Etiti Ayeni who is the founder and designer of ELUKE was presented with an opportunity and she made sure that at all costs she would be ready to deliver. Nothing in this life is given for free and ELUKE worked to make sure she was ready when the opportunity presented itself. What are you willing to do to take on your destiny and your purpose? In an interview with Etiti, she explains her creative inspirations and what led her to start her business.

What motivated you or inspired you to create your brand?

There are so many reasons honestly but I’ll focus on one. The things that inspired me to createELUKE has been a desire to kind of give the designs I have already been making a house. A place and an entity where they could exist and thrive and grow. Before I started ELUKE , I was designing jewelry but for myself mostly and I had the opportunity to be introduced to a collective of women, artists, and entrepreneurs in D.C. called Fem fatale DC. I would just wear my jewelry in there just because it was the type of space where you could show off and it was an inclusive space where it was women owned and women driven. I would wear my jewelry in there and people would just stop and say “oh, where did you get that jewelry from?” I would respond and say I made it and they would ask me “do you have a website?” and I’d say not yet I’m building it.

I was not building my website at the time and I don’t even think I’ve developed the name of the company. I was still thinking of names but being in that space kind of pushed me to formalize something that I felt proud of presenting to people. Instead of just saying oh I make this, I was just tired of telling people that I make jewelry but I’m not an artist or I make jewelry but I’m not an entrepreneur. It didn’t sit well with my soul.

It wasn’t just them that I felt I didn’t belong with necessarily but in general. I think truly deep down what inspired me to start my company was that it gave me the confidence to be the truest form of myself and not continue to shy away from that for a plethora of reasons.

It gave me a purpose in that I just wanted to be out there in a any way.  At the time, I didn’t know what that meant and people would told me “you know, you should get out there” and I would ask myself “what does that even mean?”

I didn’t even know where to begin but being in that space gave me the confidence to put myself in there. I had one woman in particular who told me about a vending opportunity and about a month later I was in that show….The event in D.C. was called Warehouse and it was at the Art Center. It was my first show ever and I had no inventory. When she was talking to me about the opportunity. At that moment, I scrambled for some business cards and to get a framework of my website up and I just used some fabulous old pictures that I had from my Birthday last summer.

Later, I ended up meeting my uber driver who was a photographer. I was wearing my jewelry and he told me they were nice and then he was a photographer. He is the first person that took my photos and those were the first photos I used to show  people my work which helped me get my foot in the door because allot of brands and businesses don’t have the materials that they need and those pictures were professional and also gave off the Solange and St. Heron aesthetic that I desired. It helped people look at my stuff and say she’s been in the game for a long time. I didn’t even have inventory before that show but I just got it together.

How do you design and what is your inspiration?

My boiler plate and what I put behind all my marketing is that the inspiration behind ELUKE is my Nigerian ancestry and my southern Gulla ancestry. So, I’m half Nigerian and my mother is Gullah-Geechee from South Carolina and they have a strong history in making materials out of baskets and doing a lot of different types of art projects. My aunt is a tapestry designer and so I’ve always drawn a lot of inspiration from textile and just the nature of weaving. My father used to dye fabric and I was just surrounded by all different types. My mom used to always take me to the fabric store. There was something very organic about being drawn to textile. I was drawn to that right away and I’ve been designing and creating jewelry since I was a kid. I got my first jewelry kit when I was probably 12. My aunt gave me a jewelry kit that had plyers and everything I needed.  She taught me the basics and I kind of just experimented. I don’t remember not having jewelry in my life or just creating jewelry or really working with DIYs like designing my shirts or ripping my jeans myself. I’ve always done that so I would just say the two things that I draw from is my Nigerian heritage and Gullah heritage as well as my family who are all creative.

However, a lot of the pieces that you see in the ELUKE collection  came from me experimenting with looks that I have conceived in my head. For example, I knew that I wanted a lot of gold and I can see myself being very regal and I wanted to wear a lot of high collar necklaces. So, I played around with things until I could come up with concepts that looked good on me specifically because with ELUKE I hadn’t intended on creating designs for other people and I always hoped I would but when I was creating at the time I kept thinking and imagining specific pieces looking great on different types of women. So, a lot of my creations is just a manifestation of creating things for myself, trial and error, and then creating renditions of another piece. In the past I’d never sketched because I liked being organic and a lot of the pieces I would make as a kid I’d make out of recycled jewelry parts. So, whatever I made was whatever I had at my disposal

What have you learned over time is a huge no? Like man, maybe I shouldn’t have done that?

