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Saturday, November 16, 2024
Business

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In one of my business groups on Facebook, someone posted a meme that generated a lot of buzz; it read, “Total strangers will support you before your own friends and family.” Many of us have seen this meme on Facebook and Instagram, and it always causes lively discussions on social media. People are really passionate about getting the most support from people they know; however, this may not be in the best interest of someone who is serious about launching a real business.

So here’s the deal – I believe it was Tiphani Montgomery who said it best, and I’m paraphrasing but, she said that ‘I don’t care if friends or family don’t support my business because I DON’T HAVE A FRIENDS AND FAMILY BUSINESS; I HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS.’ This is one of the best perspectives to have when trying to build your brand.

Some People Are Just Supporting To Be Nice

Yes, it’s great if you do have friends and family that support, but ask yourself – are they supporting you because they believe your product is actually great, or are they supporting you just to be nice? Are they supporting you because they believe that your services are actually stellar – or do they simply feel obligated to support you because they know you? Are you comfortable having people buy your products because they’re your relative – or are you selling products that actually appeal to people around the world? If you ask yourself these questions and examine how you’ve been going about attempting to sell to your customers, are you building a ‘Family and Friends’ business or are you building and International business?

Depending On Friends & Family Places Limits On Your Business

Also, if you are constantly relying on just friends and family to buy your makeup, or support your non-profit, or attend your party – you are limiting yourself. Chances are, the people that know you best are the people who are going to be THE LEAST honest with you. They are the ones who may simply pat you on your back, or say “good job” just to be supportive. This is a limitation because the last thing an entrepreneur needs are ‘yes men’! Friends and family should not feel obligated to always support your business. If your product is really awesome, then you will notice strangers logging on to your website to purchase your items. If your services are really as stellar as you claim, then you will see people outside of your city inboxing you to figure out how to obtain your services.

Know Your Demographic

If you are a business owner who has thoroughly studied your product and your audience, you already know that very often, your friends and family are often not a part of your core demographic. If you are selling a sensual, sexual novella – chances are your very churchy, Christian grandmother may not actually want to read anything that’s in your book. But, grandma buys it anyway just to support – this is foolishness; if you’re doing this, spare grandma and save yourself!

Find Your Tribe

Some of the people in these groups are going to have to come to the harsh reality that perhaps, your friends and family don’t want your cupcakes, they don’t want to come to the club to watch you perform, they are not interested in the topics that you blog about, or they don’t like the type of shoes that you sell. But guess what – that’s OK! There are 6 billion people in the world; there are over 2 billion on Facebook, and a few other billion on Instagram and other platforms that are probably interested in what you’re offering. Your goal is to learn the skills you need in order to reach YOUR audience – and many times your friends and family are not your audience.

So, as a group of creators and future entrepreneurs, we have to stop of having unrealistic expectations of others. Also, if you’re one of those people who often complain about people not supporting you, then it’s obvious you haven’t found your community, or your tribe – so you have work to do. Do not look to the same friends and family to be your customers and your client base. You should have the same energy as Tiphani and ask yourself, are you building a ‘friends and family’ business or a global business?

Syllabus Magazine

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

http://www.syllabusmagazine.com

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Blackbaud Website

Headquartered in Charleston, SC , Blackbaud leads the world in powering software for social good – which includes: nonprofits, schools, healthcare organizations and other institutions. According to their website, “Our vision is to power an ecosystem of good that builds a better world.”Apparently, they have been building a better world, and Forbes Magazine has recognized them building a better company, that understands and appreciates the value of diversity.

Forbes recently included Blackbaud as one of America’s Best Employers for Diversity 2018, in the IT, Internet/Software and Services category. This category also includes other companies such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Paypal. These companies were chosen based on anonymous, independent surveys from working Americans.

On their website, Blackbaud discussed how they focused on growing their diversity program for the past two years, through education, awareness, recruiting, and community involvement initiatives. They also launched additional initiatives that focused on diversity, they stated:

“The recent launch of affinity groups; unconscious bias training; diversity audits and benchmarking; partnering with United Negro College Fund (UNCF) for the STEM Innovation Summit; Blackbaud Executive Women’s Summit and Blackbaud Women in Tech events; third party partnerships (ex. Fortune mentoring programs); participation as an executive board member for the SC Lowcountry Business Leadership Network focused on hiring and retaining disabled employees.”

