(Image: Thinkstock)

Monique Kilgore wants modern women to know that they can be divas and still tear it up in the kitchen. This wife, mom and food blogger is using her site, Divas Can Cook, to brand herself as a food personality. She’s already been featured in a Philadelphia Cream Cheese commercial—after entering Kraft and Paula Deen’s “Real Women of Philadelphia” contest—in addition to being a finalist in the Next Food Network Star YouTube Challenge and winning a cooking segment on The Nate Berkus Show.

BlackEnterprise.com caught up with Kilgore about her passion for cooking, how she is expanding her brand via blogging.

BlackEnterprise.com: Where did your passion for food come from, and how did you get started blogging?

Kilgore: My passion for food definitely comes from growing up in a family where cooking was involved in everything. I started blogging about two and a half years ago. Originally my blog was just a site for me to keep all my family recipes. And somehow my link to my blog got shared on a forum and it just took off from there. I started getting letters saying, “Monique, you’re teaching me how to cook. I didn’t learn how to cook growing up and I’m learning through your recipes.”

When did blogging stop feeling like a hobby and more like a profession?

I would have to say early on, like the first month or so. Even though my traffic was kind of low, I was still getting offers. a lady wanted me to cater for her wedding, and I also got someone wanting me to do meal plans. And they were willing to pay for it. And that’s kind of when I started thinking well maybe I could turn this into a business.

How have you attracted people to your site?

In the beginning I was spending a lot of time getting traffic to the site. Now since I’ve been doing the cooking videos on YouTube, I’ve been getting a lot of traffic from that. Social media is like the best thing ever for getting traffic, free traffic anyway. So my Facebook fan page, and Twitter, YouTube—those are all really big places that I get a lot of traffic from.

Another thing that’s really important for bloggers is marketing. What strategies have you found to be successful?

What really works a lot for me is commenting on other food blogs. I would go to a food blog and they may ask a question and I’ll give an answer, what I think will be helpful for them. And that’s how people are finding me. They’re like, “Well I found you on this blog; I liked the advice that you gave.” Just giving out free advice, offering what I have to offer for free. I find that to be a really, really good way to get myself out there.

You also said that bloggers should find their individual niche to set themselves apart. What would you say your niche is?

I wanted to show modern women how to make old-school type dishes. Almost everything on my site is handmade from scratch. And I feel like that was kind of like dying out a little bit, that old-school type of cooking. So I feel like that’s my niche: bringing that back.

Kilgore, along with other food industry professionals, will be profiled on BlackEnterprise.com throughout this month, in conjunction with Black Enterprise magazine’s November 2011 “A Passion for Food” issue.

Check out the latest features on industry heavyweights, including Marcus Samuelsson and The Neelys, on newsstands now.

Kitty Bradshaw is all about brand building (Image: Terrick Columbus)

• Blog: KittyBradshaw.com
• Niche: Lifestyle/Fashion
• Founder: Kitty Bradshaw
• Twitter: @KittyBradshaw

In Kitty Bradshaw’s world, blogging isn’t about popularity it’s all about dollars. The California native’s eponymous website, KittyBradshaw.com, helps her achieve that goal by delivering reviews and candid commentary on art, culture, food, shopping and all things chic about the New York City lifestyle. Bradshaw’s brutally honest perspective not only attracts a viral audience but mainstream brands looking to leverage her influence in the digital space and beyond.

After only a year online, The Gap reached out to sponsor Bradshaw’s site and the two brands have been partnered for the past two-and-a-half years, hosting events and doing giveaways, among other promotions. The opinionated blogger has also worked with companies like Johnson & Johnson, Cougar Boots and Nina Shoes. Providing brand marketing and blog startup consultation, Bradshaw was named the International Winner of the Social Media Influencer Team Award from Smart Box Scavenger Hunt. As part of Black Blogger Month, the sassy blogger tells BlackEnterprise.com how she makes her brand work and why corporate sponsors can’t get enough. —Starrene Rhett

I started blogging…

Before blogging was a term. My talent is writing, and when the Internet first came around—back when they charged by the hour—I started moderating chat rooms, then on to message boards and groups, then finally to my own site. Writing is a form of expression… Blogging and myself are the perfect combination.

