I Started My Own Blog With an Entrepreneurial Mindest
When I hear the term "entrepreneur," I immediately think of someone being their own boss; the own captain of their ship. The actual definition of an entrepreneur according to Merriam-Webster is "one who organizes, manages, and assumes the risks of a business or enterprise". Before you start a business, you should ask yourself two important questions. First, why do I want to start a business? Second, who is my target audience?
B’s Kinks And Curls is my own blog. It was my first dive into entrepreneurship, in some shape and form.
During quarantine in 2020, I decided to start my own hair blog, B's Kinks and Curls. For years, I thought about starting a blog but life always got in the way, and held off on it. When the world was stuck inside the house for months, we didn't have a choice but to reflect and get creative with ways to keep ourselves busy while maintaining our sanity. At the time, I recently lost my job and was at a standstill. I desperately tried to find my purpose. What could I do to keep myself busy but still make some sort of impact?
At the 2019 BET Awards, Tyler Perry received the Ultimate Impact Award for "...his continued cultural impact in the entertainment industry", as reported on The Variety. While listening to his speech, Tyler said something in reference to the Oscars only having white nominations that still sticks with me to this day: "While you're fighting for a seat at the table, I'll be in Atlanta building my own." I related to that so much because at the time I was stressing about finding an at-home job and putting my time and energy into someone else's business when I neglected my own dream. From that day forward, I took my phone, and brainstormed possible names for my blog and future article ideas.
American filmmaker and actor, Tyler Perry
In the short amount of time when Tyler spoke, I felt inspired to do more, to "build" my own table. I created B's Kinks and Curls to bring people along on my hair journey. I asked myself such questions: why I wanted to start the blog and who my target audience would be? When I first went natural, I had no idea what I was doing; there weren't as many resources as there are today. I wanted those people to know that they are not alone in not knowing how to manage their hair or what tools to use. I also had a pretty broad audience of young teens and up because of my choice of topic. With Tyler's speech in mind, I felt unstoppable.
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Being an entrepreneur is not an easy route. From receiving both encouraging and discouraging opinions to living off of little to no compensation at first, you must genuinely love and be dedicated to your business. With that being said, what is entrepreneurship to me? Well, it’s more than just being a boss. It’s taking risks, being creative, utilizing your intuition and so much more. It’s more than a title; it’s hard and dedicated work.
Lafayette is a friend of mine and she is a small business owner. Her business is called Lafay Luxe (Home | Lafay Luxe). She makes and sells unisex natural fragrances that smell divine! I own three perfumes of hers and plan to order more once my bottles run out. Lafayette has told me about her not-so-pleasant experience working in retail in the past. With a mother and aunt who own successful hair salons, she shared that she knew one day, she’d want to have something to add her name to - thus the birth of Lafay Luxe.
Courtesy of Pexels.com
I was there from the start of Lafayette’s business journey. There was some trial and error as she handmade batches but she persevered until she created the scents she has today. Hearing about her experience, makes me say, again, taking the entrepreneurial route is no joke! But it is very rewarding to see people enjoy what you’ve put your heart and soul into.
Is entrepreneurship worth the risk? I think about all of the things we wouldn’t have if someone didn’t take a chance and pursue their dreams. With that in mind alone, I must say yes, it is. Take that chance and stand behind it.
