From a Craft Class to Ten Years in Business with Ticina Williams of Creativiti Custom Designs and Events

Hey, everyone. Welcome. And welcome back to nosey AF conversations about art, activism and social change. I'm your host and friend, Stephanie Graham.And it's August, which means it's Black Business Month. Ah, crowd go wild. And you know, to celebrate Black Business Month here at nosey, I have.It is our great pleasure to introduce you to a new series called 31 Days of Black Business.So this means that every single day this month, I am handing you someone who is wise, who is wonderful, beautiful, funny, and they are open for business. So today's guest does baby showers, they do galas, they do community summits, food drives, and she has party favors that she makes all by herself.Ticina Williams founded Creativiti Custom Designs and Events in Chicago. And after a craft class she only took because she got dropped from her college courses one summer, it's a bummer. But you know what?If that hadn't happened, will we have creativity Custom designs and events? And by the way, that's creativity with an eye. So I am so excited for you to meet Tessina. And let's go ahead and play our theme song. And here we go.Welcome to nosey af.

Gotta get up, get up to the whole world you a winner, winner Vision of a star with a mission in the cause what you doing, how you doing, what you doing and who you are? Flex yourself and press yourself Check yourself, don't wreck yourself if you know me then you know that I be knowing what's up. Hey, Stephanie.Graham is nosey as.

Welcome to nosey af.

Hi. Thank you for having me. I'm excited to be here, as you can see.

Yes. I'm so excited as well. For people meeting you for the first time. What is Creativiti? Custom design and events.

So Creativiti Custom designs and events is a full service event planning, consulting and party supply company based in Chicago. The name creativity is spelled the way it is because people call me Taylor and my name is spelled T I C I N A.And so I am essentially the T in creativity. I started the company some years ago just taking some classes at Michael's, and I just, like, got totally, like, unlocked my creative side.And from there I just, you know, I just kind of got serious about business. So. So, yeah, so if anybody would want to know, like, that's what we specialize in.Creating customized experiences for people through events, products and services.

I love that you are a party supply company. I feel like the. The party supply store is rip.

Yes. And so initially I got into it because, like I mentioned, I started taking some crafting classes on a whim.Um, I was actually in business school, about to be finished with school. I was maybe in my junior senior year. And I would typically. I'm a working mom. I'm a mom of.At that time, I was a mom of three boys, but now I'm a mom of four. I would typically work and. And also take. And I would take classes during the summer.And one particular day, for whatever reason, I got dropped from my classes. And I said, okay, I'm going to.I was kind of upset about it, but I had talked to a coworker, and she told me she, at that time was a person that made, like, custom cakes. And this was back about 10 years ago. So it was before, like, all of the custom stuff really exploded.But she would make cakes, like if you wanted a fishing themed cake, and all of these kinds of things. So she showed me some of her. Her pictures of her work, and she told me, you know, I learned how to do this at Michael's.And so I was like, okay, so me being the busybody that I am, kicked out of my college classes, and I'm like, I can't sit at home for the summer, even though I'm working and doing other stuff. I'm gonna take some crafting classes at the Michaels. So I dragged my little sister along.She was home from college, and my children at that time were probably in, like, third, fourth grade. And so we learned how to paper craft, we learned how to make dip treats and all of those things.And so from there, like I said, I started to create different things for my children. And the youngest son at the time, his name was Jalen, and Jalen was making about three years old. And I said, what kind of birthday party do you want?And he was very specific. He says, cause they're big LeBron fans. And he says, he gave me Heat LeBron James birthday party.And so from there, I had to figure out how to bring that to life. And so that consisted of me making assorted bags and boxes and all of these kinds of things to bring the theme alive.And then as the boys got older and my skills trans, My skills grew a little bit. I also started to notice that when I was licensing images to make party supplies for them, that a lot of the images did not look like them.They were not black, they were not brown. And so that was a big point of contention for me because I wanted something that was in their image. So it just really set me on making.Creating my own supplies that celebrate that diversity, that inclusivity, and has transcended from Just not only, you know, black and brown, but just inclusive even for disabilities. And just anything that you can think of. I really work with our clients to create something that is customized to that person, whatever that may be.

First shout out to Jalen and his specificity.

Yes, Yes.

I love that. That's so sweet.

Yeah, he's a Taurus. He's my creative child. And he was like, oh, you wanna know? You wanna theme? He's like, okay, I'll give you one. And he's 18 now. Okay. Wow.

And I love that you learned all those things at Michael's. Wow.

At Michael's. Back like I said, about 10, 11 years ago, actually this week. Cause I think my memories are coming up in Snapchat.Cause I kind of snapped those scenes and. Yep, I learned them at Michael's. And I just really continue to grow my skills.You know, I've taken other courses and things, but I literally started with that. But I'm, I'm more. I don't do a lot of cakes and things like that and desserts.

