We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ciera’ Harris. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ciera’ below.
Ciera’ , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
I started my business Black Girl Thriving in August 2018 because I wanted to inspire women to keep going no matter what. I wanted to share my lupus journey with them and show them that just because I have a chronic illness doesn’t mean I have to give up on my dreams. Initially it was just an IG page and a website. Then I saw a need for safe spaces for black women to come together so I started hosting my own events. At the time, I didn’t know what to expect, but since then I’ve hosted over 40 events and met sooooo many Black women. My events are always a positive experience for all of my attendees.
Ciera’ , 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?
Whew…I really don’t know where to begin.
I’m a woman who has been through a lot but I still manage to handle my business.
I am a teacher, entrepreneur, mom, and non-profit founder. I could talk about all of those other things, but I’ll focus on Black Girl Thriving. BGT is a Black women’s empowerment brand. I host events for Black women and girls. I create safe spaces for us to just be. I’m so proud of the community I’ve built from scratch & the amount of events I’ve hosted. I’ve connected with thousands of women since launching in 2018 and I hope to connect with thousands more in the future.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
My transparency. I’ve built my brand around being transparent and sharing my lows as well as my highs. I think that makes women feel comfortable coming to my events. They see that I’m human, I have my own trials and struggles, and I think that makes me relatable to a lot of women.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Just one????
As I said before, I’ve been through a lot. From having lupus, to surviving a stroke at 27, multiple car accidents, being attacked by my own dog, a traumatic birth, battling ppd, ptsd…it’s been one hell of a journey but I wouldn’t change it for the world. There isn’t one story that fully illustrates my resilience. All of them are equally important.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.blackgirlthriving.com
- Instagram: @blackgirlthriving
- Facebook: Black Girl Thriving