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Writer's pictureKanika Sin-e'

A little Diversity goes a long way

To all my loving followers thank you for being patient with me . With God and my loved ones by side my fingers will never give up this dream I have..

They make me tap deep into my emotions and into my imagination . It’s not like my imagination isn’t wild enough as it is , but they give it more umph . Enough about me though , you all know that I love to give you a little background about me before I get into this tea. I love tea!!

I was given the opportunity to once again rave about one of Pilar Scratch’s clients Diverse Gift Shop . With all the hate that America can produce it’s great to get to work with another sister to spread the word about another set of Queen’s products.

Diverse Gift Shop is a brand created by two sisters for sisters established in 2018 . Each item created in this new retail shop is the epitome of diversity . If there is a special someone that you can’t seem to think of ways to show your appreciation to you should definitely reach out to Diverse Gift Shop and pick out something made with you or that person in mind . Their motto is “there is beauty in diversity” which fits the owners of the shop very well in that they are two women that have the same goals in mind , but a completely different outlook on them .

I had the opportunity to chat with them about their goals and the start up of the company . They couldn’t have been more cooperative and patient with me when it came to letting me in to all the secrets of their success.


sisterhood


Before you started this business what were you doing that made you take a leap of faith? How has that been a stepping stone for you to accomplish your now goals?

Working a regular 9-5 job actually motivated us to start our business. Working a 9-5 job never made us feel happy and we knew we were meant to do more. Starting a business is scary but we are willing to give our business our all. We turned our negative into a positive by going to work with a purpose. Although we were not happy at our jobs we made it a point to learn and observe how other successful businesses are run. We would use it as time to realize what we liked and did not like about the company we worked for.

What inspired you to venture into this market?

We wanted to start a brand that would allow us to express ourselves. There is a lack of positivity we were seeing in the media (including social media). We felt like this was a great way to spread positivity, especially in a world that can seem so divided and cold. With this in mind we decided to create a gift shop because, when you receive a gift it makes you feel amazing and special. We love that!

How has your mindset as an entrepreneur changed your way of doing business since you’ve ventured into this market?

As an entrepreneur you have to make business decisions with your customers in mind. We make sure that we are creating products that represent individuals in a positive and uplifting way.

What does it take to be an entrepreneur ? Do you have any tips for the younger generation on how to organize themselves ?

To be an entrepreneur your business must come first. You have to be ready for the ups and downs of business. If you are just starting your brand we suggest that you start by creating a business plan and figuring out what made you start this business, then do your research.

Believe it or not making a lot of money is not a good reason to start a business because there are so many obstacles you will have to face prior to even seeing a profit. If your main focus is only money you may struggle. Start a business that you are passionate about. Also, don't be afraid to be different or to stand out. There are going to be a lot of people who do not understand your vision. That is ok, just make sure you do not lose your vision and things will start to fall into place. This will help with executing your ideas.

What risks have you taken thus far and how do you plan on expanding your business?

Starting a business is risky in general because this is our first business venture. so to get started we took a leap of faith. Right now we are focusing on getting our name out there and working with other entrepreneurs . We plan to expand our business by creating more products and different gift features. The idea is for our customers to have the option to receive everything they need to give their items as a gift.



Going into business with family can sometimes be challenging how did you work through those challenges and how do you settle business disagreements?

Yes, going into business with family can be challenging, however it's nice to know that you have someone you can fully trust and always has your best interest. Business disagreements normally gets settled by compromising. We work through these disagreements by weighing out any pros and cons. Trust us this is something we really had to work on but we both bring different point of views to the table. Which is beneficial to the business.

When asked what your favorite items are from your store what do you say and if there was ever an item someone disliked what did you say?

We really like all of our items so it's hard to choose, but one of our favorite items now is the newest "Do what you love coffee mug". The overall idea of the mug is motivational for us. We also love our candles they smell amazing! We have received great feedback about our items however, a lot of our customers would like to specialize their own items. We are not able to do that at this time. Hopefully we will in the future.

As black woman in your market do you believe it is important to be strong and stern in your business decisions ?

As African American women we believe it's important to know our worth. As owners of our business we do have to be stern at times. We think it is important for people to respect you as "the boss". However, we believe you should be receptive to constructive criticism. At the end of the day we are all humans and there should always be room for improvement.

What about your friends ? Have you ever had to say no to a “freebie” or a “barter system” agreement to a close friend?

Yes, it can get a little frustrating at times but you have to realize that a real "friend" should be happy to support you, and pay for your items just as they would do for anyone else. If they are upset or unsupportive they are not good friends to have around you. It is important to keep like-minded people in your corner.

How do you manage those days that you just don’t want to work ? How important is your mental and physical health to a thriving business ?

Mental and physical health is key, it is so important. You cannot function at your best if you aren't mentally or physically healthy. Sometimes with business you can become exhausted and overwhelmed. Taking some time off rather its for just a day or a few hours, allows your mind to think clearly. Anxiety is something we have had to learn to deal with, sometimes you may need to step away for a few minutes. It can be as simple as taking a walk to clear your head. On the days where we don't feel motivated, we try to remind ourselves why we started the business in the first place. We motivate each other even when we are frustrated.

Below you will find Diverse Gift Shop website and instagram link .

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