My blog stands out because…

Honestly, because this little blogger, out of nowhere, started landing national sponsorships [laughs]. However, I think people stick around because I interact with my readers on Twitter and they get the full story surrounding the post. My life is a 24-hour, dysfunctional soap opera.

Building a brand is important because…

When you build something in front of everyone, people respect that. When you come out of nowhere trying to be a millionaire within 30 seconds of launching your brand… No one takes you seriously. Some of my readers have been with me over 10 years—long before I was a dot com. They respect me because they have seen where I started out, and are rooting for me to accomplish my goals. My readers are very loyal. They’ve seen my growth, and feel a part of what I’m trying to accomplish.

I realized blogging was a business when…

Actually, I don’t think there was ever a time for me when it wasn’t a business. I started this site to make money. Every step that I’ve taken was carefully calculated and planned out. I’m using this site as a vehicle for my ultimate goal.

The biggest mistake I ever made in business was…

Some people see your potential and try to attach themselves on [to you]. I’m so naive, I kind of just trust people until they prove untrustworthy but I realized sometimes you don’t find out until it’s too late. At this point in my life now I only have two categories of people around me: One, my friends who are outside of the entertainment and blogging industry. Two, associates and/or people I do business with.

Networking has helped me to…

Get my name out there. I’m an very effective networker, and can do my 30-second pitch at a moments notice. I generally show up to events by myself, with business card in hand.

The secret to getting corporate sponsorship is…

Become someone who is marketable. At the end of the day, The Kitty Bradshaw, is a product. I assessed what companies are looking for in the bloggers that they select and I morphed into that. Different companies want different things and as long as it doesn’t cross my ethical code I will be what they need.

Throwing a good event means…

Well, here in New York, the blogging capital, bloggers are defined by the sponsors they bring in. I’ve been fortunate enough to have two national companies (The Gap and Johnson & Johnson) come on board and become title sponsors for my previous Blogiversary events. A good event means quality gift bags, open bar, and people of substance.

In business, you should never be afraid to…

Cut people off. Dead weight sinks ships. If you’re miserable, unsuccessful, unproductive, always asking for advice but never willing to take it… you have to go!

The best piece of business advice I ever got was…

If you don’t take yourself seriously, no one else will.

Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.

Videographer: Melissa Johnson; Video shot on location at The Inn at Irving Place & Lady Mendel’s, New York City

Digital diva Natasha Eubanks (Image: Lonnie Major)

• Blog: The YBF (Young, Black & Fabulous)
• Niche: Celebrity Gossip/Entertainment
• Founder: Natasha Eubanks
• Twitter: @theybf

When Natasha Eubanks started Young, Black & Fabulous (TheYBF.com) in 2005, it was just a personal blog giving her take on the latest Black celebrity happenings. In the time since then the site has grown into a lucrative venture that attracts more than 14 million page views a month and allowed the young businesswoman to rake in a reported $1.4 million in revenue last year.

Already chosen as one of Black Enterprise’s BE Next entrepreneurs, Eubanks has seen her brand expand into the go-to spot for the latest in gossip, fashion, music and entertainment news on African American stars. For her continued growth in the online space, The YBF founder makes BlackEnterprise.com’s list of 20 digital thought leaders for Black Blogger Month.

I started my blog because…

[Black people] still don’t get the same recognition from other [media outlets] as we should be. We were overlooked in mainstream sites. I started TheYBF.com so we could see our celebrities and we could control the news and what’s out there ourselves.

The YBF stands out because…

It’s coming from a personal standpoint as opposed to a random staff or person writing. People feel like, I know Natasha is writing this so I can relate. Most sites, if you’re talking celeb gossip, we’re all talking about similar things, it’s just all about how you put your spin on it. Whether you’re the cool one, the funny one… I provide personal touch from Natasha’s point of view.