Okay.

I focus more on paper treats and party favors and things like that.

Got it, got it. So it's not like if we need the crepe paper, we reach out to you, but if we need the custom white.

Right. I mean, and I. Well, I won't, I won't say that. But I speak, I am, I specialize. And I work better with those who require someone that is creative.So if you just want, you know, if it's just kind of like, you know, you know, you maybe you may could do that yourself. But that's not to say that I can't do it. I can handle a range of events. But if you come to me, it don't matter.Even if your vision may be like, oh, I'm no fuss. My best friend is very no fuss. We gonna fuss. I love it.

I love it.

Big on fuss. But I figure out what is your no fuss. What does that mean for you though? Because what I think may not be what it is for you.So whatever it is, is what we're gonna customize to you to make sure that you enjoy that experience.

Yeah. And it's events of all types.

Yes, I do events of all types. From social events. I've actually planned community events like forums, summits and things of that nature as well.I also work with a lot of faith based organizations in producing event so community, whether it's food giveaways, just regular outreach things, or just outreach for the. Just the community, the church population, like theme events. Setting up dinners and that kind of thing. Galas, things like that.

Wow. Yeah. So like our 50th birthday party. A gala.

Yes, yes. Full service, food drive.

Yes.

I love it. Full service. Yeah. And what you get, what kind of separates me from. From people, is that you get. You get both sides. So I am very administrative.I am very much a planner, business student. So I want to know everything about your event. I don't just care about the decor. You know, I need to know times, what time of thing happening, who's.Who's, you know, point person, that kind of thing. As well as. Then you get also my creative, like, okay, well, we're going to do these colors. This is going to pop. We're going to have these flowers.Um, I'm very big on food and beverage, hospitality, those kinds of things. So we're. We're food and beverages. Has to be on point. You know, what are we serving for dessert? I, you know, people love to eat and drink really good.So those kinds of things. So all across the board, I service my clients.

I love it. What point did you realize that creativity, custom design and events could become a business?

After doing different events for my children, creating those experiences for them. Of course, early on, we partied for everything we did in the school celebrations. You know, your tooth came out things.Because it was more than just events, it was also just experiences.Play dates for them, themed play dates, renting out movie theaters and, you know, making customized treats bags for them to take to the movie theater. And so, of course after that and, you know, word of mouth got around from friends and family like, hey, can you do this? Or that.Early on, my big claim to fame is like dessert bars and treat tables and things like that. So I would sometimes bring back the old school candy, the fruities and things like that.So the treat table would break all the way down because people would want to take the items and then all of the custom stuff. And so I learned really quickly that little kids and adults alike, I found out.I find out who likes sweet stuff, who's interested in just like the setup. They're just watching the logistics of it. Like, okay, you're putting that there, there. But then you also find the ones that, like.So a lot of times while I'm setting up the little. The kiddo book and say, you're doing my birthday. I'm. So I told my mom, I told my mom that you're doing my birthday next month.And so they'll book that way. Or then, of course, just regular referrals. Word of mouth and then also social media. I actually really built my business online via Facebook.So as I mentioned, I was in school when I started the business, and I was actually in school for business management and thinking that I would have a consulting firm and work with people with building their business, business development, and then also income tax, because at that time I was studying accounting as well.

And.

And. But after I graduated and I had already started seeing, oh, I may be onto something, I got a business mentor from score and she recommended.Because I was starting out and I had just done things for just my own personal events, she said, how about you start like a portfolio every. Everything you do, start a Facebook business page and then upload it to there. So that's what I did.Literally for like the first six months, nobody knew the page existed. Me and my best friend, I will sometimes, like, log in and it'll be like, you have 42 likes. And I'm like, ooh, what could it be?And it'd be just her, like, liking everything that she saw, she saw on the page, like, oh, okay. You know this because she's not a real big social media person, so she has to, like, periodically check in. I'm the social media girl.And so from there, you know, just putting things up there on social media as well also elevated my profile to other people. And that is. That was really like the claim to fame as well.It's just from really being able to put my work on Facebook because everybody was on Facebook at that time.

Yeah. Speaking of claim to fame, you started creativity parties. Creativiti custom parties and events. Yes, yes.

Don't forget to. Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes. I know. It's about. It's creativity for short.

Okay. Cute.

Cool, Cool.

Thank you for. Thank you for that, Grace. You guys started in 2015. Wow. You've been in business for a minute. Congratulations.