According to Forbes, 76% of jobs in tech are held by men; and for Blacks and Latinos the numbers seem even more bleak – the makeup computes to only about 5% of the tech workforce. With tech being a major component in our lives, it is vital that we are a part of this field. With the recent controversy of people demanding more diversity in tech and Silicon Valley, it’s great to see a company, launched in the great city of Charleston, SC being recognized globally for diversity in tech.

You can see the entire Forbes listing here.

Sources:

Forbes

Blackbaud

Syllabus Magazine

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

http://www.syllabusmagazine.com

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You’re Never Too Young

Listen kids, you are never too young to go after your dreams! It’s 2018 and young people have the world, literally at their fingertips. If you have a dream or an idea, even if you’re a teenager like Marsai Martin, you can make your dreams happen. This 13-year-old, who is one of the stars in the hit ABC comedy series, Blackish is living her dreams out loud.

Marsai is set to executive produce and star in her debut feature film, Little. According to the Hollywood Reporter,

“Her film is about a woman who gets a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to relive her carefree days as a kid (played by Marsai) when the struggles of adulthood get way too real. It’s like “Big”, but in reverse.”

We have seen Marsai slay on “Blackish”, using her wit, charm, her hilarious gestures, and natural comedic timing – so this movie roll sounds like a perfect fit for her personality. “Little” will give the 13-year-old her first credits as an executive producer because she came up with the idea and she pitched it. What makes this even better is Marsai is teaming up with “Girls Trip” writer, Tracy Oliver, who helped her with the first draft of the screenplay! Also, Tina Gordon, who wrote for Drumline and is set to sit in the director’s chair for this film.

Exposing Children To Great Things (Early) Can Cause Them To Dream BIG

In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, Marsai talked about her future and seeing herself writing, directing, and winning Emmys, Grammys, Oscars and Tonys, she said:

“I see myself directing, writing, doing my own TV shows and movies. I see myself being a legend! (laughs) I don’t know what 30-year-old or 20-year-old Marsai would want, but there’s a path for me. And i want an EGOT!”

Marsai, because of her talent, was able to secure the big dogs for her endeavors. Universal will distribute the film through Will Packer’s production company and Kenya Harris, the creator of “Blackish”, Regina Hall and Josh Martin are all on board to help produce her film.

We love Marsai, and we love how she has such big dreams! She took an idea, and shared it with the right people, who are now helping her bring her idea to life. This is what happens with kids are exposed to great things; they begin to dream big dreams, create and invent- even at 13. Best of luck to Marsai, we expect to see great things from her in the future!

Syllabus Magazine

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

http://www.syllabusmagazine.com

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Hope Wiseman, Youngest Black Owner of a Dispensary in the U.S.

Hope Wiseman is Making History

This very cool young woman is the youngest, black dispensary owner in the U.S. Her name is Hope Wiseman, and she has set out to take many of the misconceptions, judgments, and confusion that surround the use of marijuana, and educate more people on exactly how this plant works. She is set to open Mary & Main in Maryland next month; and one of her goals is to take the negative stigmas that come along with marijuana use, in order to educate her community.

Hope Wiseman Instagram

This 25 year old investment banker /reality show star of WAGS Atlanta/ former Falcons cheerleader, along with her mother and a family friend, who are both dentists, have worked to create this business. While in the process of creating her cannabis empire, she also noticed the amount of confusion and skepticism she’s received from people close to her who feel negatively about the plant. In an interview with the Huffington Post, she details why people’s natural skepticism is one of the reasons education is so important, Wiseman explains:

“I understand that stoner stigma may come off very negatively. But then you hear the stories. Stories about children who had multiple seizures a day, which completely stopped because they’re taking CBD oil, or Cannabidiol, a compound found in marijuana which has absolutely zero psychoactive effect. Stories about people who have glaucoma who use it to alleviate their symptoms. Stories about people who have cancer, who have a better quality of life when they’re going through chemotherapy.”

Correcting The Stigmas

Wiseman also details how generally, mostly white men and women are celebrated for their use of the plant, and how they’ve used their business skills in order to generate billions in the marijuana industry. However, people of color are continuously locked up; in America, “black people have a lower usage rate than white people who use cannabis, but they are arrested for possession at four times the rate as whites,” per the American Civil Liberties Union.

With laws regarding marijuana use slowly changing across the coutry, Hope Wiseman’s ultimate goal is to educate, and she will be offering free classes in order to change some of the bad stigmas in communities of color. Her goals for these community education classes are:

“To explain the history behind the plant so you can understand why it became a scheduled drug, why African-Americans have been prosecuted at higher rates than other races and minorities and how that affects us today.”