People trust my brand because…

They feel like they’re talking to that friend in their head. I don’t just post anything for attention and hits. I try to check out the gossip and try to get the most accurate information. We go the extra mile to get statements from publicists and from the source.

I realized blogging was a business when…

I decided to leave law school, and I knew my parents weren’t going to support me financially anymore. I was a student most of my life. I went from living off an allowance of $200 a month to getting my first $10,000 from an ad. It blew my mind. But in my head, I’ve always had a frugal mindset. I knew that if I needed to live outside the help of my parents, that’s when it was lucrative for me. I was still in school when the money started rolling in, but still lived frugally.

The best piece of business advice I ever got was…

To trust my instincts. Nobody knows your business like you. Don’t be apologetic. I tend to be a people pleaser but when you own a business, that can’t be your priority. You can’t please everyone. Do what’s in the best interest for your business… If you know that there’s a person or company that doesn’t have your best interest at heart or who doesn’t put you first, or it isn’t a great idea to deal with them, you have to be okay with parting ways. I like to have a trusted circle. A person can either make the company or break the company, so be careful with who is on your team or who you’re doing business with.

Networking has helped me to…

Actually, I hate networking. I call it NOTworking. If you’re going to network, you should do it in a fashion where it’s genuine and makes sense for your business instead of going to cocktail events where you won’t even remember someone’s name. That’s a waste. But if you go to a panel or you’re a speaker, or in a focus group, you’re getting benefits and making one-on-one connections, where you can meet people and make real connections—that’s networking.

The First Amendment is…

A grey area, especially for media. When it comes to Internet law, Internet media, it’s such a grey area because it’s so new. There aren’t a lot of concrete laws on what you can or can’t say. If you get taken to court by a celebrity or publicist, there’s almost a greater chance that you’ll win. It’s such an open field, and not much precedence has been set. It’s a double-edged sword

If someone doesn’t like something I post…

I won’t back down. At first, I didn’t understand why people would hate the girl behind the blog. I was never the person out in the forefront. I didn’t understand how all of a sudden I became the subject of blame. I used to put a lot of personal things about me on the site. Now, I just stick to talking about the celebrity. I’ve seen it all and heard it all. With celebrity backlash, anytime someone gets caught cheating, I get told I’m a liar, then two years later it’s made plain and clear who was cheating. Then they see that Natasha was telling the truth.

Anyone that wants to follow in my footsteps should…

Start it without intentions of becoming so big. Be in it for the long haul. The making-money aspect of it is a whole other beast. I work 24-hours, I sleep with my laptop. If you build it they will come. Have a passion for it and be willing to do it for free.

What’s next for The YBF is…

Working to become a household name. I’m working with brand strategists to correctly position myself to do that. I want to do it correctly, whether it’s TV, doing some different things in radio. I just want to expand my brand.

Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.

Videographer: Melissa Johnson

Denene Millner, mama knows blogs best

• Blog: My Brown Baby
• Niche: Parenting/Relationships
• Founder: Denene Millner
• Twitter: @mybrownbaby

Denene Millner is on a mission to reverse the negative stereotypes of the Black family. With over 20 years in journalism, the New York native, who currently resides in Atlanta, has used her talents with words to create a network for other parents of color to share in her goal via her popular blog, My Brown Baby.

Noticing the lack of a forum for African American adults to dialogue about the nuances of parenting, pregnancy and managing personal time, she created her own in 2008. Since then, the site has not only gained a loyal following but a plethora of notable recognitions, including Black Weblog Awards for Best Parenting Blog and Best Blog Design in 2009, and allowed Millner to share her expertise on The Today Show, The Rachel Ray Show and The Nate Berkus Show. Moving forward the enterprising mother is working on a My Brown Baby app and a few e-reader plug-ins. As part of Black Blogger Month, Millner speaks with BlackEnterprise.com about how she carved out her own niche in online space.