Thank you. The longevity of it.And sometimes I even laugh thinking I literally just took some classes and unlocked something I would have never before taking those classes. And even at the class, even afterwards, I wasn't particularly even good at the skill at the time. And I was like, okay.I was kind of clunky with it, but I went home and I could not sleep and I started looking up YouTube videos about paper crafting and what that was and, you know, what kind of paper you could get, what kind of tools and that just like, I was just. I literally couldn't sleep.I was up and I had to be at work very early in the morning, and I. I literally had like an hour's Worth of sleep because I was that, like, enthralled into it. And so to think I've come from just something that started with me, like tagging my sister along.And my son even ended up tagging along with us too, to go to like. I'm like, well, can he come? He was at home, he was feeling sick. I'm like, well, come on, you can go to class with me. And he even went.And for it to have now for us to still be in business 10 years later, things are still looking up for us. Each year over year, we've expanded our services.So we initially just kind of started out with the social events and grew a little bit more into community based things and faith based organizations. Also. I learned a little bit more about design and how to create.How to create a picture digitally and to, you know, create products that create, that bring certain themes to life. And that opened up a big door for me because a lot of event planners are not the Artesian themselves.For the most part, they are the people who book the vendors, that do the dessert table, that do the balloons, that are that book that are the entertainment, and then they kind of manage those things. Well, with me, I can manage all those things. And then a lot of the products I create myself.That's how I know that it is customized, because I hand create it. So even if you have the same theme as the next person, the event is gonna look different because it's handmade.So sometimes I can't even recreate it myself, depending upon what materials were used and if they're still available, you know, and that. That sort of thing. And even. And now I've gotten into it so that even to myself, I can't not customize it. I can't, like, just duplicate.So that's where. That's where the struggle is, Stephanie. So you didn't ask me about any struggles. That's a struggle. No, I'm just joking.

No, we're gonna totally get there. You know when I was thinking, like in 2015, you had the Dare's Safari shower.

Yes.

Yeah.

So that's my cousin.

Okay.

Okay. So Dare is my cousin.So at that time, like I said, I had just been doing stuff for just my own kids and I started building, getting my own rental equipment, my candy jars and all of these things. And this is when dessert tables were just really starting to happen. Like, people were really just starting to get into them. Now it's standard.Like everywhere you go, you're gonna get some kind of favor or a table or something. But she had put up a post and said, can someone. Does anybody have any candy jars for my baby shower? And so I said, I have some you can use.And I just. Actually just got them and this, that, and the third. So she said, okay, thanks. And so we started to talk.And she's like, I need somebody to help me with my baby shower. And she's like, you know, I'm fighting with my siblings. And so I said, I'll do it. I'll help you.And so what I decided to do was combine both treats that could be eaten at that time, as well as little favors and little gifts in boxes and bags that you could take with you. So again, the table breaks completely down, only just the stands. And sometimes I have to tell people, hey, that's not a part of the giveaway.Bring that back. That's a stand. Right? But, you know, but it'll totally break down where they were just taking things with them. And so just that shower. She literally.I always tell her, like, joke with her. I say, you created a monster. Because from then on, then again, the word of mouth, people seeing that on Facebook, you know, hey, can you do my event?And then I just built from there. And that went from me helping her with that. And I literally walked her through the entire process of her shower.And of course, with help of the family, like, she made up with her brothers. It wasn't in her sister. It wasn't, like, deep like that. But, you know. Right. Thank God, you know?Cause sometimes stuff gets deep, but it wasn't deep like that. But everybody came together. And from then on, it was just like, you know, like I said, a monster was created.And then I just decided to continually grow.Now, which that served me the fact that traditional treat tables at that time would be, like, cupcakes and maybe little puff pastries and things that you could take with you, but you're not really throwing it in your purse. And if you're not a person that really like, I have a son that doesn't really like cake or cupcakes, so.Or pretzel sticks and things like that, like chocolate cover things. So he'd be like, oh, no, thanks. So I would try to think of something for each person. You know, when my boys.One of the elements that I brought back was pinatas, like, simple things that we used to do. And that was a big hit. And just like, all of those creative elements to create these customized experiences for people.And again, the customization comes from the fact that I hand create the products. So you know it comes from me. So. Yeah.

And 10 years later.

Yes.

You've worked on everything from baby showers to community summits. Yes. How does your approach change when the goal is community impact instead of celebration?

