We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Christina Davis a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Christina , thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I used to see being the minority in the room as something very daunting and oppressing. However, I realized that sometimes being the only one that looks like me in a room can be the opportunity to set the tone for others that might be similar to me. I created Black Women Love Dogs because at the time I felt like I was the only one in the room. When I looked at Pet Media, black women were not the chosen audience. It seemed like society truly believed we were not participants in the pet industry. Since I’ve started the Black Women Love Dogs journey I’ve seen such a change in media. There are more opportunities for us in the pet world. There is more representation online for us. I can find my people by simply searching a hashtag like #BlackWomenLoveDogs. To me, that’s success.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
My idea for Black Women Love Dogs was formulated in 2019 when I first welcomed my beloved pup, Kanna, into my life. Eager to connect with fellow dog moms, I sought out various groups, only to find that I was the minority in all of them. Determined to create a space where Kanna and I could exist without being the minority, I scoured Instagram for similar pages but came up empty-handed.
Creating Black Women Love Dogs started off as just a fun idea for social media, and grew during the pandemic into a beloved passion project. When the page grew, requests to have gatherings became the hot topic. I had always wanted to have events in person but I wanted to make sure we could be safe because coronavirus is still very real. Our first event was in the Fall of 2021.
Our first event was a success! It was amazing getting the opportunity to meet various Black Women and their pups. We’ve now had meet-ups in Dallas, Houston, North Carolina, DC, and we have an upcoming event in Atlanta, Georgia this June. We still are committed to engaging with our followers virtually so we make sure we have Instagram Live events where we entertain and inform as well as our annual Dog Mom Costume Contest in October. Connecting people in our community has been one of the best parts of what I do. I love hearing about how people have become friends based on my page. I’ve even made great friends from my page that I might have never met.
There’s more coming to Black Women Love Dogs very soon. We just have to continue showing up and staying true to our mission.
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
One of the things that has allowed me to grow my page and stay relevant in this space is definitely consistency. Consistency doesn’t mean not taking breaks. Consistency means when you’re not taking a break, you are constantly creating and thinking of new ideas, learning from mistakes and moving forward.
Another skill that has been important for Black Women Love Dogs is authenticity. Not everyone is going to like me and that’s okay. Being myself and letting people be comfortable being themselves is what matters most. Not every dog is going to be trained and not every human is going to have the same values but I respect them all the same.
A third skill that has helped set my brand apart is creativity. I have been blessed with a creative mind. I find joy in creating whether its graphic design, writing, or building. I have been able to use my love for creativity to create engaging content as well as really cool GIFs that my followers and others utilize.
Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
The current challenge I’m facing is trusting myself to take the next steps. I have ideas but I find myself fearful of failure and I constantly question myself. It’s an internal battle that I have to overcome.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackwomenlovedogs
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BlackWomenLoveDogs/
- Other: GIPHY: https://giphy.com/blkwomenlovedogs TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackwomenlovedogs
