Meet Jeneba Barrie

Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Jeneba Barrie. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Jeneba , thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from overcoming obstacles from my younger years throughout my adulthood. It also comes from knowing that there is no one coming to save me. I have a village and people that cheer me on, but ultimately, I have to be resilient for myself.

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?
I am Jeneba Barrie. I have been an attorney for almost a decade. I have been on both sides of criminal law (prosecution and defense). I recently opened up my own criminal defense practice and I love what I do, especially helping my clients through the legal process.

My passion is my brand and namesake, Jeneba Barrie Nude Footwear. My brand was created when I realized that “nude pumps” did not match me and my sister’s skintone. I asked myself “why are these beige pumps considered “nude” when they did not match our skintone?”

Seven years after I asked myself that question, I launched the most diverse and inclusive luxury nude shoe line, ever. We have 13 skin-tone shades, 4 heel lengths, sandals, loafers (and recently), nail polish!

My brand is aimed at inclusion for woman of color, specifically black women, who have been traditionally excluded from the beauty and fashion industry.

Jeneba Barrie Nude Footwear was officially launched in 2019 and we are just getting started.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
The three most important qualities, skills or areas of knowledge that have been most impactful on my journey are perseverance, the willingness to pivot and learn from my mistakes.

Our brand has persevered from a lot of ups and downs, specifically with our first factory. We had to switch factories mid production due to the lack of quality. It cost a lot of money to make this move, but one thing that this brand will not do is compromise on the quality of our product.

As a business owner, we usually have a vision for our brand. However, when the vision does not shake out as we hoped, we have to regroup, pivot and make the best of our circumstances.

And lastly, learning from the mistakes that I’ve made have saved me from many headaches. I know see mistakes and lessons and an opportunity to improve.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?
I am always looking for talented influencers on Facebook, TikTok and Instagram to partner and collaborate with. If you are into style and fashion, have a passion for diversity, please reach out to me for an opportunity to collaborate. I can be reached at [email protected].

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Jeneba Barrie Nude Footwear

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