So my process is always the same all across the board where again, I work very closely with the client. So it always starts with a consultation to understand what the goal is of the event.Some events, although they're community based, they may be a gala. So there is a celebratory element to it. However, the ultimate goal is fundraising.So then my job may be a little bit different as far as how we reach that also with community organizations sometimes also too. What I found is someone with my experience, kind of experience and education and skills could be kind of expensive for those organizations.And so I do a lot of in kind work with organizations as well. For instance, one of my now friends and colleagues is a minister and she has a prayer brunch every year.So I typically work with her to facilitate, to make sure that the entire overall event and the program goes well.And then of course I'll also do a dessert table and some of the other creative elements, favors and things that match, you know, the speaker and things like that. So the process and kind of the approach is always the same. Where it is customized is dependent upon the client.So that's where I would have to adjust and shift based upon what it is that the client, you know, what it is that they articulate. And then some people know, you know, I have kind of like two clients. I have, you know, one where they know exactly what they want. They've seen it.Look, this is, you know, they may just want you to change a thing or two here or there, but they're like, this is the vision. And then I have some people that I have to walk them through what exactly the vision is.They, they know they want something, but they may not be as, you know, you know, they, you know, may take a little bit more massaging to get to exactly what it is that that they require.And I let people know something, you know too, like, and I ask a lot of questions, I do a lot of independent research, I do a lot of list because those things help you to identify, you know, what exactly that they, you know, what their process is. And yeah, so, you know, so yeah, so just all across the board, it's like the process is pretty much the same.Community impact though, is extremely important. I do, like I said, I do a lot of in kind work. I do a lot of volunteering, I do a lot of sponsorship as far as donating products and things to events.Because it is important to me just as a business owner to give back and so, you know, to make sure that not only as just as the community supports me, I support the community as well.

Yeah. At what point in your business did you start incorporating like the in kind work?Last year I took a class, like sort of like a business class and there were business owners in their hood. Like I really want to give back, I want to support, but I can't afford it. I can't afford to right now. I need to make money.What do you have to say about that? When did you start incorporating the in kind work?

So I probably didn't start really doing a lot of in kind until maybe, maybe about five or six years ago. So I do understand. The reason why I laughed is because my very first in kind experience wasn't.Wasn't a good experience per se, but it was a very good learning lesson for me and what to look for in opportunities and being very clear on what the mutual benefit would be for not only just me donating in kind to my services, but what would the benefit be for me. So I early on made the mistake of donating to a conference that was located out of state. And it was a very, very large order.It was maybe about 300 pieces and it was very, yes, it was very expensive. And, and I did everything that, you know, was asked and sent it through and there was no follow up, there was no tagging.There was like I had, I had to go and search because I am very good at searching online to search and find pictures to get my own collateral. Um, and so that was a, that was a very big learning lesson for me. But so, but so now, you know, I try to.If I can't afford to do it, then I just, I don't do it. But for the most part, I have been blessed to be able to at least donate some things. I'm a crafter, I'm a creative.I really can create something out of nothing. So, you know, and being that. And that's something else too that I want, that I want to highlight as well.That is one of the reasons too why I work with paper, because paper is so. It's ink and things can get expensive.Don't get me wrong, a paper can get expensive, but I can literally take a piece of paper and transform it, which helps me keep costs low for my clients and for, you know, for the community. So, yeah, so, you know, so I always tell my clients that I'M like, you know, that's why I asked about budget.Cause we could do anything if you got, you got that, you know, if you got an unlimited budget, we can, we can go way up here, you know. But if we working, you know here, then that's fine. Well that's cool. But we're just, you know, we're, we're going to level set.So it really just, just vary.

So when somebody's interested. You just said it's about budget.Is that when somebody thinks about hiring an event planner, are they thinking about how much money they have to spend on this event and then your fee is placed on top of that or is your fee wrapped in like how should we think about that?

I think my question so, so how I.Cause this is where me and my clients sometimes where, you know, we be getting along good until we talk about budget and then, then they kind of clam up on me. The budget.When, when, when a event planner is asking for the budget, it is not to say, well okay, let's say if you say it's $10,000, it's not for me to be like, okay, well I'm not gonna stop till I spend $10,000. You know, I'm gonna make sure we hit, you know. But it is, it is to get a, it is to have a ceiling of what you're, what you're planning to spend.Now of course most times that is not the case. They do not have $10,000 laying around for a birthday party. It's typically the opposite. It's typically there is only a smaller amount.Now the question is how do we work with that? So in some instances where my in kind will come in is that whereas I could itemize and charge every little thing, I won't.Some things I just do as far as the sake of the project. But for budget, it is typically what you are prepared to expand for that event. And then the event planners fee is different on top, it's different.It could be somewhere from hourly or it could be a set. This is what my fee is to be your day of coordinator and manage your vendors. That contract is $5,000 on top of whatever your budget is.But the budget is just so that we can understand because again if I don't know where your budget is and I'm thinking Dubai and you're like, nah, more like Kentucky. You know, like, you know, we're not going that far, we gonna go away.But we're going, you know, a little closer then that just helps me narrow it down sometimes I'LL get people that we have to say, well, you may have to expand that. And then that's where my job comes in. Because then I do that research, and I'm letting you know, like, listen, to do this, this, and this.Typically, this is what the standard is. And so it's gonna be around this ballpark, and then you can say what you want.And again, how I try to customize it is that we figure out how we can do that. Some people, they are. They don't care about the food and the drink. They're like, cut some of those sandwiches. And I want.And like, let's amp up the florals. Then you have some. They're like, I only want good food. I want everybody laughing, drinking. I want the drinks flowing. Hold the balloons.And so we just. We figure it out.

