Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Dawn Rose. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Dawn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Going back to the beginning – how did you come up with the idea in the first place?
Being a Black woman in America is hard and I didn’t come into that realization until I attended Howard University. I grew up in a mixed environment where being Black was not cool so I always tried to be someone else. Seeing how much hate and disrespect my culture received not only from the cops but from our peers always triggered me, but when I went away to college and attended an Historically Black University I learned how to embrace my roots. I have 3 different platforms one being XoBlaque my community platform of 31,000 Black women, my live podcast ‘The Bomb Black Girl’ where I interview Black women in different industries on their success, and my merch line Blaque Brand a merchandise line connected to my overall community and podcast audience. All three of my businesses are tied into one brand that represents one community. Creating my platform XoBlaque was not only my way to help others see the beauty in being a Black woman but it was created to uplift and encourage Black women. We go through many trials in life so creating this community has been a positive way to turn our trials and pain into success and positivity. My merchandise brand, Blaque Brand is connected to my community brand XoBlaque as a token of appreciation for my audience of Black women and it is a constant reminder for them that they are seen heard respected, and cared about. This is my way of giving back to my culture and community of people.
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.
My name is Dawn Rose, I am a 30 years old entrepreneur, content creator, and journalist from San Francisco California. My life looks very different than I planned it out to be. In college I had high hopes of being the black Carrie Bradshaw of fashion and beauty journalism, and although i’ve had many amazing opportunities within the journalism industry they were never exactly what I wanted. God had better plans for me and I quickly realized that in my junior year of college at Howard University when I couldn’t get an internship at my dream job Vogue Magazine. I kept getting rejected for not having more experience and that’s when my mentor and professor at the time told me to do my own thing. I launched XoBlaque in 2017 and never looked back. I created the platform with intentions of creating my own path that can lead to a job opportunity however again God had bigger plans and before I knew it XoBlaque turned into something so much more than I expected and it also became an outlet that I had no idea people needed in my community. Something that sets me apart is my content. I am a very positive platform and business. My intention is to provide the love that Black women don’t receive on the daily basis all while promoting and uplifting them at the same time. I knew I was on the right path when celebrities like B. Simone, Pretty Vee, and Birgundy Baker came onto my Bomb Black Girl live podcast that I showcase on XoBlaque to tell their story and also give me my flowers for the brand and community i’ve built. I am most proud of my growth and how many people i’ve reached with my brand. However, I know that more can be done and I can reach more people and be a successful brand. I also have high hopes of having more interviews with successful black women that will share their stories on my platform.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
I started XoBlaque in 2017 and it was not easy. What started out as just a fashion and beauty platform switched to being a platform that inspires black women. Although beauty and fashion is my passion I quickly realized that my other passion was not only inspiring black women but learning their stories as well. I had to remember myself as a little black girl growing up in San Francisco California and ask myself though tough questions like “how did I feel being a black girl in America” to find my niche and that’s what helped me see what was missing in today’s world of media. Once I found my niche my target audience came and my following grew.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
What drives my creative journal is my goal to uplift and inspire my target audience which is black women. I didn’t realize how much the community I built was needed until I went away to college and saw how amazing being a black woman truly is. Often times in the media we’re not seen in the most positive light and my overall mission is to change that. My mission and goal is to be the platform I needed to see growing up. My goal is to be the platform that keeps black women going and not wanting to give up. My goal and mission is to make sure that we are seen, respected, and cared for. There are so many platforms for other cultures and races and their are so many people in other communities that get the love and support that they deserve and my overall mission is for my platform to be apart of the platforms that do that for black women and I know it will because I refuse to give up.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shopblaquebrand.com
- Instagram: @Xo Blaque + @BlaqueBrand
- Twitter: @XoBlaque
