#GivingTuesday: #GiveREAL with Aerie Brand Ambassadors and Period at NC State

I started my menstrual cycle at 9 years old. I was one of the only 4th grade girls in my school that had her period and I was pretty embarrassed whenever I needed additional feminine products; but, I was fortunate enough to have the access to additional feminine products when I needed them. There are many women who are limited to utilizing toilet paper or reusing clothing and unfortunately ruining sole pairs of pants and/or underwear. This is due to the excessive cost of tampons and pads; some women simply can't afford them.

The Aerie Ambassadors at NC State recently partnered with Period at NC State to educate all women on the importance of and need for menstrual products. In support of Aerie's overall mission of giving back to the greater Wake County community and Period at NC State's mission to provide period products to the homeless population in Wake County, they collectively organized a menstrual product donation drive on November 16th, during Hunger & Homelessness Awareness Week. With well over 35,000 students, both organizations felt that such an event would leave a lasting impact on the NC State community as a result, reach the greater Raleigh/Durham community as well. On this day, they raised nearly $200 and received enough product donations to cover 80 periods! All items will be donated to SOAR Outreach and NC State's Feed the Pack Pantry.

Today is Giving Tuesday and NC State's Aerie Brand Ambassadors and Period would like to invite you to their Period Packing Party where they will be organizing the donations they received. They will meet in Talley Student Union room 4280 at 8:00pm. Will you join the cause?

Please find more information about Period and updates about GivingTuesday by following @periodncstate or Aerie Brand Ambassadors (@trinazhodges, @m_ebri or @eliza.bars) on Instagram!

With Blessings & Imperfections,

Bre

Peacefully Profitable - Entrepreneur, Coach + Podcast Host

Peacefully Profitable: IG: peacefullyprofitable - Entrepreneur, Coach + Podcast Host

What was your greatest inspiration/motivation to start Peacefully Profitable?
My greatest inspiration/motivation to start Peacefully Profitable was freedom!  It's something I need in my life due to the unique circumstances and challenges that have been placed in my path.  Also to create a legacy that would live on when I'm no longer around.  It has always been bigger than me and I think we should all look at our business through a similar lens (legacy)

What is the overall vision of Peacefully Profitable?
Peacefully Profitable is a consulting firm for major corporations so our misson/vision is to help people succeed in their career in a peaceful yet meaningful way. Our goal is to ensure all clients have a clear mindset, positive outlook and the desire to be the very best version of themselves.

We are also here to help business owners sustain retention and bottom-line with profitable productivity strategies, that will in turn help employees be more productive and meet their goals.   

What have been the biggest challenges of creating, launching and maintaining your brand/business?
 The biggest challenges have been trying to remain as close as I can to my authentic self, vision + brand.  I say this is a challenge because in order to attract certain clients or gain some business, those potential clients are wanting you to look a certain way or operate in a way that only they are used to.  This can be challenging for someone who prides themselves on staying true to who they are.  My advice:  Stay true to who you are, regardless.  The right customers will always find you.

What tips do you have for your consumers that may desire to launch a business of their own?
Tips for consumers that may have the desire to launch a business or their own:  Know your why!  Why do you even want to start a business.  This often times eliminates a lot of the confusion, stress and even some delay in scaling your business.  It's going to be really difficult to succeed if you don't know why you are running a business and who you are servicing.  Also, don't be afraid or too good to serve.  There will be time for you to call yourself a BOSS, but until then, SERVE!!

What are your future plans for Peacefully Profitable?
 My future plans for the business are to scale and grow a successful team and become a household name.  I will no longer be the face of my business and it will be a true BRAND that companies seek out when they are in need of employee development, engagement and growth strategies for their company.

Fall Style Collab with The Strong Suit

This post contains affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you make a purchase after clicking on my link.

"I could buy designer; but this [WALMART] fit???"