Yeah. Thank you for explaining that. Cause I never knew how that worked.

I know. And some people may have something different, but that is the industry standard.

Yeah, well, it seems like it would make sense because it also protects you as well, with all of the research and paper crafting that you're doing and everything. I see how it would be separate. Any tips for when we do hear that what's your budget?I feel like there becomes this, like, tense, like, as a potential client, like, this tension is. If you like, like what you trying to say, you know, when you're just trying to get a number. Any.I like any tips to, you know, not make us want to puff up our chest. When you're just trying to get an idea to help us.

Well, I mean. Well, I explained it to my clients. I. I do a buffer before we talk because it was anything with money, you get, you know, sometimes I know it. Yeah.It could be embarrassing. It could be triggering, you know, like, all kinds of things. So I always preface it with this is just to get an understanding.And we can, you know, again, if. If it is not realistic, then I'll let you know that it is not realistic.And maybe here's some options that we can give it to because you, you know, nothing is impossible.So I just always tell my clients, you know, again, this is just to help me understand where we're working, where our ceiling is, where you feel uncomfor, or where you feel most, most comfortable. It's typically, like I said, some people will come out and some still.I still have to be creative in getting them to, you know, to really say a number. Typically, I'll. I get a spontaneous or an organic reaction if I'm saying, okay, well, $500 for the florals. Then you're gonna say $500.No, I was thinking 200, you know, then it's easier, you know, you get it that way. But for most part, I just tell people, like, it's not like, did, you know, like, I'm not saying this to trigger you.It's not to, like, get in your business to be like, oh, well, she got $10,000 to spend on this event. You know, we gonna make sure that that 10,000 is spent. No, we, you know. You know. You know what I mean? You know, and even more or whatever, you know.No, it's just to get an understanding. And then we line, you know, we line item it out so that the client is clear on, you know, what you're being charged for and why. And you can ask.And so since I said, you know, and if you don't, like, I'm open door.So I have these conversations with my clients, which is why sometimes it's a little harder for me to scale because it does require me to spend a little bit of time with them on things, you know, And I do understand. I am very realistic. And if you've seen my work and seen some of my events, you may notice that I'm a little bit different.I'm a lot different than a lot of typical event planners or even what they say, like decorators or, you know, stylists.In that, again, each event looks different because the environment may be different, the resources that are available, the materials may be different. And it's not anything wrong with that. You know, it just is what it is.So I do try to, like I said, work with my clients and try to preface that so that they understand that this is. That's why it's custom. That's why you come to a person that works customized to you and what your experience is.And don't be afraid to say that it's my pleasure to bring that forward for you. And again, if it's not ideal or if it's not realistic, then that's also my job to say, not in a rude way, like, girl, what you thinking?But to say, you know, I've done some research and, you know, and from what I found. Cause I've even called places like, I don't play around. I'll probably, you know, I'm not gonna just, like, spend your. Your money.I. I'll call a few places and then we work. We work through it together. We meet your budget that way.

Yeah, it's nice to know that integrity is one of the values at Creativiti.

Yes, it is. It's very high. Yes, it really is. It really is.Because again, I'm a. I'm a consumer, too, and I. I don't want anybody to, you know, beat me out of anything. And seriously, a lot of my earlier jobs were in customer service, so. And I worked at Walgreens, and, you know, they're very.And so I still carry that into my business as well. Like, you know, I try to accommodate my customers as best I can. If they're kind of always right, for the most part, you know.

Yeah, I've heard you say that. Some of the successful events are having our dessert table, having a party favor. What else do we need for our events?

So I'm. I'm big on kind of having like a, you know, what a program. So.

Okay.

If it's a birthday party or it's. I, you know, sometimes you.Have you ever been somewhere and it's really pretty and it's really, you know, everything's, you know, it's nice, but you don't know what's going on. You don't know. Can you take this? You don't know what time to food, you know, like, you don't know what's happening. So I try. I try to encourage us.That's why I say, like, I'm concerned with the entire event because, you know, once everything is set up, then when the guests come, are you going to have an introduction? Are the games gonna start? Are people just talking amongst themselves? Cause that's cool. But, you know, you kind of had an idea.At what time do you wanna open up the gifts? Sometimes, you know, stuff happens where you don't quite. But you at least have an idea of where you know what's going on. So that's one thing.Like, you know, just, you know, where your guests are, not just, like, sitting there not understanding what's happening. Always really good to, you know, to have enough food and beverage for folks.We love a good snack, a good plate, you know, and a drink in abundance, you know, you know, keeps things going and then like, you know, entertainment. So whether that's some music, you know, some kind of performance, something, you know, to, you know, to entertain.To entertain your guests and thank them for, you know, coming out to celebrate you or fundraise with you or whatever it is that you're doing.So those kind of things make successful events for me, just, you know, being thoughtful in, you know, what you want, what you want from your event outside of just does it look pretty, you know, or does it take good Pictures. And then we love a good, you know, of course, of course we love a good picture, you know, a good beautiful room. And theme. I love a good theme.Yeah, I love a good theme. I love that.

