Too often in our society, people picture men in their heads when they hear words like, “boss”, “entrepreneur”, or “CEO”. Being a small business owner has put me in touch with so many successful female business owners and entrepreneurs that when I hear these words, I often picture a woman or I just don’t assume anything at all. Women are obviously just as capable as men when it comes to the business world and it is high time that women business owners and entrepreneurs are more visible in the media in our society. This is where the idea for Women in Business was born. Women in Business is a bi-monthly feature that highlights female entrepreneurs and business owners. Not only is it a fantastic opportunity to learn more about small businesses in various fields, but it is a great shopping guide for supporting small businesses.
An Interview with Bryanda
What does a typical day as the Editor in Chief of Quirky, Brown Love look like?
I’d say that every day is pretty different. I currently have two other jobs and I’m applying for medical school so I rarely have a day that I can focus completely on blogging. Therefore, I try to break up tasks throughout the week. For example, yesterday I spent most of my day scheduling social media and planning for my blogger meetups. Other days, I focus strictly on coming up with and scheduling content. I’m also an admin for Black Bloggers United, so I have various tasks that I do for them throughout the day.
What are some of the most challenging and what are the most rewarding parts of running Quirky, Brown Love?
The most challenging part for me is responding to emails! I get so many emails in a day that several get pushed to the side unfortunately. It’s definitely a resolution of mine to get better at that. Also, staying true to my brand can be challenging. A lot of different people want to write for my site and I feel bad turning them down, but I have to in order to stay true to my brand. The most rewarding part is meeting other bloggers. I was invited to New York Fashion Week this year and it was so cool to meet up with bloggers that I have talked to online. Also, I really appreciate my readers. Anytime that I get an email about a post or a “yaaaassss” on Twitter, it makes my day!
How do you stay balanced with your career and personal life?
I don’t know to be completely honest! Half of the time I feel like I am about to lose my mind with all of the work that I need to do. I make lots of lists to keep me focused on my goals. Luckily, I have people in my life that will just pull me away from my computer or when I’m in a funk, so I try to make sure that I accept 90% of these invites. Also, I have a blogging tribe that I meet with regularly online and I am so grateful for them as well.
Do you use any apps or programs that help with marketing/social media? Which are your favorites?
I just got MeetEdgar and it is the absolute best thing since sliced bread. It lets me keep a queue of old posts and it goes out to my social media according to my preset schedule. It’s a monthly investment, but it is worth it!
Did you always know you wanted to be Editor in Chief of a popular blog? How did you go about getting to where you are now?
Definitely not! If I had it my way, I would already be in medical school and on my way to becoming a physician. Obviously, God had other plans. I started my blog as a distraction and thankfully, it has blossomed into what it is today. I try to be as transparent as possible with my site and even wrote this post to show people how I grew my blog.
What was the best piece of advice you were given?
Trust the process. I’ve always been the type of person that has mapped out my life and I tend to get discouraged when life deviates from this path. I’ve had to let go and let God have his way and I can definitely see things starting to work out in my favor.
How do you define success?
Success to me is when you always have something that you are excited about, whether it be a project or a trip or time with family. Excitement to me is a sign of living.
What upcoming projects are you excited about?
I’m actually partnering with The Art of Cool Festival, a black-owned modern Jazz festival in Durham, NC. There, I will be interviewing some big names such as Anderson Paak, Thundercat and The Internet. Also, I am starting a new intimate series on my blog called “Girls Night In With Bryanda” where I will invite 5 women to chat with me each week on Google Hangout so that we can talk about issues in the Black community and our thoughts on sisterhood (all over wine, of course!). At the end of each month, all of the 20 ladies and anyone else can join in on a Twitter chat. If anyone is interested in signing up, you can fill out this form.