I started blogging because…

I wanted to create a site that spoke to who I am as an African American mother who was very deliberate in having children, who loves her children, whose opinion was cool, and who is surrounded by Black moms and dads who do the same. The point of my writing was to give us Black moms a voice in the national debate on motherhood. What I find all too often is that when you talk about motherhood, Black women are only invited to the conversation when we’re talking about teen pregnancy, low test scores, poverty, welfare, or single motherhood. What I wanted to do was give us a voice and show us in a positive light.

My Brown Baby stands out because…

Of the writing. There’s just an incredible amount of good writing happening on the blog. The writers that I’ve been so blessed and fortunate to work with are very thoughtful, introspective, well versed people, who have no problem digging deep inside themselves to expose a whole lot of flaws and, more importantly, a whole lot of love for their children.

People trust my brand because…

I’ve spent two years just exposing myself. A big part of a successful blog is making people feel connected and I think that connection is there. Readers know that when they come there, they’re going to get some sort of perspective put out there that they just can’t get in mainstream magazines, newspapers, radio shows, television shows or other websites.

My biggest influences are…

My children. They are absolutely at the top of that list. The blogs that I write are all written with them in mind. There are so many different influences that are hitting kids left and right; so many different things that take away from the amount of time that you spend actually instilling values and morals into your kids. So for me, everything that I write about is geared toward how I can be a better parent. I’ve made it my personal mission to be a better mother.

The biggest mistake I ever made in business was…

Not getting paid. I’ve been a paid journalist for 20 years, and if I’m going to put together an award-winning article, review, or site I should get paid for it.

What I learned from that was…

There’s always another opportunity that will come. At first it’s hard to say no because you want to make those connections and that might be an opportunity that I just lost out on. You want to network with these brands, but another opportunity will always come. I have to put my foot down.

Networking has helped me to…

Talk to people and see what they’re doing, what they’re interested in, and what everybody’s talking about. Networking is critical not only for the social part of it but also to take your blog to the next level. You want to make sure that you’re able to make the connections with the brands that are working with blogs and thereby making it possible for you to get advertising and sponsorships that bring money to you and your writers.

I realized blogging was a business when…

I got my first big sponsorship with Dove. From then on I was able to put together some really good partnerships with Dove and with other brands. So that’s when I realized that this is very much a business.

Having a day job is…

Nothing compared to being your own boss. If I got tired at my day job I knew that 6 pm was my limit and nobody could make me stay past that. If my work would be finished, then I could move on to the next project. With My Brown Baby, it’s a 24 hour, 7 days a week, 365 days a year proposition—it’s no joke being your own boss. But I wouldn’t trade it.

Building a brand is important because…

I have a mission to provide a space where Black parents have a voice. There’s so much more to us than what mainstream media saddled to us. We all have our issues but that’s not something that’s exclusive to Black people. Parents are imperfect. I just want My Brown Baby to be that space where you can come and say, “Oh, Black moms do think very deeply about these things, they have some really valid points, their voice is valid, and it deserves to be heard.”

Anyone that wants to follow in my footsteps should…

Try to find a niche that no one else is doing. Make sure it’s something that you love because blogging really is a labor of love. You have to find something that you’re passionate about that isn’t already done exhaustedly on the Internet. Write a detailed business plan on how you are going to make this website viable, what it’s going to take to make it that way, and whether or not it’s going to stop at the blog or if you’re going to think bigger.

I measure my success by…

The legacy. When I will no longer be here; what will people say about me? What will people say I contributed to this world? I would hope that my legacy is that she cared deeply about African Americans; she cared deeply about us being recognized for the good that’s in us, and that’s something that I’m always focused on.

Being a mother has made me…

Fierce. Having daughters specifically made me realize that being shy wasn’t going to work. There was no way that I was going to be able to do what I need to do to show them how to be good strong women, specifically Black women, if I’m sitting in the background letting folks walk all over me, and being quiet and going along with whatever. They made me use my voice, square my shoulders, and be a leader.

Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.