I love that 101. And just for the listeners, like, you know, just like for hosting, I think the program that's so smart.I feel like even if it's just something that you could just have, like on the wall or like something to pass out, I think that's so.

And it also helps because it.And then I also tell people, like, even if you don't have an event planner, if you have a friend that's helping, if they, they kind of know, you know, if you were able to say, listen, we were supposed to be serving the sandwiches, but the, you know, but the balloons were late. Or that person may now can, you know, okay, let me get those sandwiches out. Or they can say, hey, everybody, thanks for coming.We're having a little bit of a delay, but if nobody knows what's going on and you're handling whatever it is that's the delay, or if you're just not thinking about it, then it sometimes is just like, okay. You're just sitting there and you're like, okay. You looking around like, okay, is somebody going to know what's going to happen?Are they going to come from this way or what? You know, it can be kind of like off putting as a guest.So just under, you know, just having a, you know, again, it doesn't have to be like a strict itinerary. Like 3:30 to 4 guests come in and sit down, you know, 4:30 talk.

Yeah, don't you see the itinerary? Sit down, sit down, sit down.

Right? Talk. From this time to this time, Kate, from this side.So, you know, it doesn't have to be that deep, but having somebody, like, to just host and make sure things are kind of flowing for you is cool, you know, and checking in with your guests.

Yeah. You really seem like you know how to throw a party. Are your friends ever intimidated to, like, have you over?

No, girl, they love it.

Okay.

Because it's like, you know, it's like.

An event, you know, like you're an event planner. They might just be having, like a movie night. They're like, oh, my God, I don't have my itinerary.

What am I gonna do?

No.

Love it. And I'm that friend that even when I'm not working, I'm working. Yeah, I'm taking, I'm taking these cups.Okay, the red cups over Here, the yellow ones. So I'm going to kick in anyway.So they love it so much, in fact, because I used to do, I used to do all kind of play dates so we would craft for the kids and all of this stuff. And then I kind of.My kids got a little older and I stopped and my friend started having her kids and then one day she's like, when are you going to start back to crafting? And I thought that I was like making them. I thought they were just participating because they're like supporting me.But everybody enjoyed them from the children to the adults. And so I said, okay, I gotta get back into it. And now I have a six year old.So I have my fourth son in 2019 and so I get to discover it all over again. I'm never like judging, like this was a mess, you know, they would've hired me. I'll just kick it.If I feel that strong, I'll just kick in with my skills and help. You know, if I see something going and I'm like, oh, I know this is a better way. If you are open to it, then I'll help.Before I be like, oh, I would never.

That's really nice.

You're such a nice friend. Yes, I am, I am. But I know I would never, I would never make anybody, you know, I'm the hostess with the mostest, but everybody is not.

Let's talk about your online store that you're launching.

Yes. So, yes.

You've opened an online store.

Yes.

Tell us about it.

So like I had mentioned initially when I started my business, I would have to buy things from, whether it be Etsy or, you know, outsource different things.And as I started to design more digitally, I would license different characters and different digital art from other artists and use those things to create my products. And again, I started, I noticed that there were not a lot of products and party favors that highlight black and brown children.So I started to create my own product line. So the Creativiti online store that the product line features mostly black and brown characters and just diverse characters just in general.So whether it's Valentine's Day, Juneteenth, Easter, all of my products highlight those things. And then you can also just order regular party favors.So like regular ship bags and water bottle labels that feature my, the characters that I design. And so yeah, so I'm very excited about that because it was something that was on my spirit to do.And being a mom of four African American boys, it was very important for me to things that look like Them and that, that reflect their, their image as well.

Yeah, absolutely. What do you hope black and brown children feel when they see themselves reflected in your products?

Um, I want them to feel proud and you know, to be able to identify, to see, you know, that to, to, to be proud of their features, their hair, um, the, and even just the diversity in and of, of of our people that we are, you know, we're all shades, sizes and just the diversity of people in general. So I hope that they feel proud. I hope that they see themselves and see the greatness. All of the products are positive and affirming.So I want them to feel affirmed and confident and say, hey, that looks like me. And I can do that. I can go on the moon or I could be a cowboy or whatever. Because as we know, it's is very important. You know, you kind of can't.It's harder to be what you can't see. And so when you have that example, especially children, they watch. And so that's what I want them to see.I want them to be affirmed and to see themselves and the products and to know like, hey, this was created for me or somebody that looks like me.

