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

Tonya, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?

I’ve pondered over this question several times! I’ve been creating things by hand since childhood. Creating things by hand gives me joy and peace; it’s a creative outlet for me. The art of accessory making was a hobby for me that turned into a business.

I’ve embraced my choice to start my creative career later than sooner. When I launched my brand, I was transitioning into an empty nester and had more time to focus on my passions. At this time, my hobby became a side hustle. I didn’t clear my plate to pursue my brand fully until I was featured on Essence as a Black Woman designer on Etsy. That recognition was an eye-opener to the fact that my designs were publication worthy. Since then I’ve had more features on national publications which affirmed my choice to wait. It inspired and motivated me to go all in!

Tonya , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m the accessory designer of my handcrafted women’s fashion accessory brand Accented Glory and workshop facilitator of my informative organization The Vine Event Planning (The Vine Events). I merge my two passions to create and educate through my coaching and marketing brand Strategypreneur™.

My specialty with Accented Glory is cowrie shell accessory designs. My work is for people who love accessories that have an afrocentric, boho-chic, island or beach vibe. My pieces include natural hair accessories, jewelry, handbags, and hats. My hair accessories are created with fabrics and materials that minimize damage to kinky, coily, and curly hair. My headband designs are lined with fabrics that keep natural hair from drying out and breakage. Another complaint I hear about headbands is headband headaches. To remedy this problem, all of my headband designs are adjustable; wearers control how tight they fit. All of my earring designs are light weight, so no concerns for earlobe droop. My earrings are also created with nickel free jewelry fixtures.

My focus with The Vine Events is personal development and small business workshops. I host and facilitate both in-person and online events. I live stream weekly in my Facebook group for creative women entrepreneurs Digital Marketing On A Budget. I share advice and tips relating to both marketing and personal development as an entrepreneur. My workshops and live streams are great for folks short on time. The information I share is concise and give quick results if you put in the work.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

I love this question! I teach seasonal accessory making classes and most of my students are new to the art of accessory making. Many of them have told me that they have a new respect for makers now. They were unaware of the creative thought, hard work, and passion that goes into creating until they took my class. They also said they now understand why handcrafted designs cost more; they’re more valuable because of the time and effort that goes into creation. Hearing this observation from my students did my heart good. I was glad to provide a first hand glimpse into the world of artists and creatives!

To my fellow creatives charge your worth. Those who value your creativity and work will be willing to pay your prices. Folks that are not willing to pay your prices are simply not your customer.

How did you build your audience on social media?

The key to building your audience on social media is getting laser focus on who your audience is. Often time newbie entrepreneurs cast their audience net wide and believe everyone is their ideal customer. Knowing what your ideal customer likes/dislikes, where they live, their economic status and so on aides in creating content that connects!

Often my coaching clients ask where can I get ideal customer information from. Your social media business account dashboard data can answer many questions as far as who your potential customer is. I’m a numbers kind of girl, so I check my data regularly and encourage my clients to do the same. Your business stats/analytics will help in figuring out how to reach and connect with your customers.

Some more advice is use lingo (words or phrases used by specific community) in your content that’s going to resonate with your ideal customer. Also share your business “Sweet Spot”; what makes your business stand out from your competitors. Include in your content what problems your products or services solve for your audience as well.

A story that I can share is that one time I was getting a lot of orders from the mid-west region of the United States. Which was unusual for me; most of my orders come from both west and east coast. So, when I went into my seller dashboard on Etsy I saw that a link from MarthaStewartShop.com was driving a lot of traffic to my website. I also saw the key words they were using to find me, so I started using more of those words in my content to draw even more of those customers. This goes back to making sure you use the right language to build your social media audience.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.accentedglory.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/AccentedGlory
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AccentedGlory
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonyacross
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/AccentedGlory
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@accentedglory
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@accentedglory

Strategypreneur™ is my newest creative career! I assist women makers, authors, and organization leaders in navigating through organic online marketing. I help them develop marketing strategies that’ll help them gain online visibility and start converting their followers into customers. Most of my clients are forty plus and decided to turn their hobby into a business while working their 9-5 (day job). I have a unique perspective of this journey because I’ve lived it. I too had to figure things out and find marketing strategies that work. I can assist them in avoiding pitfalls and reaching their goals quicker!