combs' trial defense.
"Having reviewed these videos, it is now abundantly clear that they confirm Mr. Combs's innocence," Combs' attorneys wrote in the letter.
"Any fair-minded viewer of the videos will quickly conclude that the prosecution of Mr. Combs is both sexist and puritanical," the letter read. "It is sexist because the government's theory perpetuates stereotypes of female victimhood and lack of agency."
The prosecution, said Combs' attorneys, "reflects a paternalistic view that the government is here to protect women, who cannot be trusted to make their own decisions about sex, and are not capable of consenting to sex that the prosecutors view as outside the 'norm.'"
At the center of the indictment against Combs are accusations he orchestrated "freak offs," which prosecutors describe in court papers as "elaborate and produced sex performances that Combs arranged, directed, masturbated during, and often electronically recorded."
In these alleged drug-fueled sex sessions, prosecutors say Combs "used force, threats of force, and coercion" to get female victims to engage in sex acts with male commercial sex workers.
"Contrary to what the government has led this Court and the public to believe, the so-called 'Freak Offs' were private sexual activity between fully consenting adults in a long-term relationship," Combs' defense attorneys wrote in their letter to the judge.
"Like many Americans in the privacy of their own bedrooms, they sometimes filmed their sexual activity," the attorneys wrote, adding that the videos "do not depict sex parties."
"There are no secret cameras, no orgies, no other celebrities involved, no underground tunnels, no minors," the letter reads, adding, "At bottom, this case is about whether Victim-1 was or was not a willing participant in her private sex life with Mr. Combs."
The sex-trafficking indictment against Combs mentions one cooperating accuser referred to only as "Victim-1." "Victim-1" has been widely identified Combs' ex-girlfriend, R&B singer Cassandra "Cassie" Ventura. Previously published details of Ventura's relationship with Combs β including that it lasted some 10 years β match the prosecution descriptions of "Victim-1" in multiple court documents.
Attorneys for Ventura did not immediately respond to a request for comment by Business Insider for this story. A spokesman for the US Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York declined to comment.
Combs' lawyers wrote in their letter to the judge that after four weeks of attempting to schedule the viewing of the prosecutors' video evidence, the defense was able to view the footage under the supervision of law enforcement on November 20 and December 13.
"There is no evidence of any violence, coercion, threats, or manipulation whatsoever," Combs' attorneys wrote. "There is no evidence that anyone is incapacitated or under the influence of drugs or excessive alcohol consumption. There is certainly no evidence of sex trafficking."
Combs' attorneys initially filed a lesser-redacted version of their letter with the court on Tuesday, but that letter disappeared from the public docket after prosecutors successfully argued for its removal, saying a protective order in the case was violated.
In the initial letter filed by Combs' defense attorneys, they said that videos "unambiguously show that the person alleged in the indictment to be 'Victim-1' not only consented, but thoroughly enjoyed herself."
In a separate letter to the judge on Wednesday, Combs' attorneys wrote: "Faulting the defense for characterizing that same evidence as exculpatory and consensual is an unfair double standard and demonstrates the government's intent to mislead the public and the Court."
Combs has been locked up pretrial at a federal Brooklyn jail since his September 2024 arrest and indictment on charges of racketeering conspiracy, sex trafficking, and transportation to engage in prostitution.
Combs has vehemently denied the federal charges against him as well as all accusations of sexual abuse. His attorneys did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Amazon is cutting jobs in its Fashion and Fitness group, according to internal messages seen by BI.
A spokesperson said the cuts affect about 200 employees.
Amazon has been trying to expand in apparel and fashion categories for years.
Amazon is cutting jobs in its Fashion and Fitness group, according to internal messages seen by Business Insider.
One of the internal messages, posted to an internal Amazon Slack channel, said San Diego-based employees in this group, known as F2, were let go recently.
An Amazon spokesperson said the role eliminations affect roughly 200 employees across the country.
"We're always looking at our team structures to ensure we're best set up to move fast as we innovate for customers," the spokesperson said. "We've adjusted parts of our North America Stores team because we believe this structure will better enable us to deliver on our priorities. As part of these changes, we've made the difficult decision to eliminate a small number of roles, and we're committed to supporting affected employees through their transition." Β
The job cuts are likely unrelated to Amazon's plans to shut down Try Before You Buy, previously known as Prime Wardrobe. This service lets consumers order clothing, try it on, and either send it back or buy it.
Amazon has tried several times to expand in apparel and fashion categories. This part of the retail industry can be more challenging for e-commerce businesses because consumers often prefer to try own items before buying them. When online clothing orders don't fit, and consumers send products back, that can be expensive and cut into profit margins.
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During an unannounced trip to the capital, his first since being elected prime minister, Starmer pledged to put Ukraine in the "strongest possible position."
"Our 100 Year Partnership is a promise that we are with you, not just today or tomorrow, but for a hundred years β long after this war is over and Ukraine is free and thriving once again," he said in a post on X.
According to a UK government press release, the treaty will boost military collaboration on maritime security across the Baltic Sea, Black Sea, and Azov Sea in an effort to deter Russian aggression.
The deal will also seek to advance the countries' scientific and technology partnerships in areas such as space and drones, it said.
In a press briefing following a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Starmer also announced that the UK would deliver 150 artillery barrels and a mobile air defense system to Ukraine.
The UK has been one of Ukraine's main backers. As of December 20, the UK had committed Β£12.8 billion (around $15.7 billion) to Ukraine, including Β£7.8 billion ($9.5 billion) in military aid since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022.
Starmer's visit comes as Ukraine gears up for the return of Trump to the White House.
Trump β who along with his vice president pick JD Vance has been skeptical of US aid to Kyiv β has said that he intends to bring the war in Ukraine to a swift close without detailing how he plans to do so.
The Galaxy S25 is going to come in a few colors for each device. The less expensive Galaxy S24 and S24+ will mirror each other in choices, while the Galaxy S25 Ultra is going to come in several exclusive options. In the latest leak, we get a good look at every color (almost) in the flesh.
The New York Mets are considering building their 2025 roster without a free agent who had an iconic tenure with the franchise, according to a new report.
With spring training a month away, reports indicate the New York Mets want slugging first baseman Pete Alonso to agree to a new contract or they will move on.