Yeah, that's so important. You're so right. Kids really do watch.I remember I was talking to a guy who, he was a rocket scientist and he got into it because these rocket scientists came and did an activity with him and his classmates when he was like 10 years old. He really got into it and started to follow it, but he said he had no interest in it before. He was just playing baseball.And then one day these kids came in. They were probably just recent graduates who can care less making 20 bucks an hour. Yeah, let's do this activity. And they made an impact, but they.

Change his whole life. Change his whole life. And that's why though, like things like that are important, you know.Again, why I do like a lot of the in kind work or the volunteering that I do and I show up as, you know, as a business owner, as an entrepreneur. I joke when I was in Business School 10 years ago, people were always like, oh, what are you going to do with that degree?You know, you don't want to be a lawyer. And to see now the explosion of entrepreneurs and business owners and even creatives, you know, they were. You said you wanted to be an artist.They're like, what? But now if you're creative, you're in, you know, you're. People want to be by, they want to be your friend.That is also why I like do These kind of podcasts. I go out and I speak.I've spoke at University of Chicago's campus, talking to their incoming freshmen, encouraging them to explore, encouraging them to connect with community organizations. Because again, sometimes you can see something or you inspire someone to do something.A lot of the things that I wanted to do is because I saw someone and I'm like, hey, I can do that. Or that sounds like something that identifies with me. And you know, and so that, that, like, like you said, like, who.Who would think that that would be like, you know, you just. And he probably didn't even think it. He's probably. But then. And just wouldn't stop thinking about it.And he's like, you know what I think, you know, and it may have went down that path, you know, so again, it's just important for me to always exemplify that in various different things. And then also just being a creative. I have four sons and they're four. They're as much as they're alike.Especially my older three, they're stair steps. So they're now 20, 19, and 18.

They.

They're very alike. They have some of the same friends. Cause they're so close in age, but they're very different. Not all boys like sports.So you know, what else, you know, so I create things that just aren't, you know, if you're this type of, you know, oh, you have to be a gamer, or maybe you want to be a scuba diver. And so how do I create a character or a scene that highlights that? And again, that also, like, helps kids to see.Cause like, I see it with my little one. And even when I'm designing things, when the.My older boys were younger, that would tell me if it was a good design because they would stop and be like, hey, what's that, you know, you're making? Oh, that's nice. You know, And I'll be like, okay, okay. Target audience met. That is to me is important because early on I. I could not find that.And I love everyone, but I was like, you know, this don't represent us. You know me. Right, right. It don't represent us. You know, and.And although I would rather it be a diverse picture than just, you know, it doesn't reflect the identity of the target audience.So that's why it was important for me to launch this store and get those products out there, because there are other moms like me, other event planners like myself that had those same issues. And so in launching these digital products, it has helped me because other event Planners across the city, across the country.Actually, I've had people from South Carolina, New York, Atlanta, Florida, event planners reach out to me for my products to style their events because of my design assets.And, you know, those products being available, One of the, like, most popular ones was the NBA 2K party favors that I made that kind of went viral on Pinterest. It's still going, like super viral, but on Pinterest because at that time it was just like basketball party favors.It wasn't specific to the video game, and then it didn't highlight, you know, brown characters and things like that.Another one of my most popular is Cocomelon and the brown character from Cocomelon and just pulling him to the front of him and his family being able to have the digital skills to create around that.Now, of course, as I'm more in business, I kind of stay away from licensed things and I kind of create more original characters by working with artists and then also using AI technology as well to design some characters and things like that. And then I utilize other platforms to create the actual end product.

Very cool. And then will that ship all throughout the United States then, Or will it just be downloads? Okay, cool, cool, cool, cool.

It can ship all throughout the United States and then. But the online store is specifically for digital downloads.

Got it. Okay, perfect.

So that it can run, you know, you can. If you're up in the middle of the night like I am sometimes, like, I need some water bottle labels, you can just order it and be shipped.You know, it'll be. It'll be assembled and shipped to you.

Oh, perfect. You know, as we wind down, I'm just so curious, like, what does legacy look like when it comes to what you're. All that you're.You've built with creativity.

