Translating your thoughts from your mind and putting them on paper can literally take you to unimaginable places. You may be wondering how can something as simple as writing catapult your career and put you in front of celebrities and dignitaries? Or, better yet, how about the products that can be sold just by writing, therefore, creating additional streams of income.
Giovanna Geathers of Touchstone Counseling and the creator of the Breathe Conference took a leap of faith and wrote her first book in 2018, Why Am I Still Single?
“As a result of writing my first book, I had the opportunity to be featured at The Essence Festival in 2018 and 2019,” she told BLACK ENTERPRISE. “In 2018, I was even allowed to do a book signing and was able to see my name as an author alongside people such as Vivica A. Fox, Mikki Taylor, and Mona Scott Young. Writing has provided me with several opportunities to share my story and be paid for it. It has also allowed me to create additional revenue through the sale of my books, speaking engagements, coaching sessions, workbooks, E-courses, and masters’ classes,” Geathers says.
Writing creates an avenue to other doors. One should look at it as a compass. It can direct you down paths, that if carefully studied, can potentially yield great fruit. So, how does one start writing their way out of poverty? Here are three tips to help you get started.
1. Study great writers
Depending on what area you want to go in such as writing or freelancing for a magazine, or writing for a blog, my best advice would be to follow the writer who inspires you. As a matter of fact, don’t be afraid to reach out to them and ask them for some tips. You’d be surprised how eager some will be to help.
2. Network with writers
Join different groups of the niche that you are interested in writing about. You never know who knows who, and who could possibly open a door for you to get a writing gig!
3. Spread your knowledge
Once you have established your name out there in the wonderful world of writing, begin to teach others the craft of writing. This will allow you to create products like ebooks, workbooks, master classes, etc.
The possibilities are endless when it comes to writing. Even when you’re long gone off the earth, your words will still be speaking for you.
Trading Places: How Africa Is Reshaping The Global Economic Landscape
Five years ago, Toyin Umesiri’s trip to Africa for a family emergency ended up being pivotal and profoundly impactful to her life. She returned to the states with a resolve and commitment to leverage her years of experience, networking, unique trading skills, and career working for a leading global brand, Walmart Corp., to support Africa’s quest for sustainable economic transformation.
“With the African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) entering into force, there is a repositioning of the continent that disrupts the old way of engaging with its individual nations.” –Toyin Umesiri
Today, Umesiri owns and operates Nazaru, a business services company founded in 2016 that connects the world to Africa through products, trade events, market-entry, trade facilitation, consulting, and training. She serves as the founder of the acclaimed Trade with Africa Business Summit where she convenes business and political community leaders engaging in commerce across the African continent. Nazaru showcases the strengths that Africa has to offer buyers, sellers, investors, and corporate business leaders looking to partner or invest in the continent.
According to Umesiri, some people may wonder what good can emerge from a continent that has a history filled with war and famine. Forging ahead, this can no longer be a blind perception and blanketed misconception of a burgeoning continent that is loaded with multifaceted treasure and amassed value to offer to the world.
“The new and emerging Africa is filled with hard working men and women, young and old, focused on positioning themselves for a greater future.” –Toyin Umesiri
BLACK ENTERPRISE spoke with Umesiri about her ardent charge as a global influencer and sharing strategic insights in how Africa is reshaping the global economic landscape:
SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTION
The global buying community has been disrupted by the ongoing U.S.–China “trade war” and they are now seeking alternative sources of supply to realign for future purchases and deals. From cocoa in Cote D’Ivoire, cashews from Nigeria, gold in Ghana, to diamonds in the Congo. Africa has always been the originating source for raw commodities and the rest of the world has vastly benefited and been powered from her wealth of resources.
Now, Africa is rapidly seeking new and innovative ways to power itself with its own resources. In the future, entire value chains and industries will emerge throughout the continent creating wealth for its people and those who choose to invest.
AGRICULTURE
With Africa owning 60% of the remaining arable land in the world, agile agricultural initiatives would help create a brighter future for the region. The missing ingredient has traditionally been about value addition. Therefore, to drive solutions, sustainable agriculture conversations have increased immensely and investments in the agriculture value chain are growing to ensure that Africa, for example, not only plays in the cocoa business but is profitably represented in the chocolate industry as a whole.
TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION
Contrary to popular belief, Africa does not have the same limitations in new technology adoption and adaption that some parts of the western world struggle with. For example, the region will leapfrog into 5G technology full speed ahead of many global counterparts. While other regions are seeking business cases for technology adoption, some African countries are quickly taking these concepts mainstream. From drone technology adoption in Rwanda to Kenya leading the world in digital payment processing. These technological innovations—and more on the rise—create unique advantages for economic infrastructure and empowerment.
