We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jessica Aldridge a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jessica, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

It all started with 4 of us. BBU (Black Businesses United) was created in December 2020, I sought out fellow entrepreneurs in the area (Columbus, Georgia) to give back to the community through providing some families with gifts for their children so that they could have Christmas. Together, we were able to bless 3 families with a total if $700 in gifts. After the initial Christmas drive I felt so good about what I was doing and wanted to continue to give back with other bosses beside me. I heard someone on clubhouse say once “how can you expect your community to support your small business if you don’t sow into it?” and those words really resonated with me which lead to the true creation of BBU. In January 2021 we created our board of directors, the people who originally made BBU. We came together and decided to bring networking mixers and community events to our city. Together we have already had over 20 events such as pop-up shops, networking mixers, community events, and book drives. We have only just begun. I really cannot thank the ones who were there from the beginning enough for all their hard work and contributions. I wish any and every member all the success.

Jessica, 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?

So I am a self-proclaimed serial entrepreneur! I really do a lot but I don’t do it all, if that makes sense. I started out back in 2019 with my first “side-hustle” making resumes for people, some clients still use me 4 years later for that too. In 2020 I started my skincare brand KGLOW Skin & Body, later in 2020 I started learning graphic design and I have acquired many clients in that business over the years as well. My main business, believe it or not is my non-profit BBU which I already discussed. I am also a mom who works full-time while studying for my next endeavor. What sets me apart from other entrepreneurs is that I truly want to see people win, I don’t boast about all the people I help along the way and I will help anyone in any way I can, when I have the capacity to do so. What I am most proud of is my resilience to the doubts and naysayers, when I started in business I used to keep my emotions involved, I am very proud of my evolution as a “boss”. As far as my brand(s) are concerned I am still doing graphic design, still hosting events through my non-profit, and my skincare brand is relaunching on May 8th, 2023!

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Yes a million times yes! Basically, I started doing graphic design for my friends and family in 2020. I was doing flyers for my own small business as well as others along with birthday invitations here and there. One day one of my closest friends told me “you have to start charging people for this” and I was 100% against it. The thought of charging people for something I taught myself how to do was insane to me! So one day I finally decided to put myself out there and post some of my work and pricing, it was a hit. I gained several clients in 2021 with little experience and little confidence to be honest. In 2022 I had enough of a portfolio built up to secure my first corporate full-time client. I really went from teaching myself on an iPad to securing corporate clients in 2 years. I am now still a graphic designer I have since completed certificates in UX design as well as graphic design fundamentals to sharpen my skillset. I am in the works of securing my third corporate client and I think it will be the best contract to date.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I think that my work as well as how I treat people has helped me build a great reputation in my market. I am always ready to assist however I can, I do not overcharge clients, and my prices are very competitive for what I do. I think that how you treat your clients as well as the service you provide go hand in hand in creating an outstanding reputation.

Contact Info:

• Website: technicallyjess.com
• Instagram: @technically.jess
• Facebook: Facebook.com/bbucolumbus
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jess-aldridge