Bren Herrera, the high-heeled chef

• Blog: Flanboyant Eats
• Niche: Cooking/Foodie
• Founder: Bren Herrera
• Twitter: @BrenHerrera

When entering into Bren Herrera’s kitchen, it’s not uncommon to find the petite Cuban chef whipping up a Latin-inspired dish with her favorite cooking utensil—a pressure cooker—and for an added touch of spice, a pair of mauve pink, strappy Gucci stilettos. The designer pumps aren’t a natural necessity, but for Herrera, 31, who has a passion for fashionable threads almost as much as she does flavorful cuisine, it definitely is. However, it’s her love of food that the young entrepreneur to start Flanboyant Eats, a personal chef business called that later morphed into a full-fledged blog. The name is an ode to Herrera’s signature desert: flan—of which she has crafted 41 different flavors, ranging from Cuban espresso and spiced pumpkin to salted caramel and truffle.

Since its January 2008 launch, the blog has grown to include 14,000 unique visitors per month and upwards of 400,000 readers worldwide. Nominated for Saveur’s Best Food Blog Awards this year, Flanboyant Eats has brought about numerous opportunities for Herrera. Currently, she pens a regular column for Latina magazine and contributes to Dean and Deluca’s Gourmet Blog. Last year, as part of a contest, she self-produced a commercial for I Can’t Believe It’s Not Butter that aired during American Idol and she’s in talks with Telemundo Atlanta about a possible two-season cooking show. For pioneering a profitable platform for Latin cuisine in the blogosphere, BlackEnterprise.com recognizes Herrera as part of our first annual Black Blogger Month.

I started blogging because…

I saw room for Latin food blogs. Three years ago, there wasn’t anything major out there at the time.

I realized blogging was a business when…

Other brands and companies started calling me, asking me to review and possibly endorse their products or when a new client calls me and says, “I came across your blog because I Googled ‘Latin food,’ ‘Cuban food,’ ‘Latin chef,’ and I found you.”

The best part about blogging about a niche subject is…

Exposing that niche to everybody and establishing an interest or creating a buzz about this niche. I’ve created a buzz about flan and that created a buzz about Cuban cooking.

The worst part about blogging about a niche subject is…

Attracting those people that aren’t familiar with [the subject]. That’s the hardest part. I have to be creative and sexy with it. I think that’s my hook—being sexy about it. Then you might get interested.

Writing about food allows me to…

Transport you to a place that you’d love to go to and haven’t been to or would like to go to. It’s a very sensual and aromatic experience, so when I write I try to be as descriptive as possible in terms of what you might smell, what you might see, [and] what you might hear. I like trying to take you to a place with my food when I write about it.

Building a brand is important because…

It identifies your product. So, in my case, my brand would be: a Latina blogger/chef that cooks in heels and makes some kick-ass flan.

The biggest mistake I ever made in business was…

Not writing a business plan. To this day, I have no answer for it.

In business, you should never be afraid to…

Ask for help.

The best piece of business advice I ever got was…

Be consistent and genuine. When you’re consistent you’re always going to put out the same product. People know what to expect. If you’re genuine, you’re always going to put out good product because you love what you do.

Anyone that wants to follow in my footsteps should…

Really consider their resources—time, human resources and money.

None of my success would be possible if not for…

Complete confidence in myself, support from my family and a very small and tight circle of friends that supported me initially and today. Of course, by the grace of God because Lord knows those first few years were… whew!

I measure my success by…

Waking up and being able to do what I want to do and not doing it because I have to do it.

If I weren’t blogging I’d be…

Designing my own line of shoes! I am my own business and don’t intend on going back.

Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.

Johnica Reed, a well-traveled woman

• Blog: JohnicaReed.com
• Niche: Travel & Leisure
• Founder: Johnica Reed
• Twitter: @JohnicaReed

To let Johnica Reed tell it, her personal travel website JohnicaReed.com was never designed to be a place of business. Launched in 2004, it was simply a place where she could curate her self-described “charmed life” as a jetsetter. After managing her blog on a part-time basis, the 28-year-old decided to quit her job as a director of development for the largest domestic violence non-profit in Washington, DC when a friend offered her a chance to cover the Cape Town Jazz Festival in South Africa.