YOUTH WORKFORCE
Did you know that Africa’s population is projected to double from 1.2 billion to 2.2 billion by 2050?
While the rest of the world is struggling with an aging population, Africa’s youth population sits at 60% to 70% and will continue to grow. For example, Nigeria’s current population is estimated at 200 million and is projected to become the world’s third most populated country next to China and India by 2050. These projections will present opportunities and challenges such as security and immigration challenges if not managed properly. Regions with current inadequacies in food distribution would become more strained. Therefore, it is in everyone’s interests to put plans in place and initiatives to drive productivity across the continent. One smart way to solve this potential problem is to rapidly galvanize the energy of the youth to power innovation and manufacturing.
MANUFACTURING EPICENTER
Africa is poised to become the manufacturing capital of the future. With labor costs steadily increasing in China and the saturation they are facing, manufacturing has begun rapidly shifting to the region. Centrally located, Africa has a geographical advantage and is well-positioned to serve the world faster and cheaper. Also, with the AFCFTA, manufacturing products for a growing and emerging middle class is a no-brainer from a supply and demand perspective. For example, the demand for baby products would rise as the projected population rises.
Continued conversations and coverage will be addressed at the virtual Trade with Africa Business Summit on August 7-8. Business leaders, trade experts, investors, and policymakers will convene for a vibrant trade and economic discussion hub themed: “Trade and Investment Opportunities in Agriculture, Manufacturing, Retail and Infrastructure Development in Africa.”
12-Year-Old Black Entrepreneur Runs Organic Skincare Business
The skincare business generates millions of dollars in revenue each year thanks to consumers in search of products that will improve their appearance. Clean ingredients are the key to a healthy skincare regimen, which means more consumers are buying beauty products that consist of organic, natural ingredients.
One young boy used the opportunity to create his own organic brand to help others achieve beautifully smooth skin.
Twelve-year-old Isaiah Klassen of North Carolina launched Organics Perfected earlier this year, a 100% natural beauty collection for people interested in creating a clean routine to improve their skin with products free from harsh chemicals.
Klassen got the idea for the skincare line when he overheard his mother’s friends constantly complain about the harmful ingredients in the products they used.
“Our desire to establish Organics Perfected was to create better products with cleaner ingredients that improve people’s lives,” Klassen said in a video on his YouTube channel. “Your skin is your biggest organ; it deserves only the most exquisite natural products. Many skincare products have unnecessary, synthetic, detrimental chemicals that burn the skin right off your body over time! We’ve decided to return to the basics.”
Former Facebook Manager Attacks Black America: Obama was President So Stop The Victim Mentality, Says No To Reparations
A former Facebook manager posted a video on his YouTube channel blasting Black America, the George Floyd protesters and the call for reparations.
His name isPatrick Shyu, and according to his LinkedIn page, he was the tech lead for Facebook from 2018 to 2019. He was also tech lead at Google from 2014 to 2018 and prior to that, launched an apps and games company called Avalancia.com. Shyu claims he was fired from Facebook according to his channel, TechLead Show, which claims to have 30,000 followers.
“This isn’t about equality…people want privilege and you just start playing the victim and blaming other people,” he rants.
“You take on the victim mentality and start saying the world owes me something,” he continues before insisting that there have been other races in the U.S. who have suffered just as much, or if not more, than Black people.
“Black people have it pretty good,” he insists. “We had a Black president, in the NBA it’s all Black people, have these blockbuster movies like ‘Black Panther’ with an all-Black cast…”
He goes on to ask, where are the Asians, Native Americans, the Italians and why aren’t they dominating such fields as music, sports, film, like Black people?
When it comes to reparations, he remarks that “the Japanese were war prisoners” so they had it worse than Black people who were slaves.
He adds of slavery, “That was the past, let it be…now we want our children to pay for that.”
Mojola Balogun (@moebee2) posted Shyu’s video on Twitter and said, “This is a former Google and Facebook software engineering manager. These are his views on BLM and racism in the US. At top tech companies, Black people consistently make up less than 3 percent of engineers. Why is diversity and Black retention so low? Because these are our managers.”
Of course, Balogun’s tweet caught a lot of people’s attention.
JamesHRH (@jameshrh) responded, “This PoV is simplistic & quite common among highly analytical, engineering types. Bounded inputs. But your argument about cause is, frankly, just wrong. SV is 3 percent Black bc Black students are 4 percent of engineering graduates: https://ncses.nsf.gov/pubs/nsf19304/digest/field-of-degree-minorities That’s where you start the fix.”