Yeap, that's right. I've finally collaborated with Angelica, the Content Creator of TheStrongSuit.co and one of my go-to style gurus, to style a few pieces from one of our new favorite places to shop for clothes; Walmart! I personally didn't imagine that I would ever consider Walmart as a prime location for super cute items; but alas, here we are, yall. Their Time and Tru and No Boundaries collections excite me just as much as Target's Wild Fable collection and yall KNOW how hype I was about my Wild Fable Joggers. Lookin' cute and savin' coins simultaneously - my wallet didn't even know such a combination existed.

I was intentional about purchasing pieces specifically for the fall, that could be styled multiple ways and paired with other items that I already had in my closet. I am a summer girl, so I always neglect to properly prepare for the colder months and end up looking cute, cold and crazy. My staple items were a basic turtleneck, a pair of mid-rise skinny jeans, a pair of cinched-ankle sweatpants and a basic cardigan. The two looks you'll see in this post included all 4 of these items + some jewelry from Walmart's Time and Tru collection. 

The first look we styled for one of our favorite events, NC State's Homecoming Tailgate (featuring the grill that I used to make my highly-requested honey-buffalo wings). Angelica and I decided to keep it pretty simple since I was planning to be pretty active. I am always looking to add more jeans into my wardrobe because denim can literally be dressed up or down; however, it's sometimes difficult for me to find jeans that [comfortably] fit my curves, so I usually pay a pretty penny for a quality pair. These jeans fit perfectly (think FashionNova at a much cheaper price) and have already made it into my weekly rotation - I snagged these for $11, yall. And I mean it when I say the fit is comparable to FashionNova. They had other styles/colors in their denim arsenal and the most expensive pair was only $16. I've already paired them with a denim colored button up, for a Canadian tuxedo look, and a pair of Chelsea boots for an evening exploring downtown Durham (I will post that look next time I wear it, lol). 

I paired the jeans with a cutoff NC State tee and this super comfy, double-knit Black cardigan that only cost me $20. This cardigan will likely be featured several times this season because of the great quality and the ability to go from day-to-night with ease. A cardigan like this would probably be double Walmart's price somewhere like H&M or Express; so, I will definitely be going back to get the camel (featured in Angelica's post - thestrongsuit.co) and the olive green colored cardigans just like this one. Here's another one of their maxi length cardigans for only $13 online! As you can see, we kept it simple with accessories; but, the jeans and the cardigan together made for a perfect tailgate 'fit all by themselves.

For this next look, Angelica wanted to style 3 of the 4 pieces all in one outfit and I have to say, this was definitely my favorite look! I wanted a pair of sweatpants that I could dress up and go out in, or pair with sneakers and run errands in and these definitely got the job done. I love basics for that very reason; they're so versatile. We styled these cinched-ankle sweatpants with a maroon/plum colored turtleneck and some Black, chunky-heeled booties from H&M. This turtleneck could be dressed up even more with a fur vest or a knee-length cardigan, high-waist jeans or a button-down skirt. Check out these Cowl Neck Chenille Sweaters - definitely a great addition to your Fall wardrobe! You could also make a statement with a cute pair of drop earrings like the ones I purchased from Walmart. They were only $4!

Comfort and style go hand-in-hand for Angelica and I both, so the Time and Tru and No Boundaries collections are great. I got all of the pieces featured in this post, plus a pair of charcoal gray joggers, for just $60! Guess where I'm headed on payday? Until then, please go check out Angelica's Walmart style post at thestrongsuit.co and let us know what you think about the pieces we got.

With Blessings & Imperfections,

Bre

BlkWomenHustle - Networking Platform

Blk Women Hustle: IG: blkwomenhustle - Networking Platform

What was your greatest inspiration/motivation to start BlkWomenHustle?

BlkWomenHustle was inspired by a few things-- the disappointment experienced by friends using the services of others, my personal desire to defy stereotypes, and my unwavering love and admiration for the black woman. We're capable of so much and we have lights that are constantly being dimmed every way possible by so many people in society. Black women deserve the attention, love, and support for everything they continue to do, despite their socioeconomic status, titles, and the sizes of their platforms.

What is the overall vision of BlkWomenHustle?

