Down 2 Business

Send us Fan Mail There is nothing wrong with following the path of others that have gone before you especially if they have attained the success you are trying to reach. However, there is also nothing wrong with going out to learn on your own and then deciding to make the best decision for YOU. This is exactly what J. Desiree did when she made the conscious decision to switch from being signed wit...

Send us Fan Mail Feeling good can be a direct result of looking good, so it is no surprise that Fatima takes so much pride in putting her outfits together. However, once others began to notice just how unique some of her pieces were...that is where the curiosity began. But it wasn't always just clothes, as Fatima has an array of different interests. One of them being biology, and that is why...

Send us Fan Mail Meagan will tell you without a doubt that she is all about affordability and exclusivity. So it no surprise that her boutique, Leigh's Exclusive is a direct reflection of that. When it comes to making sure you have everything the ladies need, you can certainly be met with challenges both in business and life. However, Meagan didn't let bumps in the road blur the vision t...

Send us Fan Mail Do you ever think that you could be one decision away from living a completely different life? Now the word different can bring about various connotations, but ultimately the choice is yours.  For Aliyah, making the decision to drive from North Carolina to Atlanta to secure all types of fabric from her grandparents is something she will NEVER regret. It allowed for her to not only...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine if your biggest form of promotion when coming into business was word of mouth... Would that change any of the goals you set for yourself or how you communicate your brand to others? Would that almost force you to step outside of your comfort zone to ensure no time is wasted? Would you not be a business owner or entrepreneur at all but rather have branched off into somethin...

Send us Fan Mail One of the beautiful things about life is that you have the ability to change your mind and open yourself up to new experiences. Sheridan was able to take direct advantage of this and since starting his transportation company that specializes in moving, he hasn't looked back. However, the idea of just working on one thing at a time is mundane and that is why he is always soak...

Send us Fan Mail While traditions and routines are often set in stone, they can also be altered or broken just the same. How we react to these alterations can be the make or break behind our development as human beings. It didn't take Roy long to realize that just because we may not like change, it does not mean that we can't benefit from it. However, it goes beyond just his success and...

Send us Fan Mail When other people notice what you are doing in life and share positive feedback with you, how does it make you feel? Keionna attributes a similar situation for one of the main reasons as to why she started her own business, Knightswear. She has always considered herself to be quite the creative, and takes pride in being able to bring almost any vision she has to life without break...

Send us Fan Mail As we go throughout life, we quickly learn that our decisions will always come with consequences. While we can't always control the outcome, we are forever in control of our response. Aaron's response to situations early on in his life were crucial in allowing him to be in the position he is in today. After dedicating years of his life to the Air Force, he recognizes tha...

Send us Fan Mail "Stay ready so you never have to get ready," said Chef Brenton. A mindset that he has adopted from day one, so he knows that getting knocked off the path is simply a part of the process. However, coming to appreciate the process never happens overnight as there are a whirlwind of emotions that come with it all. From feeling stagnant and frustrated to now walking in rooms...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever felt so strongly about something that nothing could change your mind? How did you translate these thoughts into actions? Rell wasted no time when it came to not only identifying his interests, but diving right into them. From being able to secure a position within his graduate school to work directly with athletics to even birthing his own non-profit organization. Be...

Send us Fan Mail The same way everyone can have an opinion, everyone can have a different take on fashion too. For Quan, his main focus has always been on items and apparel that are attention-grabbing and in layman's terms, unique. There are so many commonalities in the industry these days and nothing is wrong with that, but he wanted to put his own spin on things. However, entering a new spa...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever been told to use your imagination? A common phrase definitely, but what does the end result look like for most? Using your imagination can entail a host of things but for Anthony it was all things art! To take it a step further, he even branched off in middle school and started customizing his own sneakers which led to a wave of inquiries and fascination. So even tho...

Send us Fan Mail Imagine bouncing around from gym to gym for nearly FIVE years to be able to lead the workouts and trainings for your business. Let's take it a step further but this time let's cut out the imagining part. So let's say after all of the back and forth, you were finally able to call a gym HOME...how would you feel? Well, for Eddie it was one of the biggest reliefs and h...

Send us Fan Mail When it comes to having a good time, Jass will never shy away from making it happen for herself and others. However, in order to play hard you must work harder and it is no surprise she has taken on quite a load. Starting your own car dealership is no small feat especially considering what Jass has already been able to accomplish. But her true passion lies with everything surround...

Send us Fan Mail Amir distinctly remembers growing up and always having his own take on fashion, so much so that he nearly got suspended from high school because his classmates had the school flooded with his designs. Instead of letting that stop him he stepped into a creative lane unlike any other, and is now focused on providing an outlet for like-minded individuals. When it comes to Baltiere Ur...

Send us Fan Mail We all know when it comes to running a business, it is not something to be taken lightly. But what about being in charge of TWO businesses, taking care of your newborn daughter and balancing the chaos of a pandemic? Now that is certainly not for the weak and Khadijah embraced every second of it because her grind is unmatched. Furthermore, once Khadijah found out that she could sim...

Send us Fan Mail The saying goes when one door closes, another one opens. But what if the one door you were anxiously awaiting to walk through closed suddenly and it was because of something out of your control, like skin color? For Constantine this reality settled in rather quickly after relocating to Minnesota for his new job. Nearly all the way across the country, by himself and having to conti...

Send us Fan Mail Having your own hair problems is one thing, but when you recognize that you aren't alone it could make you view the situation differently. At least this was the case for Kaiya, and as a result The Lavish Luxe Collection got its start. However, it was far from a simple process as there was a plethora of trial and error on top of research that needed to be done. Kaiya is no str...

Send us Fan Mail Although NR2R Clothing gained immediate traction in Atlanta and surrounding areas, Ello will be the first to admit that the job is far from finished. When it comes to clothing, everyone can specialize in something different and for them it was sweatsuits and shorts. Word of mouth is definitely an effective promotional tactic, but Ello knew in order to take things to the next level...

Send us Fan Mail Have you ever witnessed a moment so amazing that you wish you could ingrain it in your memory forever? Has something ever happened so fast that you missed out on the chance to capture the essence of it all? For Marcus, there were so many beautiful moments happening around him at various times and he began to wonder how they were being cherished, if at all. With help from some fell...

Send us Fan Mail Do you remember who your closest group of friends was growing up? Was there a name associated with your group/clique? Maybe both still exist to this day. For Cam, little did he know that one of his friends middle school would come to be his business partner in the later years. It is no surprise that they named the brand Only Ohana - Ohana means family so what better way to keep ev...

Send us Fan Mail Back in 2017 if you were to bring your sneakers to Joe, he would customize them unlike anything ever seen before. So naturally he did not abandon this passion but rather continue to lock in and develop it. Strange Solez is constantly evolving and thinking of ways to spice things up when it comes to the boutique side of the business. However, Joe credits his job at FootLocker for a...

Send us Fan Mail Ant went through life having sensitive skin and despite countless meetings and prescriptions nothing seemed to work. One day he decided to take matters into his own hands and began doing research as he shifted over to natural products and remedies. The results were amazing for Ant so he decided to dive further into skincare and eventually branded himself. However, starting a busin...

Send us Fan Mail No matter the opinions others have about you, it should NEVER alter the goals and aspirations you have for yourself. Duece reached a point where he knew music was in his future one way or another. However, the path to figuring it all out was far from a walk in the park. From family troubles to working 12-16 hour days at Cookout, he refused to let it break him. So how did East Caro...