We recently connected with Juanita Banks-Whittington and have shared our conversation below.
Juanita, 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?
Nehi Cares is a minority, woman, and veteran-owned business named in honor of a remarkable woman – my grandmother, Juanita, also known as Nehi (pronounced ‘Knee High’). She was a caring and loving individual who was always willing to help anyone in need. Her influence shaped me into the caring and compassionate person I am today. I named my company Nehi Cares – to honor her memory and continue her legacy of kindness and compassion.
My mother, Charlene, is the why behind Nehi Cares. She suffered from substance and mental illness when I was growing up. After her unexpected passing in 2018, I founded Nehi Cares to provide safe and affordable housing for low-income families struggling with mental illness. I provided two families with safe and affordable housing in Baltimore City, MD, during that time. In 2023, I revamped Nehi Cares and founded Diverse Children’s Books Matter (DCBM) to continue my dedication to helping others.
Nehi Cares’ mission is to empower and educate individuals to live their best lives while achieving their full potential by practicing daily healthy habits to attain better physical, social, emotional, and mental health outcomes. We focus on helping individuals understand the foundations of wellness, and how they relate to diversity and inclusion at all stages of development, not just in the workplace. The training identifies the root cause of struggle, understanding what brings happiness, and setting healthy boundaries so that individuals can gain a stronger sense of self-worth and access positive thinking in all aspects of their lives. Nehi Cares envisions a world where everyone has access to the tools and resources, they need to overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
I founded DCBM when my husband, Ian, told me he saw a need for more diverse fathers in the books he read to our daughter, Zuri. This put me on a path to educating and advocating for diversity and inclusivity in children’s books. Through relatable stories, DCBM’s mission is to bridge diversity gaps by forging connections and laying the foundation for a future where every child feels valued and can be represented within the pages of our books. Our vision is to be a catalyst in the literary world by dismantling barriers and nurturing understanding while championing the idea that every story matters.
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.
Hi, I’m Juanita Banks-Whittington, born in Jamaica, Queens, NY, but grew up in NC, FL, and MD. I am an Army Veteran, Social Worker, and Diversity Practitioner. I am the founder of Nehi Cares and Diverse Children’s Books Matter. My experiences growing up with parents who suffered from mental illnesses, substance abuse, and incarceration pushed me to break generational curses and be the resilient person I am today. If it wasn’t for my grandmother, Nehi, I don’t know where I would have grown up or who I would be today. She was my first role model and mentor who instilled in me the importance of being the best version of myself and helping others in need. The foundation of who I am today and the missions of my businesses are deeply rooted in the values she taught me.
My determination has pushed me to earn a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from the University of Baltimore and a Master of Social Work in Mental Health from the University of Maryland Baltimore. I hold Equal Employment Opportunity, Diversity and Inclusion, and Mediation certifications. This gives me the unique ability to take all my experiences and skills to educate others on the importance of mental health, wellness, diversity, and inclusivity.
In my writing journey, I’m particularly proud of the joy and admiration I see on the faces of children and parents when they read my colorful and heartwarming children’s book, “I Love My Daddy.” It emphasizes the importance of fathers and highlights the special bond between a little girl and her father. Growing up, I didn’t have an active father in my life, so this book is extremely special to me. I wrote this book for my daughter Zuri so that she will always be able to cherish her bond with her father.
My work has been featured on various news platforms, including Tabitha Brown’s Very Good Mondays, NBC 4 Washington, Resilient Magazine, FEMI Magazine, The Baltimore/Annapolis Times, The Washington Informer, Miami Times, and more. Outside of writing and educating, I enjoy spending time with my family, traveling, bowling, and window shopping. I reside in Odenton, Maryland, with my husband Ian, daughter Zuri, and family dog Ivy, a Boston Terrier.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
After proudly serving 11 years as a Human Resource Sergeant in the Army, I decided to pivot and pursue a career in social work. It was exciting to transition to something that I was passionate about while being able to help others. This shift was challenging but allowed me to add more skills to my toolbox. I wasn’t prepared to struggle to pass my licensure exam to become a Licensed Master Social Worker (LMSW). While I continued to study for my exam, I accepted a position in the federal government. As I grew in my new career, I broadened my knowledge in other areas of interest I wasn’t aware of, like Civil Rights Policy, Equal Employment Opportunity, and Diversity and Inclusion.
Yes, there were times when I questioned my choice to pivot to social work, but giving up was never an option. Finally, after four attempts, I passed my exam and was able to start practicing in Maryland as a LMSW part-time. My resilience and self-determination proved invaluable as I pushed myself and never gave up. Since then, I have been able to educate children and adults on wellness and mental health while serving them in their communities, hospitals, and as a private practice therapist. My experiences in the military, the federal government, and social work gave me the skills and knowledge to create something unique that I could share with others. Those experiences allowed me to combine the things I was passionate about and start my entrepreneurial journey.
