We recently connected with Kiexiza Rodriquez-Stutts and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Kiexiza thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

My family in one way or another has always owned a business. I was 18 when I started my first Mary Kay business and ever since then I have been searching for the business for me. Recently, I began merging the things I love and am passionate about into one business. While also assisting my husband with his management company. My business, Dymond Butterfly Boutique, holds all of my hats in one place.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am a native of New England, born and raised in Springfield, MA, the home of basketball. I began writing at an early age, to escape the reality around me. That turned into a love of the creative arts. I began to sing, and perform poetry, and eventually wrote and published a novel. I moved to Richmond, VA in 2011 and was married. But just when things were going great, my health turned for the worse, and I had a heart attack at 39. After that, my life stood still. I was no longer interested in the things that once brought me joy. It wasn’t until we moved back home in 2017 that I was led back toward my passion. A friend of mine interviewed my husband and me on his radio show and mentioned that we should get back to what we used to do. We did just that. We brought the management company back. I signed up for Mary Kay again and began to put myself back out as a makeup artist. I even started a jewelry business. Now, several years later, we are more determined to continue and not look back. It has been a bit difficult to find clients and customers in today’s market. It is different than when we began in 2009. These days 90% of promotions, and marketing, are done online. It’s where customers shop nowadays. Learning new ways to reach potential clients, reach artists, and create venues for our clients to be seen is what we are hard at work on.
I am most proud of the fact that although we stepped away from our dreams and business we did come back, albeit with a push. That push has relit our passion and we refuse to allow it to go out again.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My business partner is my husband. We met over 20 years ago as boss and employee. He was my boss, and I was the employee. About 15 years later we randomly ran into each other and renewed our friendship. He has his management business, and I was working in the music industry. So, I helped him find some shows and venues for his artists. Eventually, he managed me as an author, and I introduced him to poetry and also being an author. Later on, I joined his company as part of the promotions team.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

The biggest thing about resilience for me is that no matter how a business goes for me. Even if it seems as if it is not the right fit. I will not give up on being my own boss. I have started and stopped Mary Kay several times because I love the product. I’ve done Avon, Jafra, Paparazzi, Traci Lynn, and others. Currently, in addition to working DiamondStar Entertainment and my own Makeup artistry, I’m still a Mary Kay rep and now also a Tupperware consultant. I have had to learn how to remove the negative words and beliefs that I was taught to find my own self-confidence.
It’s a daily determination to keep going when things aren’t going as I’d hoped. To focus on the good times and figure out what to do to get back to them.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Diamondstarentertainment.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/dymondbutterfly
• Facebook: https:facebook.com/kiexiza
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/dymondbutterfly
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/kiexizarodriquez
• Other: https://www.reverbnation.com/kiexizarodriquez https://open.spotify.com/artist/7hOXPUAshwxDGR6SURKNW5?si=zs2HxpgxQ82zRURHaRxy5w

Image Credits
GuruSpace JRose Imaging