We were lucky to catch up with Makeda Porter-Carr,Ed.D recently and have shared our conversation below.

Makeda, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear how you think where to draw the line in terms of asking friends and family to support your business – what’s okay and what’s over the line?

Asking family and friends for support and assistance was a difficult task for me. For years I felt like I could do it all by myself and basically feared asking for help or support. While trying to operate a business, work a full-time job, and still maintain being a wife and mom, it became very apparent that help was needed. The first time I asked for support it felt like a huge accomplishment, an achievement, and a weight lifted off of me. I begin to ask for support with making products, support with marketing, and support with managing the business. To my surprise and amazement, the family and friends I went to for support were eager to help. These individuals stated they were waiting for me to ask for their help and also what took so long for me to come for their help. I had to remove pride, ego, and the notion of being a strong woman to ask for and accept support. It is essential when being a business owner that you get all the help and support you can because it is very much needed.

Makeda, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Makeda Porter-Carr is a lifelong learner and always looking to spread positivity and the importance of self-care and self-love. As a high school dropout, she has made it her passion to deliver educational practices to many communities. Makeda has defined her firsthand experiences to serve as a motivation to make an impact on the lives of everyone she meets. Makeda is an international speaker and life coach looking for opportunities to share her gifts. Her goal is to spread uniqueness, healing, and many years of experience and research into every action she partakes in. Makeda Porter-Carr is an educator, strategic consultant, life coach, speaker, and business owner. Her credentials include a Master’s in Education/Instruction and Curriculum, a Master’s in Education/Instructional Design Technology, and a Doctorate in Education/Leadership and Policy Studies.
To ensure her public speaking can reach many individuals she found the well-recognized podcast, The Black Educated Tea Podcast available on YouTube all streaming platforms. She operates a nonprofit that mentors and tutors students titled Our Kids Our Future. Extending her entrepreneurial spirit, Makeda created Oasis Vibe which is centralized on providing the best natural and organic body products and wellness lifestyle. Further extending her entrepreneurship she created Porter Consulting Group to help individuals start and successfully operate their businesses.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

A lesson I had to unlearn was trusting everyone would have my best interest. Years ago I can say I was naive and believed I could trust everyone and everyone had the same pure intentions as me. A backstory was when I started my business Oasis Vibe and I notice a shift in some people around me and I can even say now it may have been jealousy. I trusted these people for many years and thought they would share in my excitement about launching this business. They showed no happiness, no support, and even spoke not-so-kind things about me and my business. At this moment, I lost my trust in them and had to unlearn what I had thought for so many years about trust. I had to learn that trust is earned and I had to trust but stay aware. The importance of unlearning certain aspects with trust allowed me to learn other important attributes.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

A story of resilience includes my journey to obtaining my degree. As a high school dropout, a mother by 19, and working full time to care for my daughter life was not always easy. I was determined to earn my bachelor’s degree although it took 10 years. I would try to maintain a full work schedule, take care of my daughter and have a full schedule at school. With so many tasks, something was going to collapse and it was school and me. I was stressed, physically exhausted. and failing many classes at school. I did not give up even when it felt like the only option to do. I pushed through and after 10 years I graduated with a Bachelor’s in Education. Feeling very proud and accomplished that I finally completed my degree, I went and obtained a Master’s in Education. To push myself even more and reach higher limits, I completed a Doctorate in Education. All of this is to say you can achieve whatever you put your mind to no matter the history, the journey, or circumstances. Stay resilient, appreciate the journey, and never give up.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://makedamarie.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makedamarie/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/makedamarie
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/makeda-carr-ed-d-760a1352/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@blackeducatedtea/videos
• Other: https://oasisvibeco.com/