I wanted to create a space that connects and celebrates women across the world, not just celebrities and those in my local area. With today's political climate, we hear and see so much on social media about uniting, supporting black businesses, etc. As a person who advocates for that type of unity, I wanted to bring it to life. Black women are heavily criticized and stereotyped as having attitudes or being catty toward one another, and I wanted this to display who we truly are and all that we have to offer. I wanted BlkWomenHustle to be that space where black women can come and feel loved, appreciated, and supported personally and professionally; but most of all, I wanted them to feel like themselves.

What have been the biggest challenges of creating, launching, and maintaining your brand/business?

The biggest challenge of maintaining BlkWomenHustle is keeping up with the growth! You can have dreams and goals, but when the growth of your brand exceeds your expectations and opportunities are presented sooner than expected, you can feel a little unprepared. So, I would say keeping track of it all while trying to provide constant updates is definitely the biggest challenge of them all. The next challenge would just be the creation of content that appeals to such a large audience. It's a bit different when you're appealing to women who've fallen in love with a platform versus your personal page where your content consists of whatever, posted whenever.

What tips do you have for your consumers that may desire to launch a business of their own?

If you feel you're ready to transition to the entrepreneurial lifestyle, be prepared to lose lots of sleep, lose touch with some family and friends, always plan ahead, and save your money! The best advice anyone could give you when starting your business? DON'T QUIT. Things might not seem to be working out, but step away for a while. Focus on some other aspects of your business. Work on different goals that will help you progress while you're still working out the kinks. Head back to the drawing board if the plan seems like it's headed for failure; it won't hurt you to start over. Whatever you choose to do, DON'T QUIT. 

What are your future plans for BlkWomenHustle?

I can't tell you that, sis! JK :) We'll be releasing some products, bringing our Networking Mixers to new cities, collaborating with other platforms supporting black women, and planning some major events! I can't elaborate at the moment, but just know that this platform wasn't created without reason. I'm looking forward to providing more events, perks, and opportunities that will benefit every woman connected with BlkWomenHustle.

The BlkWomenHustle Team (E):  info@blkwomenhustle.com (M): 980.292.0266 (W): www.blkwomenhustle.com

Stay Polished - Nail Technician

Stay Polished x Brandy Garvin: IG: staypolished__ -- Nail Technician

What was your greatest inspiration/motivation to start Stay Polished?

My greatest inspiration/motivation for creating a brand for myself as well as doing nails would be being able to express my creativity, as well as turning a hobby into a job. Growing up I always did nails for fun! I never thought I would actually be working as a nail tech until my brother asked me did I want to enroll in nail school. I would definitely say my motivation came from my brother!

What is the overall vision of Stay Polished?

My overall vision of Stay Polished is not only in reference to nails. Stay Polished is also being able to maintain a positive image and all around personality in whatever you do!

What has been the biggest challenges of creating, launching and maintaining your brand/business?  

The biggest challenge for me would be “getting myself out there” and stepping out of my comfort zone. A lot of people will judge you based on your age & race, [but] I believe that once I started to feel more comfortable with myself and my craft it didn’t [phase] me as much. I started doing nails professionally at 20 years old, and to a lot of people that’s young. They often times feel as though you may not be as experienced as they would like you to be. As far as race goes….well of course many of us know that majority of the nail industry consist of people of Asian descent. Being a young black female entering the nail world has definitely been the hardest challenge.

What tips do you have for your consumers that may desire to launch a business of their own?

I would suggest doing plenty of research and possibly having a mentor in whatever business field one may be looking into. By doing this, you have the opportunity to speak with someone to find out some of the pros and cons when owning a business as well as deciding when you’re ready to make the big move! (I do not have a business of my own so I’ll take some tips as well lol!)

What are your future plans for Stay Polished?

Hmm… future plans honestly I can definitely see myself in a big city doing Beyoncé’s nails or someone fancy like that. BUT if that doesn’t work out, I definitely have high hopes of one day opening my own salon in a nice city.  

Brandy Garvin

IG: Staypolished__

Email: Brandygarvin@gmail.com

Cell: (336) 327-0152