- Blog: Double Saving Divas
- Niche: Budgeting/Finance
- Founders: Tai and Tarin Perry
- Twitter: @DbleSavingDivas
For Chicago natives Tai and Tarin Perry, the gift of thrift was more of a necessity than a hobby. Born into a family of seven, the identical twins learned early how to make a dollar stretch. The sibling entrepreneurs recall begrudgingly helping their mother clip cereal promo coupons as children, until one day they realized all of clippings and codes had amounted to a free family trip to Disney World–only then did they see the benefits of saving and couponing.
Now at 32-years old, the twins have parlayed their long-standing knowledge into DoubleSavingDivas.com, a popular blog that offers up tips and tricks committed to helping others “Save without Compromise.†With over 44,000 unique visitors in monthly traffic, the Double Saving Divas have already captured the attention of daytime TV favorites Rachel Ray and Nate Berkus, as well as TLC’s Extreme Couponing. As BlackEnterprise.com‘s Black Blogger Month continues, the Perry sisters share the importance of saving, branding in the digital world, and just what separates a business from a hobby.
We started blogging because…
We were already highly successful at saving money and our techniques have been proven reliable over time. We had this burning desire to help as many people as possible understand the value of money and ways that they can save money and live a fulfilled life while doing so. We knew that we had something to share. We noticed that other cultures were represented predominately in the media but there was no one that looked liked us. We knew that our culture needed a recognizably relatable voice. We know that sometimes others can hear from someone that looks just like them and say, “If they can do it I can, too.â€
Saving is so important for people of color because…
Before anyone else can help us we need to first learn how to help ourselves. In helping ourselves the key is to have a new vision of what our money is and what it is to be used for. Once we realize this understanding we will no longer have to wait for someone to open up a door for us. We will be in position to open up our own doors and make our own way in this world. Learning how to save money in all areas of your life is a way that the playing field can be leveled for anyone.
The one thing we’ll always pay full price for is…
Peace of mind.
Peace should always be pursued at any cost. It represents our emotional atmosphere. Inner contentment is an essential element for all humanity regardless of age, race, gender or social status. Peace is priceless!DoubleSavingDivas.com stands out from other blogs because…
We don’t just tell people where the coupons and the store deals are. We also show them how to incorporate their savings and techniques into every aspect of their lives. Also, our blog is unique because we are the only African American savvy saving identical twins in this space that we currently know of, doing what we do.
The biggest mistake we ever made in business was…
Not starting sooner.
What we learned from that was…
Once you have a vision don’t hesitate to take the necessary steps in making your vision into reality sooner rather than later. While working a 9-to-5 career, we had to take the necessary steps to incorporate our blogging into our already busy schedules. We couldn’t allow being a wife, mother, and career woman stop us from pursuing our passion in building our brand.
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The biggest lesson we learned about branding in the digital space…
Was that people need a reason to remember you. You need to make yourself unforgettable. You are your brand so your brand needs to be credible. If your brand is not credible then you will be viewed as unreliable.
People trust our brand because…
Our viewership has always seen our transparency and honesty as a great benefit. From the beginning we have put ourselves out there. We tell about our successes as well as our failures in hopes that people would be benefited by both. Our strategies have been tried and have been proven to be successful over time. Our techniques are very doable and we strive to take complex concepts and make sure that anybody can put them to use.
Networking is important in the digital space because…
Technology has become our unlimited mouthpiece. Networking is a vast web and it helps to strengthen your brand. It links people and events from all over the world instantly. Aside from our blog and television appearances, we cast an international net with our expansive YouTube presence. We utilize Facebook and Twitter to connect with our viewership and colleagues on a daily basis.
The best piece of business advice we ever got was…
One of our husbands once told us, “The effort that you put into your vision separates whether or not you have a business or a hobby.”
How we measure success is…
When one of our followers tells us that they have become successful at saving and we changed their life.
The advice we have for anyone who wants to follow in our footsteps is…
Practice first. Ask yourself the hard questions: Do I know how to save money in all areas of my life? Take progressive steps. Don’t try to do so much at once. Build your brand slowly and methodically. People often make the mistake of doing too much up front and end up as a jack-of-all-trades and a master of none.
Next on the horizon for us is…
We are currently producing our own Internet based show titled, “Let’s Save Money.” In addition, there has been quite a bit of interest brought our way for us to entertain the idea of having our own reality show, talk show and even a book! We would love for this to be the next step for D$D!
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.