We were lucky to catch up with Byron Washington recently and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Byron with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I get my works ethic from my family . My grandparents , parents, uncles and aunts all worked hard in every thing they did . They always positioned themselves so that when opportunity came , they were ready . Getting the task done was imperative because we all had responsibilities
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In June 2018, our founder Byron Washington had an idea to bring a market to North Baton Rouge. Scotlandville , being the heart of North Baton Rouge, has always been an economic hub so it seemed only right to begin the market there. What started off as just a few vendors meeting on the last Saturday of every month, quickly grew into a social hub of makers, thinkers , performers and the just the place to be on that Saturday every month. Though we venture into more than just the Open Market, Scotland Saturdays will always be about the organic people and creating spaces and places for our culture to thrive. One of the most vibrant movements in the city, Scotland Saturdays is the cultural boom scene of North Baton Rouge. Since day one, a genuine love and passion for our own market patrons has defined who we are and what we do. The Open Market has become the place to patronize local business, see the arts and music scene, and is the place for everyone to socialize. There’s always something buzzing in our spaces: new stalls or exciting events, so read on to discover more about Scotland Saturdays.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Three skills for me were learning the history and culture of Black Baton Rouge , merging community engagement with economic development, finding the pleasure points for people in the community
My advice , know your truth about what you want to do and allow it be the conduit for your journey . Don’t judge success my numbers but by impact on each person .
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
Resources
Often we have organizations that are meant to help our community in specific eras but what I’ve found is there are barriers to access . Often those who do the real work are left without funding and those who do surface level things get all the funding they want because of relationships, which in of itself is a barrier to entry
Contact Info:
- Website: Ssaturdays.com
- Instagram: Scotland Saturdays
- Facebook: Scotland Saturdays
- Linkedin: Byron Washington, mba-scm
- Youtube: Scotland Saturdays
