I remember watching this documentary a while back about strippers. Don’t judge me. It was interesting af. It took place in a small southern town and these women dreamt of being video vixens and headlining strippers (meaning folks came out and spent their whole checks on Fridays + Saturdays). I was thinking to myself, dang, what kind of life is that to strive to be the main sexy chick in a music video?! Then I brought myself back to Earth and remembered that not everyone was raised like me. Not everyone sees the world as big with a plethora of opportunities. These ladies felt valuable and loved when they danced and stripped for money and hey! that is their prerogative, dang it. Who am I to say that they are much more than their naked bodies covered in sweaty bill$? I’d honestly probably do it if I had the nerve.. there just aren’t enough drugs in the world…

Anywho, the current state of my small business jogged my memory of this documentary; we are going into our third year and there are still some friends and relatives looking at us sideways. I don’t expect everyone to get it and support it, but I appreciate when those who don’t stay out of the way of those who do. I was judging the strippers for—in my opinion— thinking too small. And now I am being judged for dreaming too big if there is a such thing. We are not hoping for millionaire status or owning an island, but bettering our community by creating a safe space for us to create, speak freely and commune. I don’t think there can ever be enough Black spaces to feel safe enough to be honest and as close to your authentic self as you’ll personally allow. I’m using all my platforms to get the word out that we’re expanding and want to do it the traditional way: loan-free and community funded. If you have a moment, please check out our campaign and donate and spread the word.

Also, society doesn’t value the arts (until you’re dead), but art forms—from culinary to sound engineering to visual—need to be celebrated and supported. A more health conscious bakery alone is fantastic, but we knew that we wanted to do much more, make a lasting impression and become a destination for locals and tourists.

I forget what I was watching, but someone asked: what’s your contribution? Meaning: wtf are you doing to serve others? What will you lasting impression be? What will you leave your children/the next generation? That struck a chord with me because at the time, I didn’t have a response. Now I do.

The reason why a lot of people won’t become who they want is because they’ve been too attached to who they have been. -Lisa Nichols

I say all this to say, if you have a goal of any size, don’t let people who aren’t supposed to get it stand in your way. It’s yo’ life! And ultimately, you and only you have to look back and either regret or rejoice in what you lived. Only you have to take into account how (dis)satisfied you are with your existence. No one else holds that weight, so why let them hold you back from taking that leap?

Think about it.

❤

photos found via internet search; no copyright infringement intended.