The results have proven her decision a worthwhile one. By simply blogging about doing the thing she loves to do the most—travel—Reed has made herself a destination of sorts for companies looking to expand their brand online. As a consultant, whose thoughts and ideas hold serious cachet, the world traveler has established partnerships with companies like American Airlines, and Windham Hotels, while also contributing to publications like The Huffington Post and Jetsetter.com. Generating an estimated 70k in annual revenue from her various ventures, Reed shares her social media expertise with BlackEnterprise.com as part of our first annual Black Blogger Month. —Jozen Cummings

People trust my brand because…

My brand is me. I’ve been traveling internationally without my parents since I was 12. I’ve always been a jetsetter. I’ve always been a person who lived globally so I was that before I ever started a blog. I didn’t start a blog to become a jetsetter; I already was one.

The biggest mistake I ever made in business was…

Taking on too much at one time. Be careful what you wish for and be mindful of managing scale. There was a time in my life when I was traveling too much and not [doing] enough work.

What I learned from that was…

I have to find a balance between living the fly life and bringing that to actual products and actually form a business model, so time management is major.

I realized blogging was a business when…

I was a business. When I started blogging, it was always an extension of myself. I never intended for my site to actually have a monetization model within the site but I knew it would be a platform that would bring me other projects, whether it was consulting opportunities, teaching opportunities, design opportunities, or freelance writing opportunities.

My biggest influence is…

The Sartorialist because he’s visually driven in covering travel. He’s inspired me to really work on my photography. Most of my blogging influences have nothing to do with blogging. I’m more inspired by interior designers, architects. I draw a lot of inspiration from the tech world, so I’m more likely to go to design conferences or tech conferences, than I am blogging conferences because a lot of what I do is bring industries that may not be represented on a blogging platform to the web.

Building a brand is important because…

"My brand is me," Johnica Reed

I look it as the same way you cultivate your personality and what you’re about. It’s curating yourself. I knew there were areas of my life I wanted to refine and that I wanted to build. Being global, having knowledge of design, art history, the tech scene, being an early adopter, those were always things I was interested in cultivating in myself so that is now my personal brand.

The best piece of business advice I ever got was…

Under promise and over deliver.

I measure my success by…

How much I’m enjoying life. What I do is just live.

None of my success would be possible if not for…

My parents, who have indulged every whim since birth, luckily my whims are kind of outlandish and there was a purpose to the madness.

If I weren’t blogging I’d be…

Traveling, all the other things I do outside of blogging. But if I had just a random other career I would be a conflict photographer.

Anyone that wants to follow in my footsteps should…

Hop on a plane, see the world, and read a lot of books.

If my passport only had room for one more stamp I’d go to…

The only continent I have not been to is Antarctica and it will be happening in 2012, for my 30th birthday.

Red eye flights are better when you’re…

In first class, in silk pajamas.

Not being able to see the world would be like…

Dying. I couldn’t imagine it.

Be sure to check out the rest of the digital thought leaders as they’re revealed each day by logging on to BlackEnterprise.com/BlackBloggerMonth.

(Image: Shutterstock)

My favorite thing about blogging is that there are so many opportunities everywhere. So many that taking advantage of them all becomes the problem — not a lack of them.

The fact that there are so many is also what is so overwhelming. While I love a good challenge that gets the blood pumping and keeps the mind sharp, too many challenges can give you high blood pressure and cause your mind to lapse.

There’s always something going on- if you listen carefully, not a day will go by that you won’t read about opportunities such as freelance blogging job alerts, joint venture and teaming opportunities, giveaways and guest posting contests.

But it can become extremely frustrating trying to keep up with all of the opportunities floating around in the blogosphere. The solution, however, is not to let yourself get so overwhelmed that you no longer pay attention to those opportunities. You don’t want to get to a place where you’re ignoring everything, but you do need to find a balance.

