We caught up with the brilliant and insightful SUNSHINE GOODMAN a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

SUNSHINE, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?

My business aspirations began in 2011 when I first opened Celebritimage. This was my first time discovering what I was meant to do. Prior to this, I worked for other people. Now, it was all on me to succeed. I had to discover who I was as an entrepreneur, as a tenant in a commercial building, and what my brand was going to be. Self-discovery is important. You have to discover who you are as an entrepreneur, employee, servant, etc. No matter what you do, the discovery process is inevitable.

I had to believe when the clientele did not come rushing in upon first opening; I had to believe when I was struggling to make rent; I had to believe when my lights got cut off; I had to believe when my car was repossessed. With entrepreneurship, there is no way to guarantee success. Risk-taking is a part of the nature of entrepreneurs. With that, you must believe (the action word) in yourself, rather than just hold a belief (the idea). It is possible for everyone to have a belief, but not everyone puts the action behind it. In other words, believing is necessary for success. In business, the onus is on you to sell what you believe; therefore you must first believe in yourself and then believe in your ability to achieve your goal. I had to believe in my goals when everything felt like it was against me, in spite of all the adversity I faced.

In March 2022, I celebrated 10 years in business due to my ability to believe and my willingness to have faith. Every religion has their own version of faith. I use it as a spiritual person. Faith leaves me open to possibilities; the possibility I can overcome setbacks, and I did; achieve goals each step of the way to completion; and that my mission will be received by my audience. Having faith also means that I have resilience. Because I have faith, I am able to get up off the ground when I fall and not stay there. Just because you believe does not guarantee you will not fall. Faith is what pulls you back up to believing you can achieve.

SUNSHINE, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

In 2020, I began my physical transition. Through my journey I have gained a lot of exposure which has helped establish me as an advocate specifically for the Trans community as well as the overall LGBTQ+ community. Through my work with the communities I became the first Black Transwoman to serve on the board of Alliance For Full Acceptance (AFFA) as well the first POC to ever have been voted in as president of that organization.

My personal mission is to empower people to lead with authority while living their most authentic lives. From this mission, my personal brand, Sunshine Bella Global, LLC, was born. Our most vulnerable selves often lie in our sexual nature. Through live events, titled LTAS (Let’s Talk About Sex) Live, I hold open conversations with my audience about sex and relationships. Because I am able to get people to open up about sex, this has led to people approaching me for personal counsel with regards to intimate subjects such as sex, gender identity, and self-love.

I feel like life for me has begun since transitioning; so too is my personal brand. My goal is to expand my reach to the greater masses by offering services geared towards helping people live authentically while continuing to build my following that will grow with me on my journey.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I built my Social Media presence by consistently showcasing my work. Also, I invited my followers to be a part of my journey. When I started in the hair industry, I posted pictures of my work on which I engaged with my audience in the comments. On my Social Media, not only did I showcase my work on my clients I also posted photos of my personal style and branding.

To the aspiring entrepreneurs, be authentic first, be consistent, learn your audience, and really give them what they want. Never be afraid to allow people to be a part of your beginning. Nothing has to be perfect starting out. People love a glow up. Allow people to join you on your journey and remember to be genuine in your interactions with your audience. Doing so will make them long-term followers.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

I have gotten a lot of business through word-of-mouth referrals from existing clients. It is important to me to build good rapport with clients. That way, my reputation precedes me and attracts more clientele.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: sunshinebellaglobal
• Facebook: Sunshine Bella Global