Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Candice Dukes . We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Candice, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
The mission of The Black Business Market is to provide the ultimate black shopping experience as well as promote and bring positivity to the community. We started in June of 2020 right after the murder of the George Floyd. We truly felt enraged by the tragedy but also felt impelled to do something to uplift the community. What better way to pour love and positivity into the community than to support those that are looking to grow their business. To truly bring the vision for the community the community to see, to create a space for owners to gain exposure, and earn revenue if the goal. We have managed to create a spotlight specifically for minorities in businesses.
I have lived in Warren most of my life, I went to the University of Akron for college and I lived in Cleveland for some years. But I came back to the area in winter of 2018. Growing up in Warren Ohio had a huge impact on my journey to become a business owner. Growing up in business has shaped my career and mind in many ways. My family has one of the longest standing black owned businesses in this area, RBG Complex, now known as RBG Eatery.. We have been in business for almost 50 years. So with that being said business has always been in me. I have learned many things like handling money, good customer service skills, and professional communications skills literally as a small child. My late grandfather James “Doc’ Pugh had the vision, along with the help and support of his wife, Patricia Pugh to create something for OUR community. They together built the business literally from the ground up, the vision started with a small house and turned into a complex with multiple businesses. My grandfather being an activist, president of the NAACP, a serial entrepreneur, and so much more really showed me you can create the life you want and also make an impact in your community. So my childhood honestly ignited my fire for entrepreneurship. As a child I didn’t realize the positive impact my upbringing had on my life. I just thought this was a somewhat “normal” life but as an adult I am forever appreciative of the trailblazing that my grandparents and family did for us. I strive to do much of the same of what I seen as a child.
Being an African American in business is tough, mostly because in some cases we aren’t afforded the same opportunities as some of our counterparts. So you really have to work hard. Speaking specifically for my journey I had no idea what I had signed up for although I do love it, it is alot of work on an everyday consistent basis. I knew that my family worked hard for their business and to leave a legacy but to actually be doing it and seeing it is totally different. You have to be creative yet logical. You have to be willing to work even on your worst and hardest days. You have to wake up everyday and get after the things you want for your business. But in that I always keep in mind the legacy and impact that follows us on the journey of being an African American entrepreneur. What consistently inspires and helps me to overcome the hardest times is my child and realizing that he sees the moments that no one else sees. The behind the scenes work, the late nights, the early morning grind. He also witnesses the fruits of my labor, the markets and the success in the outcome. It also helps to know and have a relationship with God and know that he can do all things but fail. I have come to realize that the vision and ideas come from him, so even when I get tired there’s strength that I get from him to succeed.
When I think of the business that we have created I think legacy, I think success, and I think opportunity. The Black Business Market is a space created to empower business owners and impact the community, that is the true story behind the mission.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a trailblazer and innovator. I truly have a heart for people and that’s what keeps me going. Aside for Black Business Market we have also added marketing and branding service offers to our vendors and clients. What sets us apart is we have done the work made the mistakes and have figured out what works. we have been in business since 2020 and literally started from the ground up, and learning along the way.
Being a business owner can be challenging! Our consultations are designed to help business owners shift their mindset while providing them with actionable tools for success. Whether they are in the start-up phase, have been in business for a few years, or are looking for a fresh rebrand, our strategies help identify areas for opportunity and growth.
Our mission: to assist you in creating realistic goals, perfecting execution and defining clear messaging that will lead to profitable results. Let us help you attract your target audience, close the deal and achieve more of what you want in life and business!
What I am most proud of and what keeps me going is that I am able to bring and an idea to life. The vision that I have for the business is happening before my eyes, and it is uplifting the community and those within it. What I want those potential clients, patrons, and even onlookers to know is that anything is possible. Nothing is off limits when you are able to walk in your purpose and passion. Being an entrepreneur is sometimes believing in things that you cannot see, and having the guts to jump in head first and make it happen. As clique as it may sound dreams can really become reality and the sky truly is the limit.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I believe a large part of what built our reputation within our market is our consistency and professionalism. When starting off in business and especially in somewhat of a service based industry it is important that your work and due diligence speaks for itself. If you want to be taken seriously and for your customer and client to believe in your business, your brand your reputation is huge. And being in a small town word gets out. I pride myself on our professionalism and how consistent we have been within these years. The important thing that I like to keep in mind is how is this adding value, what sets apart, and how can we get better. Coming from a family of entrepreneurs and being raised in business definitely set the standard of how I wanted to approach being a business owner.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
The Black Business Market was built through social media and word of mouth. We didn’t have any thought-out plans, tricks, or gimmicks in the beginning. Having a heart for people and loving that person to person interaction is how we were able to connect and create a buzz through the community for this business. To be completely honest, I felt what better way to get the word out than to actually put myself out there and talking to the people. Believe it or not people connect with authenticity, character, and personality. Depending on the business people are more likely to support what they feel connected to. And as crazy as the world is there are really some great people out there that really believe in uplifting the community and the people that are doing good in it. We were able to build our audience strictly off connection, getting on our platform and talking to the people. Explaining how important it is to support black businesses, minority owned businesses, and how it can really impact the community in a positive way. Creating content that actually shows what we offer and what you can expect from our markets, definitely gave us the upper hand. Being intentional and telling a story with the content that you put out to the world is key. Taking it seriously and being consistent. The biggest piece of advice that I would share about building your audience is treat it as if you are building a community. People want to be able to see the what, where, and how. They want to truly see what takes place behind the scenes, how you got started, what keeps the business going. Tell a story through the content you create, be intentional, and creative.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://theblackbusinessmarket.site/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_blackbusinessmarket/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackbusinessmarketwarren/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/ixsvRubxYXA
- Other: https://youtu.be/X96FhgHECkE
Image Credits
All photos were taken with my personal device. One professional photo was taken by photographer Tae Stubbs