Hope Wiseman is making history, and she seems to be excited on what’s to come. She has admitted, in the marijuana industry and at her position, it is a little lonely, but she has been able to build a solid team with her community and other dispensaries throughout Maryland. Let’s hope Maryland is showing up in droves to support this young entrepreneur!

Source: Huffington Post

Syllabus Magazine

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

http://www.syllabusmagazine.com

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#LowCountryExcellence

In case you haven’t heard by now, we have another South Carolina native making us proud! The hair and beauty industry, combined with the growth of the internet, social media, and social influencers has helped to create moguls from everyday people we’ve enjoyed watching on Facebook, Periscope, Twitter and Youtube. One of these influencers, Pamela Booker, is a Beaufort, South Carolina native that we’ve watched on the social app, Periscope for some time. Her love for natural hair and natural beauty, her love for giving us valuable and fun content, and the passion she shows in regards to her Lowcountry roots, has made her a Periscope fave. Her brand Koils By Nature, according to her website cosigns the love she has for natural hair and the Lowcountry; her site states:

“We love to see people living their dreams, building their brands, and becoming successful entrepreneurs; but the joy you feel when you see someone from your neck of the woods, the Lowcountry, a Gullah Pamela Booker, Coils By Nature will be in Target Stores January 28th! This is an amazing move.”

In her announcement via Periscope, Booker shared that her “Koils By Nature” brand will be in 49 stores nationwide, and by May 2018, the brand will be rolled out in 100 Target stores! She explained her excitement on Periscope:

“Its like when when a person hears they’re song on radio, I can’t wait to see my stuff in stores, on shelves, with the skew number – I am going to lose my mind!”

Although as of today, out of the 100 stores whereKoils By Nature will be sold, these will not include stores in South Carolina or Florida, the hope is that the demand will be so great Target will continue to roll out Booker’s products in all Targets across the country. But for now, 100 stores isn’t too shabby! From California to New York, Pamela Booker and Koils By Nature is now a national brand!

Words Of Encouragement & Honoring Her Lowcountry Ancestors

In her announcement on Periscope, Pamela shared with the viewers her struggle with fear, and how she had a fear of success, because of where she is from. She stated that fear of success crippled her for a while; but she was able to conquer it. She spoke about why knowing your “WHY” is so important in business. Your “WHY” is the reason you are choosing to embark on your particular business, andyour WHY cannot be money!She advised viewers to make certain to know what is our “WHY”. She went on to discuss her “WHY”; it is a beautiful and significant testament, especially for those of us from the lowcountry:

“My WHY is my ancestors. John Wright, Jackie Jenkins, they were born slaves in South Carolina. And Diana, who was brought over here on a slave ship; she is my fifth generation grandmother, the furthest I could go back. And its honoring them. It is because of them that I am here. It is because of Jackie Jenkins that I am still here. It is because of John Wright that we still have land in our family that he purchased. Twenty-Two acres, so many years ago. He lived to be 78 years old; he was born a slave and lived to be 78 years old. My great-great grandfather, Alfred Jenkins was his son. And then, my grandmother, Rebecca Wright Jenkins, was his daughter. So, I honored them – that is my WHY.”

She also went further to discuss that her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are a part of her “WHY”; Booker explains that she wants to build a legacy for them. Booker added, “If my fourth generation grandfather could leave me, and a lot of my cousins 22 acres of land, then I can leave my family something greater!”

Her entrepreneur, fourth generation grandfather was able to pass down a legacy and be inspiration to Booker. That is not only inspiring for Booker, but it gives hope to so many of us who are from the Lowcountry and are watching Pamela Booker build a brand that will be known from the east to west coasts.

Pamela Booker also explained that she is excited to share the store shelves with other successful, hair mavens that are already in stores. She also gratefully shared that those same friends have been rooting her on.

Although the brand isn’t in Lowcountry stores just yet, the Lowcountry still has to get behind Pamela. We can (1) Log on to Koilsbynature.com and purchase some of her amazing products, (2) Tweet / Facebook Target and let them know we need to have this brand on shelves in our South Carolina stores!

Catch her entire announcement on Periscope before it expires; click here! Thank you Pamela Booker for being an inspiration to so many in the hair and beauty industry, to all of the women watching you work, and to those of us here in the the Lowcountry; we wish Koils By Nature much success!

Syllabus Magazine

Syllabus Magazine, the Carolina’s source for Music, Culture and Fashion

http://www.syllabusmagazine.com
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