Successful Sistas is an interview series featuring successful women pursuing their dream careers.
Job Title: Creator of Black Girl Tees & Founder/Blogger at MotivatedSista.com
What is Black Girl Tees?
Black Girl Tees is a T-Shirt business created to promote the self-esteem and standard of beauty of black women and girls.
How did you become interested in promoting the self-esteem and beauty standards of black women?
Since high school, I knew that I would own my own business. I had a talk with myself a few years ago and asked myself when I would start my business. What would I do? What am I already good at?
Then a few months later, I was on the train on my way to work. There were two teen girls and a young guy standing right in front of me. From their interactions, I could tell that one of the girls had low self-esteem. She was trying her darndest to get this guy’s attention. And when looking at her, I remembered what it was like at her age. I thought to myself that I wished I got more messages during those vulnerable teen years– that I was beautiful, I was valuable, I was enough. Then I started thinking that sometimes, as grown women, we still need those messages, especially now when there’s a firestorm of attention from the media about what is going wrong in the lives of black women.
Why did you decide to create Black Girl Tees?
From these internal conversations I’d been having, t-shirts emerged in my mind as a platform to promote these messages. A lot of us like graphic tees and like being individuals. When I looked at what was already out there, the majority of what I came across were shirts designed by men– with sayings such as ‘brown sugar’ or blaxploitation-like images. Or the shirts I saw were focused on natural hair pride or Afrocentricity. All of those are great, but there is a lack in the market for t-shirts that affirm our womanhood and femininity separate from a man’s point of view or race.
What do you love most about it?
I love that women feel good when they wear them and that I can touch the lives of young girls. I love that I own something that has meaning and purpose for the greater good.
What is most stressful about it?
MARKETING! I wish I had known, when starting a small business, that the vast majority of my efforts would be devoted to marketing and promotion. Since I am still in the start-up/establishment phase, I don’t have a marketing budget yet and am still a one-woman operating team.
What’s a typical day like for you?
Brainstorming for new ideas, routine check of the Black Girl Tees Facebook page, networking with other t-shirt entrepreneurs, learning a bit each day about marketing and Internet business. Also, blogging at Motivated Sista which takes up a great deal of my time, marketing, promoting, networking and working on other projects associated with that.
What advice or tips would you give someone who wants to do what you do?
Decide what you want your typical day to be like. Do you want to be your own boss one day, or just have a side hustle? Start building relationships early with those who will help you maintain your business– web designers, marketing professionals, other t-shirt entrepreneurs in your area. Take time to learn, and weigh the pros and cons of what you’re getting into and how much time you have to devote to business. Decide when you’re going to take action because the majority of your knowledge comes from lessons learned along the way. And above all else, no matter what anyone says, never give up! You CAN be successful with perseverance, dedication, faith in yourself and a clear vision.
Finish this sentence: This career is for you if___
You’re passionate about business,work well autonomously, want to give your time and efforts to something you believe in and the patience to watch it grow.
Yayy, I’m famous! Thanks for having me in the spotlight. I’m definitely going to post to my networks.
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