Kristine (Sato) Phillips (@ksato_phillips) tweeted, “#Facebook is comprised of managers just like him. They also come in white female form as well. I wrked there in HR for 3 yrs & was racially discriminated & harassed to the point where I had to file a workers comp claim & now have chronic #PTSD. FB only has 1.5 percent in tech roles”
Kentucky Restaurant Owner Says Black Lives Matter is Using Mafia Tactics
A Louisville, Kentucky, restaurant owner is accusing local Black Lives Matter activists of threats and mafia tactics after demanding downtown business owners hire Black employees.
According to The Hill, several business owners in the city’s NuLu district received a list of demands which included hiring Black workers to fill a minimum of 23% of positions. The list also demands a minimum of 23% of purchases of inventory to be made from Black retailers and mandatory diversity and inclusion training twice a year.
Fernando Martinez, owner of La Bodeguita de Mima, said after a protest on July 24 protesters told him he “better put [the list of demands] on the door so your business is not f—ed with.”
“There comes a time in life that you have to make a stand and you have to really prove your convictions and what you believe in,” Martinez wrote in a Facebook post. “… All good people need to denounce this. How can you justified (sic) injustice with more injustice?”
Members of the Cuban community and friends of the restaurant rallied in support of the restaurant Sunday afternoon.
Activist Phelix Crittenden, who works with the local Black Lives Matter chapter, said the list wasn’t meant to be a threat but intended to draw attention to the displacement of Black residents after a housing project was demolished in the early 2000s.
Like many areas that have gone through gentrification — such as Oakland, Brooklyn, and Atlanta, — the project was replaced with mixed-income housing, with only 41 of the 635 displaced families returning.
“NuLu is flourishing,” Crittenden told The Hill. “To see that literal line in the sand, as soon as you cross the street, it’s very disturbing. NuLu doesn’t reflect the community they sit in and claim to incorporate and serve.”
The Black Lives Matter movement has seen a resurgence of protests and demands of action after the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
The shows making its way to your streaming devices include Sister Sister, Moesha, The Parkers, Girlfriends, The Game, One on One, and Half & Half.
Netflix dropped a video via YouTube with the announcement featuring several actors from the esteemed shows like Tracee Ellis Ross, Golden Brooks, Jill Marie Jones, and Persia White of Girlfriends; Tamera Mowry-Housley and Jackée Harry of Sister, Sister; Pooch Hall, Kobe Swanson, Tia Mowry, and Wendy Raquel Robinson from The Game; Shar Jackson and Sheryl Lee Ralph representing Moesha; Valarie Pettiford, Essence Atkins and Rachel True from Half & Half, and Flex Alexander and Robert Ri’chard from One on One.
Moesha started August 1. The first three seasons of The Game which will debut on August 15. Sister Sister arrives on September 1, with Girlfriends taking off on September 11 to mark the 20th anniversary of its premiere. The Parkers touch down on October 1, followed by Half & Half, and One on One on October 15.
Black Twitter couldn’t contain their excitement! Starting with Persia White.
Trader Joe’s Says Label Names Aren’t Racist, Refuses to Amend Them
Amid a cultural revolution that has seen numerous racial and ethnic stereotypes dismantled, including Aunt Jemima, Trader Joe’s has refused to shift.
According to CNN, the grocery chain has refused to retire names such as Trader José’s and Trader Ming’s on the labels of its international foods, even though more than 5,000 people have signed a petition calling on the chain to stop using the names.
“We want to be clear: we disagree that any of these labels are racist. We do not make decisions based on petitions,” the grocery store said in a statement on July 24. “Decades ago, our Buying Team started using product names, like Trader Giotto’s, Trader José’s, Trader Ming’s, etc. We thought then—and still do—that this naming of products could be fun and show appreciation for other cultures,” the statement continued.
Trader Joe’s, which first opened in Pasadena, California, in 1967, was singing a different tune just a week ago when it responded to the petition saying it has already “been in the process of updating order labels, and replacing any variations with the name Trader Joe’s.”
“While this approach to product naming may have been rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness, we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect–one that is contrary to the welcoming, rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day,” spokeswoman Kenya Friend-Daniel, told CNN. “Packaging for a number of the products has already been changed, but there’s a small number of products in which the packaging is still going through the process.”
The reversal has been praised by people on the right politically including Fox News commentator Stuart Varney, who called the move “a win for sanity.”
While many find the names distasteful at the least and downright racist at the most, Trader Joe’s doubled down on its stance, saying its clientele is unbothered by this “fun” approach to product marketing.
“Recently we have heard from many customers reaffirming that these name variations are largely viewed in exactly the way they were intended—as an attempt to have fun with our product marketing,” the statement said. “We continue our ongoing evaluation, and those products that resonate with our customers and sell well will remain on our shelves.”
Black-Owned Craft Brewery Launches $100,000 Initiative To Help Black Beer Businesses
Crown & Hops is a Los Angeles-based craft brewery founded by Beny Ashburn and Teo Hunter and is one of only 60 Black-owned breweries in the country. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many of these businesses are in danger of closing their operations. To help other Black owners within the sector, the brewery is creating an initiative to lend a hand.
