We recently connected with Dominique Murray and have shared our conversation below.
Dominique, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today So let’s jump to your mission – what’s the backstory behind how you developed the mission that drives your brand?
The mission of Make It Happen Sis! is to create an environment where every woman feels safe, valued and seen. We promote and support our members and their businesses because we know when one of us wins, we all win. We are a membership-based networking organization for aspiring to established female entrepreneurs of color.
The idea for this organization really came about when I was stationed overseas in England. I’m an Air Force vet and my husband is still active duty. In 2018 we relocated from Denver, CO to the UK. It was my first experience living overseas and I loved it. Military really feels like family when you have no family around! I was heavily involved in my military community, and everything was going great until two major things happened: Racial/political unrest in the states and Covid-19.
When George Floyd was murdered, at first it was almost like I was numb to it. It may have seemed new to so many people but for many of us it wasn’t and to deal with it a lot of us became cold to it. Very quickly however, it became hard to ignore. My husband is a black man and a cop and for him the conflict he battled everyday was real. The respect he got in uniform as opposed to out of uniform was very real. Within my tight net military community, things were starting to shift. People really started taking sides and it felt like I was constantly having to defend my blackness, my hurt, my anger. It was exhausting explaining my feelings to people I owed no explanation. It honestly felt like I was now wearing some huge neon sign that read “victimized black woman”. It was like people couldn’t understand my frustrations without attaching this victim mentality to it that I didn’t have. Others were projecting their own guilts and insecurities on me like I was saying they were out killing black people. The whole thing became very disconcerting.
In the mist of this chaos, Covid-19 reared its destructive head. Honestly this added to everyone’s negative and distrusting feelings. Unlike most of the states, the UK shut completely down. We couldn’t leave our houses without essential worker documentation unless it was for a grocery store run or the hour of outdoor time, we were each allotted. Isolation was real, physically and mentally.
I, just like many others, longed for connection, longed for community and longed for safety. As we navigated this new normal, my family got orders to Georgia and honestly, I was terrified. My husband was raised in the south, but I was Denver born, California raised. When I thought of moving to Georgia, I thought of everything the media was portraying at the time, angry southern mobs invading the capitol, confederate flags and racist mindsets galore and lots of violence. I had no clue what I was in for. Long story short, I moved to Georgia in search of a community, and I am happy to say I found it and so much more.
I’ve always wanted to start my own business and do something for my community. Once I moved to Warner Robins, GA, it all sort of fell into place. I intentionally try to patron black owned businesses, and I was amazed at the amount of them in Middle Georgia, especially the ones owned by women. I have met some of the most talented, motivating and awe-spiring women here who have welcomed me with open arms. Getting together with them gave me that community, safety and connection I was longing for. With the amount of minority owned businesses here, you would think it was easy to find and support them, but it wasn’t. I quickly realized that there was no functioning network to tap into. A lot of these women had their own little pockets, but many knew nothing about others who could help them. There was so much knowledge and resources, but it was spread all over and many were reinventing the wheel.
My attempt to solve this problem was Make It Happen Sis! I want to build a functioning network that women of color can turn to for community, networking and resources. We officially launch April 22nd however we have 50 founding members. It is amazing already the diversity in businesses amongst our members: beauty, health & wellness, self-defense and tactical training, CPR training, travel, business services, apparel, food & beverage and so much more. Every day I am inspired by this group of women and the future we are creating.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I feel like I may have answered all this in the previous question for the most part, but here is a little bit about me:
I am a black woman, wife, mother, military spouse, and veteran. I was raised for the most part in the San Francisco Bay Area. As a child I was always coming up with businesses in my head. I came up with a magazine called Mahogony. It was my version of Seventeen magazine that would show women and girls who looked like me and it would cover stories relevant to me. I had a lot of dreams and creative ideas growing up.
Like many of us, I’ve had childhood traumas and events that changed the path I set out. I’ve gone from college, to hospitalizations, to college, to the military, to trauma therapy and rehab and everything in between. I regret none of my life because it made me who I am and gave me a unique perspective. As I continue to grow and understand myself, I want to use the platform I am building to reach other women and girls with similar stories.
I think what sets Make It Happen Sis! (MIHS) apart from other similar organizations is the fact that we are very niched and are more than an online community. I think Covid has made a lot of things virtual which is great but virtual can’t give the same authentic connection as in person. There is something about meeting someone and sitting down sharing a drink or meal with them that you can’t get on a screen. MIHS does in person events and meet ups and all of the women are local which makes it feel all the more tangible and connected.
We have five core values at MIHS: sisterhood, collaboration, diversity of thought, growth and community. Here you are family. What you bring to the table is important and necessary. You are essential to the growth of your fellow sisters, your community, and your family. As MIHS grows, I want to provide coaching and PR services to the community.
I am most proud of our growth so far. A year ago, I had some idea of what I wanted to do, and it didn’t look exactly like this, but I believe in purpose and destiny, and I know I am fulfilling mine. Being able to connect and showcase these amazing women makes me proud. I’m proud of being a woman and I’m proud of being black and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
I’ve always been a planner. I was the queen of checklist and schedules. When I started my business, I think it slowed me down a bit because I didn’t want to take the next step without knowing the path ahead. I was constantly getting stuck in analysis paralysis.
I took a life changing trip that really helped to change all that. In December 2019 my younger sister invited me, my husband and then almost three-year-old daughter out to Iceland. My sister was going for a business trip and since we lived in England, it was easy for us to take a flight up. My sister and husband are very spontaneous people so I knew it would be on me to plan everything. I had my original plan however my sister pleaded with me to throw it out the window, to just once really live in the moment. I don’t know if it was the crisp clean are or the picturesque mountains against the ocean, but I caved, I threw out the plan and let my sister take the lead. We ended up renting a car and driving The Golden Circle in the winter. We rented swimsuits and swam in hot springs, got stuck in snow, camped out to see the Aurora Borealis and missed it! The trip was a fantastic experience that really taught me one thing- be comfortable with being uncomfortable. If I would have let anxiety lead me the trip would have been completely different and not nearly as fun.
I left Iceland determined not to live in fear and to be okay with the unknown. I honestly think if we never took that trip, I wouldn’t have had the guts to leave my cooperate gig or to start my own business. I still plan to an extent, but I keep moving forward no matter what. I don’t live in fear, and I embrace uncertainty.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Before Make It Happen Sis! was Make It Happen Sis!, it was called Celebrating Us. Celebrating Us was a company that uplifts, informs and inspires the Black Community and those around us. Celebrating Us consisted of myself, my mother, brother, aunt and cousin. Celebrating Us was my dream, not theirs. I’ve heard a million times before not to go into business with family but I did it anyway.
Originally, everyone was excited to start the company. We would put on events, promote local black business and be a hub for information. Looking back at it, my idea was way too broad and so was my market. I was passionate so it was easy getting my family to come on board, but passion can only take you so far. I love my family and they tried but it wasn’t their calling and relationships quickly became strained.
Long story short, I had to pivot from the original business plan and team. I learned a lot about myself as a leader. I had some things to work on and I am grateful for that time. After we dissolved our group, I invested in entrepreneurial and leadership training that has helped me immensely.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.mihs.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrs.figurinitout/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100084464135143; https://www.facebook.com/dominique.n.rainey/
- Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/ dominiquemurraymihs
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpyVmOkxVIIKAvzXYdxP9ag
Image Credits
Professional Photos done by A Blind Vision Studios; photographer- Sheenica Smiley