Growing A Business Means Growing As A Person

"On the other side of comfort is growth."

"On the other side of comfort is growth."

That's something I repeat to myself often…whenever I need that extra nudge to face my fears or need motivation to keep going. Comfort and growth cannot coexist. You cannot be comfortable and grow. You have to choose. I made a promise to myself to always grow; forever evolve…to be dynamic, never stagnant. I am a woman of my word. 

When I was growing up, one of the most popular phrases was, "Word is Bond." If we said it, we meant it. I made that a core value- to try my best to keep my word to others. If I say I will show up, I show up. If I say, I have your back, I have your back. If I say, I'm with you, I'm with you til' the end. I realized that when I honor my word to others but not to myself, I am not valuing myself. I am saying others are worth more than me to me.  I cannot go around protesting and yelling, "Black Lives Matter" and then act as if my black life is the exception. I have to remember that I matter…and if I matter, than I need to make sure I keep my word…to me.  Therefore, I have to fulfill the promise.

I have to keep growing, which means I can never allow myself to get too comfortable. We can see this principle in action in Rihanna.  She was a young lady who could sing. She was signed to a record label and became an artist. She had a hit and became an influencer. She ventured into beauty and became the Fenty Beauty brand.  She never became complacent and thus, she never stopped evolving. Learning. Doing something new. Broadening your horizons. Chasing a dream. Putting yourself out there- vulnerable and transparent. None of these are comfortable.

Founding Black Rooster Tees was not comfortable. Late nights. Frustration. Sacrifice….because this isn't my only dream. Fatigue. Self-doubt. Some might say, "but it's just t-shirts".  And they would be absolutely, positively…wrong.

Black Rooster is a vehicle of expression…it is equipping people with a way to protest, challenge, affirm without opening their mouths. It is about standing with a generation that is standing up and not afraid of standing out.

It is about uplifting and supporting, and with future designs, you will see it's about instilling hope and reminding the world that God is love. Because it is so much bigger than me, I had to grow to get it out…to allow it to finally breathe. Because it is bigger than me, I have to grow to keep it out here.

So, as I step outside my comfort zone of author…mother…wife, I am giving my quiet strength permission to be loud. I am growing….not just a brand, but a person- ME.