Be ’ n original
“... I WANTED PEOPLE TO KNOW BLACK PEOPLE CAN DELIVER LUXURY .”
be successful or what success looks like for us . So for me , what he did to help was make it black and white . He helped me understand how much money I needed to be successful .
You have faced discrimination at a Social Tea event in Washington , D . C ., which inspired you to create spaces of dignity or respect . Can you share how that experience influenced your business philosophy ? Yes , thank you . So again , since I ’ m actually from the DMV area and I ’ m doing these events nationally , I wanted to curate a space for black women . The event was called Girl Power , which is a vendor and networking event . It ’ s amplifying black businesses , especially black women-led businesses . We do that nationally . Traditionally , when we do events in D . C ., we may do them in a more low-to-moderate income area . I wanted to take up space in Georgetown , which is a very white space in the middle of a black space . Historically , they ’ re not very welcoming to black people . However , it was 2023 . This should not have been an issue . And I also want the people who look like me to feel seen in spaces like that .
I booked this venue . And that was the most expensive venue that I had booked yet . I decided it was so important to be in that space . We were corresponding via email ; they hadn ’ t met me . They didn ’ t know what we looked like , what we did ... And when I got there , they didn ’ t let us use the elevator , which I think was probably illegal , but more so dehumanizing , right ? It just felt wrong . I remember we had like an hour left in our programming and in our contract . The maintenance guy started turning off the lights . It was an interesting experience . I did bring it up to them later in an email because some of the vendors expressed feeling uncomfortable . It just was a terrible experience for them . That ’ s why I brought it up in an email . I needed to create spaces where people feel safe in an upscale environment . Our philosophy is that everyone is welcome . We allow weddings , baby showers , corporate events , and all kinds of events . We want to be a part of those experiences .
That ’ s so beautiful that you ’ re doing that , especially for the culture , because it is important for us to be comfortable and be able to have peace in our own spaces . Now , as you expand your business , what legacy do you hope to leave behind , both for your family and for the communities you serve ? Okay , that is an amazing question . I appreciate that . At my grand opening , we had over 1,000 people there . People were saying , “ We have never gone to an open house or grand opening ever in my 30 , 40 years and experienced this level of luxury . No one has ever done an event like this .” And to me , that was powerful , not because I wanted to be popular , but because I wanted people to know Black people can deliver luxury . Black people can make other people feel seen as well .
Be ’ n original
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