We recently connected with Amber Hurt and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Amber thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

The Adulting Queen was born in January 2019 with the mission to help individuals navigate adulting because no one teaches you how to be an adult. At the time, I was working on a college campus with students that lived on campus. My students would always ask me adulting questions, seek guidance on issues they were having outside of the classroom or ask for the latest brunch spots I’d been to. My friends and family would always ask me about my travel hacks or things to do when they visit cities around the country. After I realized people found this information useful (and I was tired of repeating the same things lol), I created the Instagram page and website with no idea that it would become what it is almost 4 years later.

My tagline is brunch, travel, adult, repeat because if you know me, I always have a brunch recommendation and pre-pandemic, I’d be somewhere new each month. When the pandemic hit in March 2020 I started hosting a virtual event called Sippin’ Sunday which had a guest each week to talk about different adulting topics such as: mental health, social justice, budgeting, buying a home, goal setting, finding your purpose, etc. This was a way for people to connect while we were in the house and talk about things we all were experiencing but never really shed light on.

In August 2020 I hosted another virtual event – All Black Everything, to celebrate my birthday and spread joy among the Black community given the events that were taking place in the world. I brought together Black business owners, creators, educators, DJs, etc to share their expertise and knowledge to attendees. This past year, 2022, I was able to host it in person in Washington, DC.

From 2019 to now, I have spoken for organizations, coached individuals, created merchandise, expanded my audience and gained partnerships with other businesses. Every time I meet someone new and they ask me about the business or see “Adulting Is Ghetto” on my merch they immediately agree that it is hard being an adult. When I first started and was looking for other individuals that were doing similar work it was hard to find anyone. Even when I search adulting or adulting skills now on social media, a lot of memes come up but not actual content or conversations teaching you how to adult.

As I’m trying to envision what this looks like for me now, I look forward to continuing to expand and grow The Adulting Queen because I know people need this outlet.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m from Rockland County, NY (not upstate!) but an hour outside of NYC. I have my bachelors degree in psychology from SUNY College at Old Westbury and my masters degree in higher education and leadership policy studies from Hofstra University. When I was in undergrad, I got involved on campus which led me to my career in higher education. While helping my students navigate the world and helping my friends/family find brunch spots and giving them travel tips, I realized other people needed this assistance as well.

In January 2019 I created the Instagram page (@theadultingqueen) and my website www.theadultingqueen.com. This really started as a hobby and sharing things I was passionate about, hence the slogan: brunch, travel, adult, repeat. In the pandemic I started a virtual event called Sippin’ Sunday to bring people together to talk about various topics like budgeting, mental health, goal setting, finding your purpose, buying a home, wellness, and more. These events led me to begin speaking for organizations and developing my merchandise.

Eventually, I created another branch of my brand All Black Everything by The Adulting Queen. In 2020 and 2021, this was a virtual event to celebrate my birthday and spread Black joy during a time that was extremely difficult for the Black community. I had Black educators, entrepreneurs, creatives, etc together to promote their businesses and share their knowledge with attendees. In 2022 I was able to host the event in person in Washington, DC.

I am proud of everything I’ve done thus far within my business. I have a supportive community and a great AQ Fan Club, but I have to stop being so humble sometimes and remember I’m doing this by myself (for now). It’s my idea, my vision, my work being put out into the world. People always commend me on the consistency over the years and I need to take more time to sit back sometimes and really reflect on all I’ve done instead of being on go mode.

For the future of The Adulting Queen, I hope to continue expanding my brand around the world and reaching new people to help them navigate adulting.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

I thought for a while about this question and the two books below are what stood out to me. To start a business you need to get out of your own way and overcome your fears. Everything you need is already inside of you!

The Professional Troublemaker: The Fear Fighter Manual (book and podcast) – Luvvie Ajayi Jones

A professional troublemaker is someone who critiques the world, the shoddy systems, and the people who refuse to do better. Luvvie walks us through what we must get right within ourselves before we can do the things that scare us; how to use our voice for a greater good; and how to put movement to the voice we’ve been silencing, because truth-telling is a muscle. The point is not to be fearless, but to know we are afraid and charge forward regardless. It is to recognize that the things we must do are more significant than our fears. This book is about how to live boldly in spite of all the reasons we have to cower.

Bamboozled by Jesus: How God Tricked Me Into the Life of My Dreams – Yvonne Orji

With bold authenticity and practical relatability, Yvonne Orji is exactly the kind of cultural leader we need in these chaotic times. Her journey through being Bamboozled by Jesus paints a powerful picture of what it means to say “yes” to a life you never could’ve imagined – if it wasn’t your own.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Consistency, authenticity and my background in education.

I pride myself on being myself and showing up as such. I do find it a challenge sometimes figuring out what’s “too honest” or when something doesn’t need to be said and just let it be. My brand is helping individuals navigate adulting but I’m upfront with saying I do not know everything and I bring people together to share resources collectively. We can’t make it through adulting alone, there’s no manual explaining this!

As an educator, I’ve gone through tons of leadership training and have presented to a diverse group of individuals on varying levels. These trainings and presentations helped develop the skills I utilize to create The Adulting Queen content and workshops. It also provided me with a network that can benefit from The Adulting Queen’s work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.theadultingqueen.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/theadultingqueen & www.instagram.com/abebyaq
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/theadultingqueen
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-adulting-queen/
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/adultingambz
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/channel/UCQtjCkbxjTOtE8lCnQ5-OmQ