Since pivoting my career, I have no regrets, even though things didn’t happen as I envisioned. I believe it’s natural for us to pivot in life because it’s part of what enables us to grow and develop as individuals. Even though I achieved many things, I felt I had another purpose to do something else I was passionate about. My experiences have taught me so much about myself and others that has been invaluable. My advice for anyone considering pivoting in their business, career, or life is to do it. You never know the future and can’t live wishing you would have done this or that.
How did you build your audience on social media?
When I founded Nehi Cares and Diverse Children’s Books Matter, I focused on sharing my expertise rather than how I would reach people. Early on, I had to learn that social media was vital to reaching a wider audience. Initially, creating content and establishing an online presence was a bit overwhelming, especially since social media was never a big part of my life. Entrepreneurship has forced me to step out of my comfort zone, set clear goals, develop my time management skills, and be patient.
When I started on this journey, I did a lot of research on Google, YouTube and looked at various trends I saw social media influencers doing. Trends I saw influencers doing were posting consistent content, engaging with followers, and collaborating with other influencers to expand the reach of their posts. I tried doing some of the trends myself, but I needed help to stay consistent. I struggled juggling working full time and navigating building my businesses while being a wife and mother of a two-year-old. There needed to be more time in the day for me to do everything, plus researching and creating content. This experience has taught me how valuable my time is and the importance of getting help in certain areas. Being in business, you face many obstacles, especially scammers. I was scammed during my social media journey because I didn’t research enough. Those were lessons learned, but I hope my story inspires others to take extra steps to do their research before making decisions to purchase services for social media purposes.
Some steps I did early on that helped me on my social media journey were identifying my purpose by setting clear goals, hiring the right help, being consistent, and staying patient. First, when I looked at identifying my purpose, I used the mission and vision of each business to help set my goals. It pushed me to develop my business plan, including creating a marketing analysis and strategic plan. Business plans can be tedious, but they are needed. It provided the framework to help organize my vision, identify my services, and develop my elevator speech. Next, I hired a social media management company to help with my content. This service was affordable, especially for a small business. They saved me so much time and provided me with 15 pieces of monthly content specific to my companies for Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and LinkedIn. Their help got me started, and once more people became interested in my brand, I hired a virtual assistant. I initially hired a virtual assistant for five hours a week to help me with day-to-day tasks, creating additional social media content and helping update my websites. I focused more time on researching and contacting potential customers.
It wasn’t until I published my children’s book “I Love My Daddy” that I hired Lamore Lifestyle Public Relations for a 12-week visibility campaign. It was a positive experience and the best money I ever spent. The visibility campaign allowed me to promote both of my businesses and be featured on NBC4 Washington, multiple news outlets, and on the cover of Resilient Magazine. Their help saved me so many hours of research and put me in front of media outlets to showcase my services and products. All my steps have increased my engagement and collaborations, expanding my reach to introduce my brand to new audiences. Entrepreneurship isn’t easy, so I had to learn to be consistent and patient simultaneously. Sometimes, I would send ten-plus messages a day promoting my services and products, only to receive one reply. That isn’t very encouraging, but persistence is the key to success. Building a social media presence is gradual, especially when doing it alone. I still have more work on my to-do list to engage with my audience, but I am taking considerable strides to improve my journey.
For anyone trying to build their social media presence, I want you to understand that no one size key will fit all businesses. It will be trial and error, but identifying your niche, defining specific goals and objectives, hiring the right help, focusing on quality versus quantity, and consistently delivering meaningful content will allow for success. There will be times when you will need to leverage the expertise of others, which is okay. Do your research, especially when looking for specific social media services. With dedication and the right strategies, you can build a solid ongoing online presence, even if you’re not naturally a social media person. Remember, there will be times when you will have to assess your strategy and make adjustments based on feedback from your audience. My last advice is to know your why, give yourself grace because you are doing great, and try not to compare yourself to others. What is for you is for you.
To stay updated with my work or get in touch, follow me at Nehi Cares on the below social media accounts, visit my websites, or email me at [email protected]. I love hearing from people inspired by my journey, including readers and lovers of diverse children’s books.
Contact Info:
- Website: diversecbm.com & nehicares.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nehi_cares_llc/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089402230852
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nehi-cares-llc
- Other: Please add both websites for people to learn more about me. diversecbm.com nehicares.com
Image Credits
Family Photo: Nataly Vargas Book signing picture: James Olaleye Green blazer, White top, All black: Lakesha Miner