Read more at The Atlanta Post …

Hays tells how she went from blogger to businesswoman

From entertainment to politics to fashion, fascinating tales of a single web site or blog being the catalyst to entrepreneurship and once-in-a-lifetime opportunities are increasing. Jeanine Hays, 32, a lawyer who has had a love for interior design since she was given her first decorating job—her bedroom at the age of six—is  now one of the newest innovators to join that list of those who’ve found success via a passion they simply wanted to blog about. Hays is the founder of AphroChic: Modern.Soulful.Style, a blog she launched in 2007 that highlights designers and design products from around the world. The blog became so popular that in 2009, Hays launched AphroChic pillows and apparel, and most recently she launched her second collection, Brooklyn Renaissance, which includes wallpaper, shower curtains, tabletop and other home décor items depicting Brooklyn life. Lucky magazine and the folks at HGTV are among her biggest fans.

BlackEnterprise.com recently caught up with Jeanine to talk about the beginning of blogging her way into a business.

BlackEnterprise.com: Your blog, AphroChic, has led to some great ventures in the design world, including a successful side hustle designing home decor. How did AphroChic begin?

Jeanine: AphroChic started as a blog in 2007. I was fresh out of law school working at my first job, and design became a refuge from the daily grind. I’d spend hours on the computer reading about interior design and looking up new work. My husband was the one who encouraged me to start my own blog and share my passion with others. Two years later we opened the AphroChic shop online.

What role did your blog play specifically in bringing the brand AphroChic to where it is today?

You’ve had some amazing opportunities as a direct result of your blogging and designing, like guest judging for HGTV’s Design Star, as well as a featured blogging spot for HGTV’s Design Happens blog.

Jeanine: I was honored that HGTV reached out to me. I think it was a combination of being an interior design blogger, having an active following for the blog, and a number of followers via Twitter as well.  The guest judge opportunity was a Twitter party that engaged AphroChic followers. It was fun, and wonderful to be recognized as a top design blogger in the field.

 What are some of the challenges you’ve faced in bringing AphroChic this far?

Jeanine: Balance is probably the biggest challenge. Working in a full-time career that offers stability is something that is important to me. But I also have a desire to follow my dream full-time. It’s hard to know when the right time is to step out of your comfort zone and completely leave the stable life behind.  

Read more on the next page

Jeanine Hays with some of her AphroChic pillows

Jeanine: It looks easier, but unfortunately it’s not. A lot of effort goes into the online shop. You still have to work with vendors, check on orders, keep up communication with customers, look at inventory, and do accounting. In some ways I think that online offers a distinct challenge in that your customers can be in constant contact with you.  If I go to a boutique and purchase an item, that’s likely it. I may or may not return, and they are not likely to get an email from me. However, you really have to keep communication going with your customers online. They expect it.

What business advice has worked really well for you?

Jeanine: It’s ok to make mistakes, it won’t all be perfect, but the important thing is to keep moving forward. We don’t allow ourselves to be stopped by anything. It is so important to nurture and grow your business daily, to continue learning, and to work on new things. It’s all about baby steps, never looking back, and moving forward despite any obstacles that might arise.

What role does your husband play in the business?

Jeanine: My husband, Bryan Mason, is the Operations Manager for AphroChic. He manages all of our logistics–shipping, picking up items, ensuring delivery to customers, and it is a little known secret that he is the world’s best pillow stuffer.  He’s also a fantastic editor, who writes all of the content for the website. But more than his title, he is my partner. We work on AphroChic daily together developing new designs, coming up with ways to engage our customers, and strategizing on our business plan. It’s a joint effort, and working together really does make this business a labor of love.

What are some important things people should know when pursuing a design life?

Jeanine: Take it seriously and be patient; it takes time to grow your business. Some people may be creative but not business-minded. If you’re one of those people, hire a business manager. You need to be able to figure out how you can do the creative side and also fulfill orders, keep track of payments and do your taxes. Also invest in yourself. Your brand is a reflection of you, so make sure it’s cohesive, accessible and that is speaks to who you are as a designer.

What can we expect next from AphroChic?

Jeanine: We are working on some new projects in the next year to make AphroChic bigger and better.  Expect to see designer collaborations, fresh, new designs and even an AphroChic TV channel! We’re always looking for new ways to engage those who are as passionate about design as we are.

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