We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Queona ‘Q’ Duff a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Queona ‘Q’, thanks for joining us today. Can you share a story with us from back when you were an intern or apprentice? Maybe it’s a story that illustrates an important lesson you learned or maybe it’s a just a story that makes you laugh (or cry)? Looking back at internships and apprenticeships can be interesting, because there is so much variety in people’s experiences – and often those experiences inform our own leadership style.

I’ve had a few internships/experiences that have kind of shaped me as a person. When I was 7/8 years old, I was in an all girls camp, known as AAOC. That’s where I learned a little bit of Spanish, French, and Sign Language. Which helped me as I got older with jobs and communicating with different people.

When I was about 11/12 years old I was in a program called Youth About Business. Youth About Business pretty much exposes the youth to the business world learning about entrepreneurship, finances, etc. That summer, I went to their summer program where I actually got pretty good at shooting pool but also a chance to intern at black-owned businesses.

The first business I interned at was Arvie Personnel which was a staffing agency. That’s where I learned to type fast and organize by last name alphabetically, color coded folders, you name it! Next, I interned at NaSah’s Nail Salon, now known as NaSah’s Nuture Nature. That was one of my first introductions into the beauty industry. At the time, I worked alongside the owner, Angela Mitchell Hill. She showed me how to properly paint nails, and clean up the area. She also had me work as a receptionist. Lastly, I had the opportunity to intern at Alkebu-LAN images with the owner Yusef Harris. He taught me a lot when it came to customer service. He would have me greet people as soon as they came in. He taught me the difference between “market value vs. price,” and many other things. But my favorite thing I learned from him, that I still remember til this day, was how to make shea butter from its raw form. Everything I learned from these businesses and business owners have stuck with me for a long time. They played a big part in skill development and more.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Queona Duff. But most people just call me Q.
I was born and raised in Nashville, Tennessee.
I’m an acrylic paint artist (I sometimes do commission paintings) and a music lover!
As a professional, I am dual-licensed in the state of Tennessee as a massage therapist and esthetician.
I am a graduate of Nashville School of Massage Therapy and Aveda Arts and Sciences Institute Nashville.
I got into massage therapy after working in clothing retail for 7 years.

I started Qreative Art Massage in June 2024 so people could enjoy affordable self care and so that I could help with different health issues like: sciatica, frozen shoulder, headaches, etc. I offer Swedish Massage, Deep Tissue Massage, Sports Massage, Adolescent Massage, and Prenatal. I also have a few add-ons: Steam Eye Mask, Aromatherapy, CBD spot treatment, and 3 different types of foot scrubs.

I think what sets me apart from others is I’ve dealt with some health issues myself. Every client and every body is not the same so I try to think outside the box for my clients; so when they leave they are able to function, achieve, and enjoy things that they were not able to beforehand.

I’m proud of where I’m at today with my business and there’s always room to grow! But within the next year I’m hoping I’ll be able to give back 10% of my earnings to local businesses, shelters, and other organizations!

We’d love to hear your thoughts about selling platforms like Amazon/Etsy vs selling on your own site.

I do sell items on my website. They are massage tools that can help in between massages or you just prefer not to get massages. They are tools that can aid in everyday life. I sell mini massage guns, a back massager (I call it a massage hook) that has 13 trigger point balls on it, a foot roller, a deep tissue muscle roller, and a massage ball. I prefer to do it through my website which is through squarespace. It just makes the process a little easier and attainable.

Can you talk to us about your experience with selling businesses?

Most people don’t know that back in 2020, I had an online boutique called Qtique Boutique. I sold women’s clothing XS-3X, accessories, and scented lipgloss. I was working on getting kids clothing, men’s clothing, and shoes. I had the option to dropship but chose to ship items from home to personalize orders with my own tags, boxes, stickers, thank you cards, and bags, etc. But in September of 2020, I had to get knee surgery (1st one) and I knew I wasn’t going to be able to run it by myself. I sold my inventory and then I sold my online boutique. It was literally one of the hardest things I had to do because I spent so much time and money on that business, that was basically my baby. It was definitely a learning experience the hardest lesson I learned to always keep extra money because you never know what could happen.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://qreativeartmassage.co
• Instagram: qreativeartmassage_ , estheticswithq_
• Facebook: Qreative Art Massage, Esthetics with Q