PATUNIVERSE presents the Black Artist Revolution Sphere, a space where independent artists and entrepreneurs are recognized for their creativity and entrepreneurship. Creative entrepreneurs otherwise known as artistpreneurs are a unique kind of artist that not only bless the world with their art, but also have adopted the mindset and application of entrepreneurship in order to sell their brand. While there are many forces out there that impede the progress of creative excellence, there are still courageous black men and black women out there who push forward and make great things happen. No excuses, just consistent creativity and entrepreneurship.
“Who is Twanita Dozier?
I am an Author, Speaker, TV Personality, and CEO! I am living proof that you can pave the way for others and still win! Your vision can be brought to life, your goals can be achieved, and your life is what you make it! You just have to Boss Up!” Read More About Twanita And Her Entrepreneurial Endeavors Here
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1.) Can you tell us more about yourself and what motivated you to create the Book Black App? What made you want to be an entrepreneur/business owner and who are your influences/heroes/role models?
I started my Entrepreneurial journey back in 2017. This was before social media and entrepreneurship evolved to what it is today. A few of my close friends and myself, owned businesses and were having a difficult time with gaining visibility, along with lacking access to opportunities of collaboration. I decided to create my own multimedia platform called Boss Up Magazine, to eliminate this issue, as well as provide a resource for us Black emerging entrepreneurs to be seen and to thrive. As my platform evolved, I then decided to add a mobile app component to further support and showcase entrepreneurs.
2.) There are millions of apps out there, so with that being said what separates the Book Black App from the other apps out there? What are your app’s features and why is it important that people download it?
The Book Black app is a booking directory, with the focus of lodging, travel, and entertainment. It is a solid resource where one can keep their dollars black, while patronizing various businesses. The app does many things, but what I would like to highlight is the GPS enabled feature that allows patrons to instantly navigate to that listings location on their mobile device. It also gives the users options to instantly contact, socially connect, and share with friends the listing’s details. There are so many features of the app, but those are the main ones that I want to highlight, as they help shape the users experience.
3.) Everyone in life goes through adversity of some sort. Is there anything in your life that has any influence on how you approach your work?
What is the most difficult thing you’ve had to endure on your path to becoming an entrepreneur? For me, I would say life work balance. Not only am I an Entrepreneur, but I am a Mom that also works a 9 to 5. Trying to manage these things can be difficult, but I have learned to give myself grace, stay focused, prioritize, and write down everything – so that I don’t forget!
4.) Aside from money being a motivating factor, how do you prepare yourself to grow and expand your business? What is your process?
I always keep my eyes and ears open to what my audience needs and express interest in. I think it is important to grow with your audience and business, so that you never fall behind. I would also like to add that keeping yourself educated is ALWAYS a must! It helps with growth and success.
5.) Unfortunately the creative industry is full of talented individuals who more or less become the “starving artist” and don’t get any recognition for their talent and/or work. What do you do (or plan to do) to make sure you stand out and get noticed and don’t fall to the wayside?
I use my multimedia platform Boss Up Magazine, my networking events, and my mobile app Book Black – to cater to these things. It’s the best way to serve what is lacking.
6.) Would you rather work for a big corporation or would you rather stay independent and continue to run your own business? Why or why not?
For me, I prefer both. Until I am able to get to a point where I can truly stand independent 10000% – I’m not opposed to working at a big corporation.
7.) Social media is obviously an extremely important element in today’s world, especially when it comes to business, branding, marketing, etc. With that being said, how do you think the internet and social media affected the creative industry and how creators/entrepreneurs are able to market themselves? Do you think any business will be able to survive in today’s economy if they’re not social media savvy?
I think that social media has been helpful, but also a hindrance for business owners. Yes, it is a great way to get out there to tell your story, share your offered products/services, and to collaborate – but I have seen it hinder people’s ability to be original & creative to their fullest capacity, due to trying to keep up with trends and go viral. For a while, everyone was obsessed with being “verified” and working with celebrities, instead of building an organic and authentic audience and support. Now that social media has changed, I think the pressure has been relieved and people can focus more on their brand, its message, its audience, and all that it offers!
8.) Can you give the readers some insight on the skills you had to acquire to get your business to where it is now? What was the process to get your app created and put into the marketplace? What made you come to the realization that there needed to be an app for people to find black business property owners?
I had to learn how to effectively manage my time, create and manage projects, be intentional with networking, give myself grace, take risks, invest, keep myself educated, and always keep my vision at the forefront. These things played very vital roles in ALL of my businesses and has contributed to my success. In regards to my app, I created my app due to MY OWNSELF having a hard time finding black owned venues to patronize, to host my networking events. So I decided to invest in myself and vision and worked with a Black Woman Owned Tech company, to help me bring my vision to life.
9.) With Boss Up Magazine being a multimedia platform for highlighting up-and-coming black entrepreneurs, businesses, organizations and brands, how does it feel to see that there are black people who have an interest in running their own businesses? How does it feel knowing that there are black people who are successful at fulfilling their dreams of being an entrepreneur?
It is an amazing feeling to see this happening. It makes me so proud of US, as well as happy to see others betting on themselves! That’s a big deal in my opinion, because a lot of people never pursue their dreams due to being afraid, no support, or just confident that they should go for it.
10.) What would qualify an entrepreneur, business, organization and brand to be featured in Boss Up Magazine? What do you look for in a black entity that is seeking to do business with Boss Up Magazine?
For Boss Up Magazine, you have to be Black emerging entrepreneur that is serious about their business/organization! Although Boss Up Magazine is not accepting features at the moment, that is the criteria to be featured.
11.) If black entrepreneurship is one of many avenues to black economic empowerment, do you think we will see more black business owners coming on the scene? If so, what do you think it will take for black business to truly compete in a world that seems to be rapidly advancing?
I think that we will see more black business owners come on the scene. I think that the pandemic not only changed the game of entrepreneurship, but made people realize that you can DO ANYTHING! All you have to do is go for it. So many Corporate America workers became entrepreneurs and thrived, all with never even considering the notion of being a Business owner. Although some were forced to explore Entrepreneurship, some also received the push and confirmation they need to just DO IT!
12.) It seems that black entrepreneurs have to really fight to be seen and heard in a world that more or less doesn’t embrace black business. With that being said, what are some issues that you feel that you and other black business owners face when it comes to gaining the momentum necessary to compete in a white-dominated capitalistic society?
In my opinion, it is the lack of support, opportunity, education, and patience of growth. A lot of times, people place higher expectations on black business owners, and it does in turn alter the true perspective of how well that business handles its operation. Being a business owner is not easy, and I think that sometimes gets overlooked when it comes to black-owned businesses.
13.) There are multiple ways of attaining clients and building up your clientele, so what are some ways you acquire clients? If you were to advise an aspiring entrepreneur on how to start a business and how to get clients, what advice would you give them?
The first thing I would say, is to make sure you know who your ideal client is. Once you know that – you will place your success in a better predicament. Now, word of mouth is the most powerful form of business growth – so it is very important to encourage people to refer others to you. Also, I would suggest participating in events, taking advantage of all opportunities to share your business, collaborate with others, explore offline marketing, take advantage of social media, build a subscriber list & keep them updated on your business, secure a business listing on Yelp & Google (if applicable), consider hiring a virtual assistant to assist with research, and make sure you create a budget to invest in high scale marketing.
14.) Professionally, where do you see yourself 5 to 10 years from now?
I see myself and platforms continuing to evolve and becoming a household name!
