We recently connected with Tiandra Robinson and have shared our conversation below.

Tiandra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today If you could go back in time do you wish you had started your business sooner or later

I started my marketing business back( then it was public relations) in 2009 out of frustration and necessity. I had just graduated with my Master’s in Marketing Communications and got tired of applying for jobs with ad agencies in the city (Louisville) and not getting interviews. This is when I decided to freelance my services on the side to build up experience, I only did it for that experience so I could look appetizing to those agencies. It was during this time I realized there was this big untapped market of small business owners who needed help marketing their businesses and I soon became the Marketing Maven. I now specialize in small and mostly black-owned businesses. I am a firm believer in everything good happens at the right time and this was no exception.

Tiandra, 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?

I am a proud wife and mother of 2 wonderful children, who still works a full-time job while pursuing my ultimate dream of full-time entrepreneurship. I have a degree in Advertising from Western Kentucky University and a Masters in Marketing Communications from Webster University. I started T. Marie Consulting in 2009 when there weren’t any opportunities at local ad agencies. I began doing freelance PR work for the entertainment industry and eventually morphed into more of a marketing role for mostly local small and black-owned businesses. The biggest problem I solve for my clients is getting the public to know their business exists through effective marketing strategies. I also give them opportunities to generate income through various marketing concepts I’ve created.
One such concept is 502 Black Business Week, which started in 2018. This week was created to celebrate Juneteenth and to bring exposure to black-owned businesses. Featured businesses offer week-long discounts to encourage people to spend and buy black.
I started this in 2018 with only 14 businesses and last year it grew to over 100! That is what I am most proud of!

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

This is an interesting question, only because T. Marie Consulting remains my side hustle and has been since I began in 2009. The goal as mentioned earlier is to do it full-time. I will say I have had tremendous growth with my business and opportunities have been coming in left and right. I definitely think it’s only a matter of time.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

With running a business you never know when you will have to switch gears, and when the pandemic hit, even I had to pivot in my business. I offer consultations and marketing workshops and when Covid hit I had to go from doing those in-person to virtually. Though it wasn’t a hard transition, it did prepare me for the unexpected.

Contact Info:

• Website: tmarieconsulting.com
• Instagram: @tmarieconsulting
• Facebook: T. Marie Consulting
• Linkedin: Tiandra Robinson