We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nita Setina a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nita, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Success looks different for each person. Some people base their success on social status, finances or title. For me being successful means I wake up everyday & live in my truth & purpose. In a nutshell I believe it takes consistency, motivation & believing in yourself!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am a multi talented entrepreneur. I currently own & manage an event venue, a licensed childcare center, a social empowerment club & I am an entertainer-rapper/model.
I got into the childcare industry because as a mother with 3 small children & a non traditional work & school schedule-(I worked a combination of all 3 shifts & attended evening classes 6pm-9pm) I saw a need for a 24 hour childcare center in my area.
I made the decision to purchase a all purpose venue because there was also a lack of them in my area. I regularly host empowerment & networking events so prior to me purchasing my venue is was difficult to host these type of positive events due to lack of venues & lack of adequate space.
I got into planning & hosting events & trips because I love to empower others, make meaningful connections & there was a lack of safe & positive events for adults. Most events & vacations primarily focus on women empowerment & networking but most recently started catering to the male population as well.
Most recently I started exploring professional modeling & rapping. So far it has been a great experience & has helped me work on overcoming social anxiety & bringing out my creative skills.
No matter what role I’m in I will always empower, encourage & support others. My childcare center allows me to empower & support families who have minimal support systems. We are the children’s home away from home. My venue allows me to help support others in my community by providing a large, clean multi purpose space. My venue can be utilized for everything from larger events such as weddings & quinceañeras to other gatherings such as bridal showers, church activities, community events etc. As an artist I get to motivate & empower through my songs, interviews & vlogs.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
When I decided to open any of my businesses I planned ahead. I created budgets & set realistic financial goals. With my childcare center I decided to cut ALL unnecessary expenses. I didn’t get my nails & hair done for over a year. Literally rocked my Afro. I stopped eating out & I pretty much didn’t do any extracurricular activities that were not free. By doing all of this I was able to save 25k that year. I pretty much do this everytime I’m planning to invest in another business venture. Another budget friendly thing I did was purchase majority of the items needed for my childcare center used. This saved me thousands & thousands of dollars.
As an artist/model I also created a budget. My budget includes all my expenses…everything I’ll need from studio sessions, photo shoots, cover art, gas to get to shows, cost of drinks, clothing etc. Without a realistic budget in place I would be overspending & wasting money.
Have you ever had to pivot?
As I grow as a person & business owner I don’t hesitate to move around, let go & start over. I don’t force anything-business relationships, personal relationships, etc.
If something doesn’t work out or is causing more stress than it should I don’t want or need it. I might start a business idea or a hobby & quickly realize this is not it & I’ll move around with no regrets.
I encourage everyone to do the same.
Contact Info:
- Website: therealnitasetina.com
- Instagram: therealnitasetina
- Youtube: The Real Nita Setina