Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Achantel Thornton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Achantel, thanks for joining 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.

Blessings, my name is Achantel Thornton, Founder and President of Essence of Diamonds and Pearls Youth Group (EDPYG). A little background about myself and our program; the birth of EDPYG, actually started when I was 15 years old as a member of a local YMCA. At that time we wanted more options, like the boys had, that was not a cheerleading program, so we took a stand. We started jumping Double Dutch as a pastime but in being underage we needed a Supervisor, so my mom joined us. Our small past-time group grew into a sisterhood of Double Dutch competitions, local and destination trips, workshops for self-improvement, peer empowerment, and so much more.

2002 I left MA and matriculated to Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA where sadly my youth group participation journey turned into occasional youth visits. While away I also picked up a love for real estate, I started diving into the industry with a friend as a pastime until I realized I have a true passion for real estate. July 2016 I moved back to MA after a divorce to be closer to family and decided to get my Real Estate License starting a new business called Diamonds and Pearls Realty. Once a Realtor I started to understand the many different avenues in this career and decided to expand my business even more by becoming a notary as well. With being a mom of three, always in the community, and with new career paths I still felt something was missing.

My mother never stopped training young women in the sport of Double Dutch so I would occasionally step into practice and help. As I went to practice more and more I realized what was missing, my program. So March 2021, I birthed Essence of Diamonds and Pearls Youth Group (EDPYG). My program not only consists of Double Dutch but we incorporate as many everyday opportunities as possible to help our Future Queens survive in daily life. In being a mother of three beautiful children, I always knew I wanted to create the same sisterhood I had growing up for my daughters, and now they are also Future Queens within my program, I think not only about the life skills they need to matriculate into beautiful Queens but also the community they surround themselves with. EDPYG, has become their home away from home surrounding them with like-minded youth and a village of support. Currently EDPYG has a family of 14 Future Queens and a village of volunteers to help us through the way.

The mission of EDPYG is to uplift our future queens, by providing them with instruments for self-empowerment, agility skills, mastery level entrepreneurship tools, and building a sisterhood with lifelong memories..

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?

In being a single mom of three beautiful children it was hard for me to have an office job. I prided myself in being an active mom in their lives but hated working a 9-5 job because I felt I was missing intricate parts of their lives. So one day I decided to take a leap of faith, I quit my job and put everything into real estate. I studied day and night to past the test but in GA I failed 3 times, gave up, and went back to work. I was so disappointed in myself because I never give up but life started throwing lemons and no matter how hard I tried I couldn’t make lemonade. So I moved back to MA for a new start and decided to try it again. Sept of 2017, I walked into the testing site and I passed with flying colors, EVERYTHING HAPPENS FOR A REASON! After about a year into my new career I decided to open my own company that would give me the opportunity to expand as a broker and be a one stop shop for all my clients by also becoming a notary. I decided to call my company Diamonds and Pearls Realty because like me both gems have to grow through struggle in order to shine bright and be highly valued. Being a single mom AND becoming an entrepreneur brought many trials but my company name always reminds me that through the worst storms brings the biggest glory!

On top of my career I’m always heavily involved in the community with my children. In my spare time I would help my mother coach her girls in the sport of Double Dutch and compete as well. When my mother told me she was going to retire from her group I thought this would be a perfect time to bring back my childhood social club. When I was 15 I started a group with friends that not only encompassed Double Dutch but also a sisterhood of like-minded young woman wanting to celebrate queenship at a local YMCA. At that time we wanted more options, like the boys had, that was not a cheerleading program, so we took a stand and started jumping Double Dutch. As the group grew we needed someone to supervise us so my mother happily took the position. Our small past-time group grew into a sisterhood of Double Dutch competitions, local and destination trips, workshops for self-improvement, peer empowerment, and so much more. So in March 2021 I birthed Essence of Diamonds and Pearls Youth Group. Our program not only specializes in the sport of Double Dutch but we also capture self-empowering workshops/events, community service, overnight trips, encouraging our Future Queens to turn their hobbies into businesses by providing vending table opportunities allowing them to make a profit, first-aid training, yoga, etc. The mission of EDPYG is to uplift our future queens, by providing them with instruments for self-empowerment, agility skills, mastery level entrepreneurship tools, and building a sisterhood with lifelong memories..

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

With all the companies I have I’ve built my reputation with relationships. I value relationships whether it’s with the janitor at a school or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company. Wherever I go I build relationships and those relationships turn into word of mouth and word of mouth turns into marketing. I also stay very relevant in the community, going to networking events, community events, and any place we can gather a crowd to teach them about Double Dutch.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

On top of competing in Double Dutch one of my daughters is also on a swim team. At swim practice the moms all got together to chat while the kids swam. One day our chats turned into, what can we do with the kids other than swim, and of course my response was I have a young woman group if interested. Sarah Rivera’s daughter never jumped Double Dutch before so this was a challenge for her, but now her daughter is one of my best jumpers and Sarah is my Philanthropy Manager.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.edpyg21.com
• Instagram: @edpyg2021
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EDPYG21
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/achantel-thornton/