Who or what is your inspiration in business?

My mother is my inspiration. We lost everything my senior of high school due to a fire. We lived in a family members garage for 3 months until my mother could find a better place for us. I watched my mother raise two kids and work 2 jobs to get us back to some form of normalcy. She then started selling shoes out of our home to make ends meet. She later opened a brick and mortar store front all by herself. She will forever be my Shero!

How do you stay motivated?

I think about where I came from when I first started my business and look at where I am now. I got so many No’s. No one wanted to help this young black woman from the south side of Chicago. My dreams are big and have always been and I never let anyone stop me. I want to be the same inspiration for my children. We lost our son 2 years ago and we have 2 daughters. My son was able to see who I am and I want the same for our daughters. There is still a purpose as long as I’m still alive

What would you do with the $25,000?

I want to open a Cosmetology and Barber Academy in the inner city. I want to make sure that our returning citizens and under deserving young adults receive the best education about hair care and knowledge for hair loss. African Americans are rapidly loosing hair because of uneducated individuals that aren’t getting the proper training. I want to be an educator that they need and not properly training them for what’s new. We want to set them up for success!