Industry Insider: BossPrenuer's Sits Down With An Exclusive Interview For Fashion Gxd Magazine
Written by: Samantha Cee
This week we sat down with three amazing bossprenuer's. Take a look at the exclusive interview with the rising entrepreneur.
LATOYA WHITE: Chief Executive Officer- LaToya White is the Owner and Director of Fredericksburg Virginia Fashion Week . She has produced and co-produced multiple fashion shows.
She also has a clothing company called La' Tour Leon where she designs her own clothing. She also has a Fashion Blog called Yes 1 Flash Fashion , a Hair company called Fierce Le'Del, A platform to embrace self love for Men and Women called Melaninaire Club, and a Non-profit called S.E.L.F that talks to children about Bullying and Depression.
She has a business degree and Sociology and Psychology background from Strayer University. She also has a Fashion background received from University of Maryland. LaToya has experience in computer science, advertising, human resources, video production, and the arts.
Ms. White has worked on creating the concept with a colleague that has become Fredericksburg Fashion Week also known as (FXBGVAFW) as a way to bring fashion shows to the Fredericksburg area and to spotlight the design talent, models, and creative talent that call the region home.
CECE HARRIS: Beauty Backstage Manager - Cece Harris handles all things concerning BEAUTY. She is the Owner/ Master Nail Technician of Nail Fetish Lounge LLC in which she and her colleague specialize in Nail and Foot care in the salon , the beauty of nails , up to Wedding Events. She conducts a Fitness and Wellness class
"Stay On It Fitness" and also is the owner of a Thrift Store. She is a Speaker and Motivator within the local Community as well as a Co-Host to Real Lyfe PodCast .
ALLISON HARPER : Model Coach - Allison works with Models on their walk, professionalism, and confidence on and off the runway with Fredericksburg Fashion Week .
She has been a part of the DMV Modeling scene since 2015. She has personally participated in several runway shows , print modeling and music video projects.
Fashion Gxd Magazine : What three pieces of advice would you give to other children who want to become entrepreneurs?
Answer: LaToya White: " Three pieces of advice I would give to children about becoming an entrepreneur would definitely be:
Start Small, Follow your passion, and Have a solid business plan."
Fashion Gxd Magazine : If you had the chance to start your career over again, what would you do differently?
Answer: LaToya White : "Honestly, Nothing! " One thing I have always done was follow my heart. If I take a loss , I'm the type of person to see what I did wrong, revise and try again until I get it right."
Fashion Gxd Magazine : What would you say are the top three skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur ?
Answer: LaToya White: "While there is no magic formula for being a successful entrepreneur, the top three skills you need to be an entrepreneur other than of course Communication, would be Adaptability, Persistence and Hard Work."
Fashion Gxd Magazine : What have been some of your failures, and what have you learned from them?
Answer: LaToya White: "Becoming a business owner I had a lot of failures. Losses is what I call them!
I was unaware of business structure and business etiquette when I first began. A few examples were - Not understanding my market and customers, No customer strategy , and Inadequate financing.
How I was able to fix and overcome those problems was getting more knowledge . I signed up for classes that taught me more information and enrolled in school programs that really went into detail and became more aware of the business side of things. I'm happy to say we are a very structured and flourishing business here today".
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How many hours do you work a day on average?
Answer: LaToya White: "I dont keep track of hours as an entrepreneur , I like to say I have a when I open my eyes to when I close my eyes. I'm working on condensing my hours as the summer progresses however, when work calls I'm there."
Fashion Gxd Magazine :Describe/outline your typical day?
Answer: LaToya White: " A Typical day for me would be to wake up and handle my motherly duties, such as getting my children together for school. Then I am off to the office where I collaborate and work on what I call magic. Working on 4 platforms at one time that displays wonderful causes for the community and creating opportunities is what I call magic."
Fashion Gxd Magazine : How has being an entrepreneur affected your family life?
Answer: LaToya White: "Being an entrepreneur is honestly the best thing I could have done. Although being a business owner requires a lot of work and it does give me more leniency to be home and with my children".
Fashion Gxd Magazine : What motivates you?
Answer: LaToya White: There are three things in this world that motivate me and they are my
Children, Making a Difference , and Making a positive impact "