The “8 Trill Pils” Fund, an initiative between the LA brewery and Scottish craft brewer, BrewDog, has $100,000 available to offer financial support to Black owners with their business.The name came from a statistic released from the Business Case for Racial Equity by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation case study that found the U.S can earn $8 trillion in GDP gains by closing the racial equity gap by 2050.
“Initiatives like ‘Black is Beautiful’ have helped drive awareness to problems that plague the Black community. We want to build on that momentum and drive the conversation forward, specifically regarding racial equity,” Beny Ashburn, cofounder of Crowns & Hops said in a press statement. “With The 8 Trill Pils Initiative, we hope to drive the craft beer community to take action in our own arena, and lead as an example for other industries with similar underrepresentation.”
Meet The Black Woman Revisioning The Historic Green Book Travel Guide
The Negro Motorist Green Book was first published in 1936 as a guide for Black people traveling through hostile, racist towns in the Jim Crow South. The legacy of the publication helped hundreds of Black travelers to safely explore the country and encourage other generations of explorers. One Black woman wants to preserve its legacy with a new travel guide to open travelers to the African diaspora around the globe.
Martinique Lewis is a travel consultant and owner of the ABC Travel Green Book series, a new collection of travel guide books highlighting Black-owned tours, restaurants, and places of interest-based on the local Black population. Lewis was inspired by her own travel experiences meeting Black people from other countries.
“After traveling the world and being blown away by the people who look like me in places I’d never think Black people were, I knew I had to somehow create a resource that helped others have these experiences,” says Lewis in an email interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE.
“Not only did I want to connect the African diaspora globally, I wanted to celebrate Black businesses around the world to help keep the Black dollar circulating. There is not one resource that compacts all this information and no search engine or travel site can tell you where in Israel you can get your hair braided. But we seek that info and now it’s available through the book!”
“In addition to running her own business, Lewis also works to advocate for diversity within the travel sector ranging from her Diversity Report Card to her work on the board of the Black Travel Alliance, an organization seeking to amplify Black narratives within the industry. She also works closely with the Nomadness Travel Tribe, a collective of Black travelers spanning over 20,000 members around the world.
Lewis hopes for the new series to inspire the next generation of Black travelers. “I want people to realize that the African Diaspora is everywhere, and there is a vast opportunity to amplify black voices, stories and businesses with the ABC Travel Greenbook,” she added. “I want the travel industry to not just talk about it, but be about it.”
They no longer can say they didn’t know the Black restaurants or Black history tour in Amsterdam to put in their travel publications or to add to their itineraries because the ABC Travel Greenbook tells you where they are,” Lewis says. “I also want people to realize Black people didn’t only get to destinations through the slave trade. We were explorers too, and sailed the seas just like everyone else. I want people to treat this book like one of the most powerful resources in the world, because it is.”
The beauty industry has always faced challenges with diversity and been criticized for appealing to Eurocentric standards. Over the past several years, there has been a surge in entrepreneurs from marginalized backgrounds who are determined to level the playing field and offer more options for women of color. For one black woman entrepreneur, her passion inspired her to create a new online marketplace to spotlight emerging beauty brands from business owners of color.
Chana Ewing is the owner of GEENIE, a newly-launched online marketplace designed to spotlight indie BIPOC beauty brands for consumers looking for products that cater to their needs. Ewing came up with the idea after working with different Black women entrepreneurs for her beauty subscription box service.
“Prior to launching GEENIE, I founded GeenieBox that featured influential Black women curating their favorite books and lifestyle products,” said Ewing in an email interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE. “The model proved challenging because we mostly curated small independent brands and met their wholesale pricing, versus getting complimentary samples as a tradeoff for exposure. As a result, we discovered that there was an engaged audience that sought out heritage and values-based shopping, so the question became, how can we build a better ‘box’? We landed on the GEENIE marketplace and community because it enables us to serve more brands and more customers at scale. When we landed on this new business model, it became apparent that we could more thoughtfully center around intersectionality.”
Ewing hopes the new platform will bring more intersectionality to the industry where more women of color like herself can see their beauty reflected in the products they use.
“Beauty lends itself to an intersectional lens in that we’re expressly stating that the many ways we show up in the world should be acknowledged, honored, and celebrated. Through my multicultural marketing background, I’ve learned that when you center ‘difference,’ your audience expands and connects,” explains Ewing.
“I’m particularly passionate about solving this pain point and the first area we’re looking at is distribution. For the sellers in our marketplace, we aim to become the best platform for discovery—easing the overall marketing investment by giving indie brands a stronger point of entry.”
