We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mercedes Carter . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mercedes below.
Mercedes , thanks for taking the time to share your lessons with our community today. So, let’s jump right in – one of the most essential skills for unlocking our potential is self-discipline. Where does your self-discipline come from?
My self discipline comes from my upbringing. I didn’t grow up with alot and when you come from an environment like that it builds different principles including self discipline. In addition to my upbringing I also from a very young ask have been very conscious and intentional about how I managed money and different situations in life.
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?
My name is Mercedes and I’m the owner of MY Black Beauty Box also known as MY B.B.B. My Black Beauty Box was started back in 2017 which was a couple years after I graduated from college. I went to school for Business Management with one goal in mind to better and empower my community. Once I graduated I joined Corporate America but never lost sight of what I was passionate about. When I started MY Black Beauty Box the concept was a subscription box with products from Black Owned Brands. This turned into a box and a directory keychain with Black Owned Brands and evolved into what it is today, a store that houses Black Owned Brand Products and a directory keychain loyalty program. We host several events at our location of The Baldwin Hills Crenshaw Plaza (3650 W. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd) Store 179 including line dancing, a bling it work shop and several art and creative style events as well as events where you get to know new black brands. We also have a weekly promotion called support a business Saturday where with the purchase of our loyalty keychain you can save 20% on most items in our store. In the near future we will have an area in the store where you will be able to purchase products from black owned products any day of the week and save as long as you are a member of our loyalty keychain program. Our loyalty keychain program is what we are most proud of as it allows you to discover black owned brands support them and save money while doing so. For the current year of 2023 it is available for $10 but as we grow we will create a different pricing structure. We overall just look forward to servicing our community in the best way possible.
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?
The 3 skills, qualities or areas of knowledge that was most impactful on my journey will be drive, resilience and passion. The best advice I can give someone is to do something you love because if you’re not there’s no way you will be able to develop the other qualities. Entrepreneurship or just taking the journey of believing in your dreams is a difficult one but with the right tools and a little faith you can go a long way.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
I would love to partner with Black Business Owners that are ready to elevate their brand and need a location to showcase their products. If this is you or someone you may know feel free to email me at [email protected] or send me a message on IG at myblack_beautybox.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mybbbbhc.square.site
- Instagram: myblack_beautybox
- Facebook: My Black Beauty Box
