DON DIVA
“Diva’s Hustle”
Vol 6, Issue 24 – February 2006
Sisters doing it for themselves have become a way of life for many women – especially minority women. With over 2 million people in jail- most of which are our minority men, we’ve learned to take care of ourselves and our families and many of us have found ways to create industries and jobs for others.
Women own more than 30% of the 21 million businesses in the country. Their earnings are rising twice as fast as the rate of all other companies. Women are no longer pigeon-holed to certain economic industries like childcare, beauty products, hair care or healthcare. Female entrepreneurs are making names for themselves in most industries that were previously occupied only by men. Even more impressive, many Black women are pioneering new industries for themselves creating niche markets in areas not too frequently explored from book publishing to erotica.
It is no myth that starting a business is no easy task but it is not as difficult as one might think – if you have the right product, personal determination and the willingness to learn. It also requires an enormous amount of dedication and discipline – not to mention money, time and energy. What keeps the successful going when times are rough is the knowledge that the payoff can be enormous. Like the thousands of women who are taking the plunge into business ownership, you can tap exciting markets and achieve entrepreneurial success. In each issue of Don Diva we will highlight Diva’s getting their hustle on in the hopes of inspiring you and giving you the tools to learn from some of their mistakes and successes.
NEXT STOP… 135 TH STREET
The 135 th Street Agency LLC is a marketing/advertising/public relations firm that specializes in bridging the gap between artists/entertainment entities and Corporate America owned by two female veterans of the entertainment industry. They specialize in lifestyle marketing and helping to translate the message that corporations are trying to relay to the urban business professional/urban youth consumer in a culturally savvy manner.
In just under a year, 135 th has secured clients to include BET, Def Jam, U.S. Postal Service, Coca-Cola Summerscope, Harlem Week, the Independent Black Film Festival, Greater Harlem Chamber of Commerce and author Francine Ward.
DD: Starting a business is not easy and any entrepreneur must have a unique and solid skill set…what do the ladies of 135 th bring to the table?
Saptosa: We have a combined 20 years of experience/contacts in the music/entertainment marketing and print media. Shante worked at Def Jam for eight years. She resigned last year as director of marketing working on projects like Ludacris’ double platinum Chicken N’ Beer, Kanye West’s triple platinum The College Dropout album, the 2 Fast 2 Furious Soundtrack, Method Man, Ghostface and Freeway. I have vast editorial/print media experience as well. I worked at Seventeen, Blaze, In Style, Rolling Stone, O Magazine and GetMusic.com. I was also a regular freelance feature writer for XXL for over four years and have written for VIBE, Source, FADER, Complex, Savoyand Honey.
DD: What made you decide to start your own business?
Shante: Several factors contributed to my decision to start my own business. The idea sparked in 2001 when I was approached by several industry comrades who wanted to hire me to provide marketing services for their ventures. Then I was further inspired by reading Russell Simmons’ book Life or Def. Russell made several key points including the fact that he would never achieve wealth working for someone else.
DD: Coming from Corporate America, did you find it difficult to get used to being in control?
Shante: I wouldn’t say it was difficult, but it was definitely one of those culture shock experiences. I was coming from a semi-corporate culture in which the paycheck was a steady direct deposit every other Thursday, a corporate card and BlackBerry with an invisible bill that was always taken care of. I was moving into the world of entrepreneurship in which the checks are anything BUT steady, all expenses (flights, hotel, repairmen, computers, printing, copy machines, rent for office space, Blackberry’s, etc) are on me and the cell phone bill is definitely visible now. This transition continues to be one of the greatest lessons I’m learning.
DD: What have been some of your greatest difficulties?
Saptosa: As entrepreneurs, we face challenges every day. However, probably the biggest obstacle we deal with is proving ourselves as a trusted, viable brand. We’re young, we’re female and we’re African-American. A lot of people pre-judge us for whatever reasons. Still, we’ve been able to land great projects and clientele because we have the experience. We know our craft and we’re super passionate about it. At the end of the day, no one can deny that we know what we’re doing when it comes to getting our clients the best possible exposure.
DD: What is one misconception you had about being in business for yourself?
Shante: One misconception that I had about being in business for myself is that I thought that being in control of the projects and workload that I would work on would allow me to avoid being crazy hectic with an over-full inbox and 15 projects on my plate at one time (as I always found myself in my previous position). Being the primary decision-makers, Saptosa and I not only have our clients’ projects on our plates, but the company imaging projects like making sure that website is up and running and creative, designing company Christmas cards, executing a company photo shoot, etc. All of those things combined add up to twice the amount of workload that I had in my previous position as director of marking. It’s A LOT more travel, meetings, conference calls and emails. The energy to get them all done and keep going comes from the drive and desire to be successful and the payoff is 300% more meaningful this time around.
DD: Do you have one particular bad habit or trait that you find that you have to constantly work on to be a better entrepreneur or do you have one particular bad habit or trait that hinders your business?
Shante: YES!!...one habit that I am constantly working on is getting my day started earlier. During my tenure at Def Jam, Kevin Liles would always drive home the point to me about how important it is to get your day started earlier than everyone else. Now more than ever, I understand the point he was making. It is so essential to the survival of your business that your current clients and potential clients hear from you more often and are more impressed with you than your competition. Getting your day started earlier means that you get the jump on communicating with your current clients, pitching new business to potential clients and your mind is fresh and active for more hours in the day. I notice a clear difference in the quality of my accomplishments on a day when I am in full swing by 8:30am as opposed to 10:00am. I need to reach the point where everyday is an 8:30am day. Right now, it may be two to three days that are 8:30am days.
DD: For a person thinking about starting their own business, what suggestions do you have for them?
Saptosa: Know your craft! You may not know everything there is to know about starting a business, but you sure better know the product/service you’re providing like the back of your hand. Also, ditch the get-rich-quick mentality and focus your business on your passion. You’re more likely to be successful that way. And don’t stop! Dreams don’t come true overnight. You have to put in a lot of hard work and you will make MANY mistakes. Each of those mistakes is a lesson that contributes to your success in the future.
