Black Entrepreneurs and Forbes List CEO’S Create A Space For New Business Owners and Give Away 14K on Clubhouse
Black creatives and entrepreneurs alike, have fused together to create spaces for one another that cater to the success of the Black business market, and allow for opportunities to be created in an unprecedented way.
The year 2021 provided many with a fresh canvas; the promise of new beginnings beckons the most for those whose lives have been halted by COVID-19. Some would say that 2020 birthed a rise of entrepreneurship, a rise we saw most achieved by the marginalized communities in the United States. While the pandemic has altered the way of life as we know it for most Americans- there has been a clear disproportionate impact on those in the Black Community. There were two viruses that daunted the year 2020, both of which directly distressed Black people. Racial injustice and police brutality proved to be embedded in the status-quo of the foundation of the United States, leaving Black people to be afflicted by both. Despite being present in a year riddled with chaos, a year that tested the resiliency of the Black community; we have emerged leading the boom of entrepreneurial efforts-using social media to throttle new-found business ventures. Black creatives and entrepreneurs alike, have fused together to create spaces for one another that cater to the success of the Black business market, and allow for opportunities to be created in an unprecedented way.
Clubhouse is a social media voice-only app that entices entrepreneurs everywhere with the promise of the ability to network and connect. The invite-only app sparked an aura of exclusivity and quickly found itself adorned with celebrity presence. Created by Paul Davison and Seth Rohan, this voice only app’s most intriguing aspect is the ability to sit in a room potentially moderated by your favorite celebrity or entrepreneur, spilling a wealth of knowledge that may be able to help you navigate the field you are in. Black entrepreneurs have taken advantage of this fast-rising social media application, and have used their platform to create a safe place for new and existing business owners.
At 7pm January 4th, the lives of the over 5,000 business owners were changed- it is safe to say that everyone in that room left with a new lease on entrepreneurship and the tools necessary to revamp their marketing and business strategies.
On January 4th, 2021, Bee Marie, CEO of the multi-million dollar skin care line, Cota Skin, partnered up with Raynell Steward more commonly known as Supa Cent, CEO of the multi-million dollar cosmetics line, The Crayon Case, to host a Clubhouse discussion room. The construction of this room was most inviting to business owners who were able to join in the conversation and discuss new business goals and marketing strategies, with not only Supa and Bee, but several other CEO panelists that were able to add to the mission. The stage was graced with entrepreneurs such as Premadonna Thomas, the CEO of Premadonna Cooks, Courtney Adeleye, haircare mogul and founder of The Mane Choice, Jesseca Dupart, owner of Kaleidoscope Hair Products venture capitalist Erik Huberman and more. Spectacular Smith, CEO of Adwizar Inc. proposed a giveaway at the end of the session of $1,000 to a business owner in the room. Immediately, the room erupted in responses as over 14 people were able to match his donation, ultimately resulting in the grand total of $14,000 to give away to 14 business owners. On January 4th at 7pm, the lives of over 6,000 business owners would begin to change- it is safe to say that everyone in that room left with a new lease on entrepreneurship and the tools necessary to revamp their marketing and business strategies.
The room began with business owners from the crowd being called up onto the stage to ask the moderators a question they had about finding their way in the entrepreneurial world, or to hone in advice from the horizon of successful business owners that were able to point many in the direction needed to scale their businesses. The room acted as a cabin of gems- leading new business owners towards a pathway of innovation and growth within the span of 9 hours. While there was a steady speed of information being gifted and gathered throughout the duration of the room’s progress; it was hard to ignore the dynamic shift in the room when Stacey Grenan got on stage.
Stacey Grenan is the co-founder of ‘Sophia Savvage’, a luxury clothing line that caters to the empowerment of women of all backgrounds. Stacey began her question by taking everyone in the room through her journey as a new business owner. The 45-year-old, Trinidad native, took the moderators through the $20,000 she spent on marketing and inventory costs for her brand. Vulnerability set in as Stacey confided to the moderators that despite the extraordinary efforts taken to assure her new business venture was a success, from the official launch on November 28th, 2020 to January 4th, 2021, she only had one sale to date. With $17 sitting in her account at the time of the approach, the room is set with discouragement as Stacey calls on the moderators to assist her with direction and to point out where she may have gone wrong. Immediately Premadonna unshackles her from the feeling of doubt and assures her that at times, this can be the path of entrepreneurship. The room gains a second wind as moderators and listeners flood Stacey’s business page on Instagram to sell out her products. Marketing coach Monrae steps in to adjust Stacey’s online website to be more convenient for new customers, and venture capitalist Patrick Finnegan donates $1000 to rebuild her foundation. In that moment Stacey became the example of the duality that exists in the entrepreneurial world. That room personified the haven that is created for Black business owners by fellow Black entrepreneurs. In the hours that followed Stacey generated 46 new orders and over $6,300 in sales for Sophia Savvage. I got a chance to speak with Bee Marie (the creator of the discussion room) and Stacey Grenan. We spoke with Bee about the inspiration behind this room and with Grenan about the trajectory of her business thus far, and how this moment changed her life.