Legacy. What legacy looks like to me is I built this business for my kids. It's inspired by their personalities, their interests, their ideas. And.And they actually, like I said, my. My son, when I went into the crafting class, he was with me once. They are the ones who gave me the ideas.They are the ones who give me the feedback about pricing. And you should do this and you should do that.And so it has been important because they've been along every step of the journey, so they see that it made to some seem like, oh, you've been in business 10 years. But that 10 years flew. And there were some highs, there were some lows. But the most important thing was that I didn't not give up, that I kept going.And so since then My three are now in college with my last one, he'll start in August, and they're all business majors, so my goal is to pass creativity on to them so that at least one of them will be the next CEO to continue it into the family and then also, like, just bring a fresh set of ideas and I. To the whole thing and just take it further than where I was able to take it. So that's what it looks like to me. Like, it doesn't.It doesn't stop with me that I'm hoping that one of my children will take the company over and continue it. My middle son is a chef, and he has his own brand where he designs graphic T shirts, more like urban street wear.And so he may be at the helm of it, you know, but if not, you know, and then it also may be the little one as well, because his entire life, my older ones knew me as a student and as a working mom. And then the business, they seem like a transition. The little one has only ever really seen me as an entrepreneur, so which.Which has, you know, planted a seed. So I call him, like, a little boss baby because he's always just like, you know, he's clued into, like, what I'm doing.Like, even now, like, when the first zoom. The zoom first. First started, like, during the pandemic, and I would be like, you know, be quiet. This and, you know, this and that.But, like, now, like, even now, he's been in and out of here a little bit, but he understands now to be like, mom doing something. Let me tone it down. Let me, you know, creep around here as before.He just start talking like, look, I need some milk, or, you know, I want to go here. He may even start crying or something. But now, because he had. He's used to this, he has grown. I take him to the events with me.They help set up, they help break down. And those, you know, they help me to. When I'm handcrafting things, they sometimes assist.And those things have helped them to land opportunities as well. So those event planning skills have so. So they possibly could take it over.So it's not like they hate the business, and I'm just like, you gonna take it over? But they have. They have helped me build it the entire time. They have always been at the center of it. So I.It's not like I'm just building, and then I'm like, now you gonna take it over? But they've helped me the entire time, so that's what legacy looks like to me.Having something that I can pass on to my children, and even if they don't take it over, I know that I've planted that spirit of entrepreneurship for them and being able to create your own path, not being afraid to start over. I didn't start out an entrepreneur again.I was in business school thinking I would help others with their businesses and didn't think that I would be an entrepreneur myself.So per se, I kind of figured I'm do consulting, but I was more so getting a business degree to work corporate, you know, like, I'm gonna work in the corporate world and. But to become an entrepreneur has taught me some of the greatest lessons about, you know, like I said, not giving up, how.How to, you know, pivot and things like that. Like, the pandemic was definitely a pivot point for me because my main. My main business activity, which was events, was stopped because you. We.There were no gatherings. So, you know, so I had to figure out, okay, how do I, you know, how do I pivot?And again, because I had that strong network of organizations and people, you know, when they had projects, they called me and said, hey, do you, you know, do you know how to do this? Because again, I build my business online. You know, can you help me figure out how do I reach my online audience?Because now I have to do my sermons online or now we're doing a fundraising party on Zoom, and how do I do that? And so, you know, again, that I was able. I had to learn how to pivot because literally I had just walked away from my job.And the pandemic happened that February, and I was like, what to do? You know, what am I supposed to do? You know, and so again, hopefully those lessons and them being. And I'm very transparent with them.I talk to them about everything about, you know, projects I'm working on and so of the lessons that I learned from those things.So I hope that they take those things and utilize them in life some way, and I'm confident that they will because I'm already seeing some of the fruits from it.

Yeah, that's awesome. Cena, thank you so much for being on nosey AF and sharing.

I love this time. Thank you.

Yeah, we're going to have everything about creativity in the show notes and how to purchase digital downloads and how to hire you. All of that will be in the show notes and yeah, I just really appreciate your time.

Thank you. Thank you guys. And to the listeners, please connect with me. On social media, we are creativity, custom designs and events on all platforms.You can also google creativity, customs, designs and events and I'll come up and everything about us from our work to some of the projects, other projects that we are part of and you know support all black businesses. We, we need grace. We need continual support referrals and just even engagement on social media.Refer us and those things and and and again give us some, give us grace. Because sometimes we don't have it all figured out. Sometimes we're figuring out as we go along. But we still need that support to be sustainable.

That concludes another episode of nosy AF31 Days of Black Business. I'm your host and friend Stephanie Graham. I hope you took something away from today's conversation and had a good time hanging with us.Be sure to check out the show notes to learn more about today's guest and consider supporting their work. You know how it goes, whether you're making a purchase, hiring them or simply spreading the word. Listen, who doesn't love a reference furrow?It truly all makes the difference.Quick thank yous go out to Queen Lex and Freddie Bam Bam for the nosy AF theme music and Emma McGorick who hooked me up with the COVID art and branding. Shout out to the partners and supporters for this series. You could check them out in the show notes as well. Super grateful for a partner. Hello.That's the show Friends. Until tomorrow. Stay curious and take care. Bye RA.