Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tierra Gwinn. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tierra, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I’ve been a Freelance Entrepreneur for about 5 years. As a young adult, I am learning and flourishing every day. I have two small businesses, CharmedByT where I am a Freelance Makeup Artist, and CharmedCustoms where I create and design different customized items for special occasions, events, or personal merchandise. As I am wrapping up my undergraduate degree, I added one more thing to my list. Recently, in August 2022, I started another small business called CharmedSweets. Creating sweet treats is one thing I didn’t think would grab my interest, but cooking has played a big role in my upbringing, so why not be the one to contribute to the sweet tooth? When people ask me how I came up with my third business, I tell them it came to me in my sleep. My creative mind never stops, but I constantly have visions on making things better. I looked at a jar and saw more than just glass. I knew I could turn it into something that people haven’t seen before. CharmedSweets main product is our alcohol enhanced pudding jars. All jar flavors contain moonshine to add a twist to common desserts. For example, our best seller is our banana pudding jar and we added banana pudding moonshine to add a twist to the classic dessert. Once I know that I am capable of executing something, I go for it. I go for it for the experience and the lesson behind it not for the wealth. I go for it because it’s a steppingstone for something bigger, so I trust and respect the process. It is a part of my story, and the goal is to be the person to inspire someone else to go for any opportunity that will lead them to the next level no matter how big or small. After I decided that I wanted CharmedSweets to be my third baby, I gathered friends and family to play as judges and test my product. Once I got the green light, my wheels were turning. I launched CharmedSweets and is now growing little by little every day.

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?

As previously stated, I am a Freelance Entrepreneur. I build a lot of my ideas off of each other. I am still currently a Freelance Makeup Artist, but my makeup career was the beginning of everything. After a few years, CharmedByT wasn’t the only thing that I wanted to focus on. My hobbies and attention span started to expand and go beyond just doing makeup. I started a business, CharmedCustoms, that centered around my creativity which allowed me to showcase different things that I could recreate and have fun with. Keep in mind, I developed my makeup career while I was in high school and started CharmedCustoms while in college. I have been a full-time student and full-time entrepreneur. Now in my last year of college, I decided to get out of my comfort zone and experiment with something different that people wouldn’t expect from me. I launched CharmedSweets this year and I see it evolving into something bigger real soon. Developing businesses seems easy to me, but executing the idea is the task. The one thing that sets me apart from others is my resilience, my confidence, and my drive to make it happen. I believe that I am a “Natural Born Hustler”. I will find a way to make anything work. I am determined to follow through with my projects because I know how great they are and the potential they have. A lot of small businesses fail because of the lack of support, confidence, commitment and so much more. I put a lot of energy into my craft which has shaped me into being resilient. My marketing skills have enhanced my confidence to always promote my products. I have grown to believe that my drive to always follow through with my ideas is my gift, and that’s what sets me apart from others. I am most proud of all the work I was able to accomplish throughout my college career. I don’t give myself enough credit, but I am so appreciative of my supporters for being a part of my journey and supporting all of my endeavors. Without them, I wouldn’t be able to say that I am student loan free. I am proud to say that my creations paid my way through college, and for that I am forever grateful.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Over the years I have learned that social media presence is key for a business to strive. No matter how many posts you have to make, always post your product. You always want to showcase your work and use your social media platform as a digital portfolio for potential customers or clients to see your work. I built my audience based on word of mouth and promotion. I include incentives to gain more followers or clientele to grow my business and rewards those who value my craft. Always be consistent with your work and remain professional. Some may think it is Marketing skills, but truly it is a reflection of how you are as a businessperson and how you want customers to view your business. My advice would be to always be professional and consistent. Don’t be discouraged if you don’t receive feedback or gain a lot of reaction. Your time is coming!

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients will always be word of mouth. If people love your product or service, they will tell three others. Your name will become a recommendation in disguise. Social media is key, but I value raw feedback from customers. Specifically, with CharmedSweets, I gain a lot of customers based on our video reviews that we display on our social media. The goal is for people to see others try our products for the first time and watch their initial reactions. If you see more than one person, say great things about a product, then you are more likely to try. The key is just trying the product. We know that it is something fresh and new, and something that people are unfamiliar with. So, when people try the product and love it, we thrive off of that feedback.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/tierragwinn
• Instagram: @charmed.sweets
• Linkedin: Tierra Gwinn

Image Credits
Photographer: Elijah Lightfoot (@elijahlightfoot_)