Bee Marie:
What made you initiate the Q&A room on Clubhouse January 4th? What was the need you saw that inspired you to create this space for discussion?
I’m new to entrepreneurship and I know what it’s like to have simple questions or need a simple resource and to be charged thousands of dollars for it. Not that I’m against it- because I know those people worked hard to get the information they have and I’m sure no one just gave it to them. So I respect it. I’m all for making sure that people do their own research and actually put in the work. I wanted to create a space, where no matter if you needed major help or just a little help, we could guide you. Supa has always screamed “the game should be told not sold” and I knew so many people would’ve loved to hear from her so it was a no brainer to partner with her because she loves to give back.
I really didn’t expect it to be as big as it was. But when you add some heavy hittas like Jesseca Dupart, Courtney Adeleye, Moj, India Arie, Brittany Flippen, Olori Swank, Spectacular Smith, Ming Lee, Grant Cardone, Meme and Pre Madonna you have no choice but to embrace the power. So many people brought their own following and their own value to the room it was phenomenal.
Stacey Grenan:
What made you join the room with Supa and Bee on Clubhouse?
I actually only just joined Clubhouse this week, I have been following Premadonna because she is so inspirational. I saw that she was going to be a panelist in this room and so I knew that I had to join. I am not the best orator or professional speaker, but I had to find a way to ask my question. My question was ultimately, “What part of my strategy was I doing wrong?”-I knew there were a lot of knowledgeable people in the room and that I could get some good feedback. Initially, because there were over 6,000 people in the room, I was not able to raise my hand to get on stage; at that point I decided to start privately messaging the moderators. I messaged Patrick and he responded right away and invited me onto the stage.
How did Sophia Savvage come about?
My grandmother is from Trinidad-she used to make her own clothing, so she became quickly known as the lady that was always nicely dressed that created her own outfits. In her life, she worked hard and received an opportunity to come to America to work for a large company; the week she was supposed to travel, unfortunately, she fell extremely ill and passed away. That’s a story I carry with me- couple that with the fact that me and my sister both love fashion and have a passion for the beautification of women- we felt this would be a great chance to honor my grandmother and pick up where she left off. The only issue we had was that we were both so busy with our professions; with my sister being in the medical field and me being a project manager. When COVID hit, we both had some extra time just working from home and that’s when we were able to take hold of our idea. Sophia Savvage represents the duality that exists in every woman, so the sweet and the strength. Our hope is that when you wear our pieces it will bring out the best part of you as a woman and convey a language of unapologetic empowerment.
What did your trajectory look like for the growth of Sophia Savvage to this date?
My sister ( Symoun ) and I set up our business in March while working from home, and from there, we invested in every avenue we could to better ourselves and the brand as a whole. Fast forward to November 28th which was the official launch, I’d invested a total of $20,000 into this brand and to know that with all I put into it we had only generated 1 sale on January 4th, I knew I had to get into the room to get advice to see if there was anything I could change to grow my brand.
After you posed your question to the moderators, what was the outcome for you for the night?
At the time I was on stage asking my question- I had 17 dollars in my bank account and 123 dollars for the sale from January 4th. After speaking with Supa, Premadonna and Monrae, I am at 46 orders and my total sales are $6,302 within the span of 3 hours, it’s incredible.
In that room there were a lot of new business owners that resonated with the feeling of doubt and defeat. Coming from the moment of discouragement to being overwhelmed with support and encouragement in a matter of minutes… What would you tell new business owners that are starting to second guess their path and where they are at?
I would tell them before anything else you must believe in your Brand . Corey Arvinger mentioned that you have to be willing to show up for your brand and go the extra mile to get your products into the hands of those that can appreciate them. Giving up cannot be in your vocabulary, coming from a person who had 17 dollars in their account, to my life being changed so drastically- you cannot give up, your situation can change in a matter of minutes! You have to keep going!
With Clubhouse being the fastest growing social media network at this time… how do you feel Black creatives and entrepreneurs have incorporated this space to help target other Black entrepreneurs to stir their growth?
As a Black entrepreneur we needed this so badly. This is the tilt we are experiencing, the people in this room tonight, the Black creatives and Black CEO’s that moderated and initiated this room tonight, have created a path to honor Black growth and generate a nation of Black CEO’s. Their presence is invaluable. I just hope to be in a position to be able to do what those ladies are doing and to be able to give back- I just know if Black business owners get into the right room on Clubhouse they can acquire information that is priceless and can contribute to putting them in a position to promote themselves and their brand.
What is something you want to leave the readers with or something you’d like them to take away from your story?
Yes, women empowerment is extremely important to us as a brand- that’s what made this room so special, honestly to see it created by Black women! This is what our brand is about- we just want women to understand that they have the permission to live unapologetically! Second, I really want to honor my sister Symoun, she is my rock- she has been instrumental in pushing our brand and us to this point and I really want to thank her for doing this project with me.
