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

Hi KB, thanks for joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

Growing up in the restaurant business, I had no choice but to start working at a young age. I think that’s the best thing my parents ever made me do even though I probably hated it at the time. I mean, what young kid do you know, would rather bus tables or wash dishes than play with their friends? By making me go to work, my parents taught me hard work ethics at an early age. As I grew older, I learned more and more about the ins and outs of the family business. They showed me that if I worked hard, I could own a business (or two) just like they did. They also taught me that if I was determined and motivated, I could be successful in anything I wanted to do. Instilling such values to my sisters and I growing up, has taught me presently in my own business, that dedication, perseverance & tenacity are all important factors in being a successful entrepreneur. And giving up is NEVER an option.

KB, 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?

‘INSPIRED TO INSPIRE’ is the tagline for my business and here’s why………

One day, back in 2018, I received a DM on IG from someone I didn’t know personally, only from social media. The message stated that they absolutely loved my posts and that my positive attitude/messages were inspiring them to be a better person all around. I remember reading that message and getting little tingles all over my body, because I didn’t realize at the time, that by me sharing several posts about my life’, would make such an impact on someone else’s; that I was helping them to be a better version of themselves on the daily. After reading the message a couple more times, then finally responding with tears in my eyes, it finally clicked. This was my purpose. This is what I was meant to do. To help & inspire people to love themselves completely. Not only could I help them be a better person, but in return, in fact, I was helping myself too thru my own self love journey.

Growing up, I struggled A LOT with low self esteem, little to zero confidence and no sense of body positivity or body love in all its meaning. Not feeling good about myself or having any inkling of self worth, I battled with depression, eating disorders, sadness, and a whole slew of negative thoughts that took over my mind, body and soul. I hated the way I felt about myself and knew that I needed to turn my life around for the better to grasp the full meaning of the word ‘HAPPY’. Years of therapy, medication and an overabundance of self love books (thank god for those btw), I became comfortable in my own skin and started to love myself and my body, to the fullest. Pats on my own back for overcoming all those demons trying to bring me down inside my own head. Poof, be gone!

Fast forward to that day in 2018 when I received that DM. After reading that message, I decided to start a positivity platform on social media to share my struggles and experiences in hopes of helping anyone who was going thru the same thing. My positivity platform became (and still is today), a community of amazing & supportive people who were (and are) all there to uplift one another. I’ve learned a lot from them and have met some pretty awesome people who have not only helped, but supported, inspired and uplifted me, which I am forever grateful for.

Along with being a community for all things self love & positivity, I wanted to somehow incorporate my love for fashion & the creativity aspect of designing; to start an inspirational clothing and lifestyle (accessories, home decor, mugs/tumblers, wall art etc) brand. And that’s exactly what I did. Not knowing ANYTHING about starting an online business, I had no idea what I was doing but figured I would take the learn-as-I go approach and see what happens! Risky, most def yes. Worth it…..HELL YEAH!

So, I did my research and got to work. I had to see what was the most effective way for me to put my idea out there while keeping costs low not only for me but for the consumer, especially since I was a startup. I opted to use a POD company because that seemed like the most logical and feasible way to get my company up and running. I also had to teach myself some SEO jargon, which if anyone knows me, they know I have absolutely no clue about any of that. When I say there were many times I wanted to throw in the towel, I’m not lying. But, I kept at it because this was my passion and I wasn’t going to give up that easily. Plus, the idea of helping people overcome their insecurities and build up their confidence, was way more bigger than my fears.

November 19th, 2021 was when I launched my online store, the InspiHER Empire. It also just happened to be Women’s Entrepreneur Day, which was soooooooo not planned on my behalf. Who am I kidding? LOL. I specifically chose that day so I could remember how far I had come within my own self discovery. Plus, I was supporting other people to love themselves fully & that in itself is something to be proud of. I’ve always said that if I could inspire at least one person a day, then I know I am doing something right with my life.

The InspiHER Empire’s mission statement is: ‘a trendy, FEEL GOOD, clothing & lifestyle brand to inspire & uplift Queens to be the best versions of themselves thru self love, body positivity & confidence. We hope our brand will give you some LOVE & INSPIRATION.’ And that’s exactly what I want people to feel when they are wearing our clothing and using our products.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I think the main thing is to just be yourself. I started my positivity platform with the sole purpose of being an open book by becoming vulnerable to criticism and judgement but I didn’t care because I knew by me being open and honest, I could be helping someone who was struggling with the same issues I went through. And that overpowered anything else. I had the same mentality when I started my online business. Make pieces that tell a story and that people can relate to all while making them feel good and confident. I think people appreciate my ‘realness’. That and the fact that I engage with my audience is key. Take the time to know who your followers are. And become friends with them. I have met so many awesome people on social media just for being myself and wanting to get to know them as much as them wanting to get to know me. I think that’s the best advice I can give.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

When starting my online business, I knew I wanted to have my own website, solely for the fact that, if anything went wrong on the backend, I could fix it myself. I would be in total control. It’s a blessing and a curse, in a way. Being in total control of everything also means putting a tremendous amount of pressure on myself to learn everything there is to know about starting a business, all while designing pieces and marketing my brand at the same time. Do you remember when I said I wanted to throw in the towel many times….well, these are the main reasons why. I am learning as I go which allows me leeway to know all the ins and outs of my business firsthand. I have contemplated using Amazon in the past to get more exposure and awareness of my brand but have opted to just drive traffic to my website with learning new and fun ways to market my business. Who knows? I might jump on the Amazon train in the near future.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://inspiherempire.com
• Instagram: instagram.com/inspiherempire
• Facebook: facebook.com/inspiherempire

Image Credits
Anthony Vega who has become my personal/business photographer