Meet Cara Johnson-Graves

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cara Johnson-Graves. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cara below.

Cara, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
From an early age I realized that success is rarely linear. It’s filled with challenges, failures, roadblocks, and detours. And I have adopted the notion that NO simply means Next Opportunity. Resourcefulness and ingenuity are key when it’s time to leap, even when you don’t know what is on the other side. When my sister and I started our business, there were naysayers that didn’t see the purpose or understand the vision. But I knew that this entrepreneurial journey is not for the faint of heart, and our vision remains vivid even when distractions try to dim the path. A strong support system of mentors, role models, and family have empowered me and equipped me to turn challenges into opportunities no matter the situation. I’ve always had the innate audacity to dream big, live intentionally, and do “it” afraid! Family has been a constant source of optimism that has fed my natural gifts and talents. They have taught me that paying it forward and pouring into others is part of success. From sprinting into the National Junior Olympics in Track & Field, representing as Valedictorian of my graduating class at Morgan State University, and even leading a dynamic team as an Oncology Center Director in Washington D.C. I have been through personal and professional challenges, such as the loss of my father due to cancer and corporate reorganization. Every single peak and valley, triumph, and challenge, has been rooted in faith and family. One thing that I know for sure is that during life lessons focusing on grace & gratitude consistently leads to growth and gains.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
“It looks just like ME!” EPIC Everyday is a visually affirming kids’ brand that offers a functional and fashionable line of apparel, accessories, & home goods. Bootstrapped with $10K and the audacity to leap, build, & believe. EPIC Everyday empowers kids with positively inclusive representation via fun accessories, fashionable apparel, & functional home goods. We instill a sense of self-love in children to feel Empowered, Positive, Innovative, and Creative. There are more than 46.9 million people who self-identify as Black or African American making up 15% of the country’s population. There is a direct correlation between the positive impact and importance of representation early in life to build self-esteem and self-worth in children. However, less than 2% of products online, or in store, represent Black, brown, or multicultural children. We are a female-founded and family-owned business dedicated to bridging the gap in the market and ensuring historically excluded children are seen & celebrated. Our brand ethos is centered around the EPIC Everyday motto: “Never Ordinary, Always EPIC!”

Our products, practices, and partnerships differentiate us. Our signature collection of products are uniquely created for children from newborns to 10-year-olds. Vibrant designs connect communities with multicultural characters, elevating self-esteem, celebrating representation, and spreading joy among diverse children. Versatile products feature multicultural characters with a variety of skin shades, hair textures, and hairstyles intentionally designed to promote positive self-image. We refer to our unique characters as “mocha-hued.” Inclusive light to rich dark brown skin shades, wispy curls to thick coils. EPIC Everyday features joy centric accessories (totes, belt bags, chest bags, lunch bags, backpacks), apparel (t-shirts, hoodies), and home goods (wearable blankets, pillowcases, duvet covers, plush blankets, hooded towels) that reflect positive self-image. EPIC Everyday serves as a catalyst for building confidence primarily in the U.S., U.K., and Canada.

We practice eco-friendly sustainable small batch production that doesn’t waste large amounts of raw materials because small batch means small carbon footprint. Additionally, we utilize 100% recycled packaging for all apparel found online & Amazon. Future expansion incorporates character capabilities in new healthcare and haircare collections. Merging health and beauty wellness collections with diverse people, patients, and professionals. EPIC Everyday also plans to bridge collections with engaging digital edutainment, while continuing to foster strategic partnerships with corporate entities that align with our mission & values. Our goal is to bridge creativity and culture with familiar spaces & faces in the community!
Our commitment to social responsibility is evident in our actions, as we support charities and causes that benefit communities in need. We have donated to over 5,000 youth during numerous Back-to-School, holiday gifting, STEM programs, and corporate give back initiatives. Contributing nearly $150K in gifts to well-deserving community organizations, schools, and social impact recipients. Cultivating partnerships with non-profits and corporate partners including Disney, Hulu, Amazon, and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. We value the connection between education and entrepreneurship. Accordingly, we provide college students our time, tools, and resources to achieve success via experiential learning initiatives. Offering entrepreneurial insight and real-world project-based learning with Bowie State University and Baylor University students. In every product, practice, & partnership we are igniting hope so that the next generation sees just how EPIC they truly are!

There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
If you are ready to leap there are a few things that I have found helpful. Having the ability to be flexible, service minded, and intentional in building an entrepreneurial ecosystem has been impactful parts of my personal resilience & overall journey. These key areas have led to golden opportunities such as being featured on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Amazon Thursday Night Football commercial, BeyGOOD foundation, and British Vogue advertorials. Flexibility combined with agility have allowed for improved processes and resources that require strategic problem-solving skills. Give yourself grace, all things will not go perfect all the time and you must be flexible to roll with the punches. It’s super important to find joy in the journey and never let perfection impede progress. Set a goal and continuously chip away at it. Doing everything with a service heart has always resulted in meaningful new ideas, perspectives, and experiences. I can’t express enough the importance of always, ALWAYS remembering your “why!” Knowing why you are inventing, creating, developing, or writing will help you seek the right people to build community. Support is a verb and fostering relationships takes time and intention. Building a strong entrepreneurial ecosystem consists of surrounding yourself with business coaches, mentors, entrepreneurs, role models, customer advocates, and even competitors that have been there, done that, and can guide you to achieve goals. You shouldn’t and don’t have to figure it out alone. Join accelerators, meet-ups, and leadership programs. Attend conferences, expos, and seminars to build your arsenal of advocates with diverse skill sets in areas that you seek to achieve success. This also includes an experienced business accountant, lawyer, banker, insurance agent, photographer, and so on. Entrepreneurship is an ever-evolving journey, embrace every win and assess the losses. I encourage you to build & believe to realize YOUR dream!

Okay, so before we go, is there anyone you’d like to shoutout for the role they’ve played in helping you develop the essential skills or overcome challenges along the way?
Taking the lead from not 1, but 3 fierce, determined, courageous, and confident women drive my passion to make a difference. I have studied, researched, or received direct guidance & support from each of them. Resilience and reflections from these past and present role models drive me to succeed. Historically, Harriet Tubman is the epitome of resilience that firmly declared, “The greatest glory in living lies not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” Today, I draw inspiration from Janice Bryant Howroyd, the first black woman to own and build a billion-dollar business, The ActOne Group. She is a huge supporter of adaptability and innovation. Who believes in life: “One cannot effectively lead without passionately serving” and “Never compromise who you are personally to become who you wish to be professionally.” Lastly, my mentor, Aisha Bowe, former NASA scientist, founder of STEM Board and LINGO. As a highly recognized aerospace engineer, entrepreneur, global ambassador, and one of Inc. Magazines Top 100 Female Founders, her achievements are admirable. This upcoming year she will become the first Black woman to fly to outer space with Blue Origin. Being the “first” is always a remarkable accomplishment. These women are inspirational with aspirational qualities that remind me to never give up, and always operate in excellence no matter the obstacles.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
EPIC Everyday, EYEImagery

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