We were lucky to catch up with Britney Jacobs recently and have shared our conversation below.

Britney, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

I am happy as a business owner because that’s where I am most myself. I have had a regular job and I do take on regular jobs sometimes when I want to hone my research skills but my business will always be a priority to me. It has afforded me the most growth within myself and it is rewarding to see my ideas come to life and work for someone else. The last time I went for a full time job I did get it and then I got laid off right before christmas. At that moment I had to sit with why that had just happened to me, other than the fact that the company lost a lot of money. That is when I realized that I was neglecting my own business to help someone else’s flourish and it was time to really get my head in the game.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am an Afro Indigenous woman born in Virginia. I spent of a lot of time with my grandfather who worked hard at any and everything he did, never even making it to high school. Though he himself had limited education he never let that stop him from learning anything he wanted to know and he had faith stronger than any person I had ever met, pastors included. Thus that trickled down to my mom and the two of them always encouraged me to seek truth and be my own boss. I took that literally and started Dark Thorn Artistry to sell my artwork in college. As I grew and branched our I discovered my art was more than physical pieces but my spiritual gifts as well. So I started focusing my business on holistic Wellness. During the pandemic I really dug in on the concept. So now I sell body products, Herbal Cigarettes, custom apparel, shadow work sessions, and a host of other services. My goal is to help my clients not just feel and look better but also BE better. Becoming the best YOU that you can be is a central tenet to my business. As such the motto is Self Love and Care, Everywhere and the mission is creating Art with a Heart.

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

My reputation is built by my relationships with the clients I have. Every client is important to me. Whether they buy one thing or 5 things from me, it counts in my book. I try to make sure they know that they matter to me on an individual level. That speaks to my character and that translates to our relationship. Word of mouth isn’t dead. So when someone is looking at my business and ask their friends about it, I want those friends who have shopped with me to be able to tell them positive things about me AND my business.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

This is a simple story. I put the money together to finance my business through working for other businesses. I’ve never been a stranger to hard work. At one point I was in undergrad full time working 3 jobs. At another point I was in grad school full time work a part time and a full time job whilst running my business. Scared money don’t make money and that’s a real statement. You can’t be afraid to make the money you need but want to run a business and hope to make money.

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.darkthornartistry.com
• Instagram: Www.instagram.com/darkthornartistry
• Facebook: Facebook.com/darkthornartistry
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@darkthornartistry8578

Image Credits
Image by Emmett Dillard