Everything I’ve learned to date for me has been incredibly valuable. Whether or not I’ve misstepped or I’ve spent more money on something then I should have or didn’t source my materials correctly. All of the above is part of the growing that most brands probably have gone through and at least some of the ones I’ve researched have experienced the same ups and downs. So, I don’t really judge myself too harshly especially on some things that I have no control over. The one thing I did beat myself up over recently was allowing someone to haggle me on my price. I made that mistake twice and I will never make that mistake again. I can understand negotiations in the case of a  wholesaler or some other entity. However, I’m not there yet but I can make a business case for negotiating price points. I hope in my life that I will never let anyone haggle me for my price. My price is the price and often times I feel like you can’t put a monetary value on someone’s time and passion. We try our hardest as artists to get as close to where we feel like what our work deserves but for people to see clearly what the price is but then try to say no I’m going to give it to you for this amount. There is something very defacing about that and it feels kind of like someone spray painted all over my canvas. It feels terrible and in that moment your trying to wear many different hats as an entrepreneur. You are trying to be the artist and you are also trying to be the entrepreneurial source behind your business. There is always a voice in your head that says you know you need this sale and you need to make a profit and at least breakeven. Then you have the other voice that’s like don’t devalue your work. People don’t know how much time you put into this, how much energy, how many sacrifices. People don’t understand how much time you put in to prepare for the show or prepare for the opportunity and it takes a toll on you spiritually. I don’t go back and forth too much to dwell on it. There are diplomatic ways to do it where i can say well these are our products and we put a lot of energy into making them but maybe you can sign up for our newsletter and get 10% off on our website. There is a way that you can divert that without being condescending and I don’t want to be condescending. I am very cognizant of people’s scenarios especially artists.

How do you manage your time? Balancing life, work, and dedicating time to your passion?

I will let you know when I feel like I’ve created a matrix of all of my activities that I can organize my time. There was a period where I was not managing my time well. I still have a very real 9 to 5 job and case in point I’m still here in the space of my job. So, there was a time where I would come home and work for hours on different things relating to my business but with no real methodology but now i’m just more methodical because i was running myself ragged completely and I wanted to make time to hang out with my friends and go to happy hours. While I’m building my business, there is definitely a certain level of sacrifice but I’m at the point where juggling is working for me and I just try to create to-do lists. To-do lists are my lifesaver but specifically to-do lists that have a goal and have a specific objective in mind to reach a certain goal later on in the year. So, if I feel myself dragging on a specific task I then tell myself i need to break down the specific task to either smaller parts because something about this is making me procrastinate. So, that’s how I’ve been trying to manage my time and I feel great when I can mark something off of my to-do list and I see the progress in managing my time. I’ll also tell myself i’m only going to work 3-4 hours after I leave the office so I can have time to cook and actually eat.

What advise do you have for someone who is just starting out or who wants to go into design?

This is a hard question but there are things I know I should have done and I’ll give an example. One thing I should have done before starting my business is to research more about the entity I wished to create. Maybe I could have started jotting down a little bit of a business plan and then setting aside a bit of money so I can create a cohesive collection if that makes sense. Putting that capital aside and figuring out how i can have a product line where if I run out of a specific beads then I would know that i can afford to buy a specific number of units because I did my budgeting. I wish I had a little bit more of that before I started but at the same time I know myself and all of those details probably would have derailed me from actually starting. I would have tried to make all of that perfect and I don’t know when I would have started. It would have been so easy to keep pushing it back. So,I don’t regret how I started and I would tell someone to take the designs that they already have and get them out because if you want to scale your business from a small maker company into something a little bit larger your going to need help so the more you can streamline your process so that someone else can come on board and help alleviate your burden or your workload than it can be extremely helpful. I didn’t have that luxury but I had the opportunity to start so I just started and tried to get my ducks in a row after the fact. It is okay if things are not perfect because for me that was a real blessing of this journey just being able to talk to other people and be relatable. People look on the outside and see the finished product and my beautiful visuals but they don’t know that I shot that on my phone because I can’t afford a camera but I still put in the work to make  it all look good because I just have to have faith. If people feel like they need to start just start.

What type of people did you bring on to your team early on to be more efficient?

I currently have two job openings and one is for a creative marketing intern and so that’s for anyone who would like to learn how to merchandise products and create a cohesive branded digital presence and also do a lot of the PR outreach that a budding brand needs and a lot of the trial and error that goes into marketing and finding your right target audience but I’d like to say that this person would be interested in helping set up photoshoots and helping strategize digital incentives to get people to buy more products and to get customers to promote us of their own free will and then reaching out to influencers. Next, is a production assistant because I need an assistant in the creative process. However, there are also other things that I’ve fortunately been able to find angels around me who have helped me do a little of my accounting, book keeping, and my long term financial advising and a little bit of my business strategy. A few of my friends saw me at Afropunk and they  offered to help me with certain things. I have all kinds of friends who are business consultants, accountants and artists and I didn’t even think to ask them for help with my books.

So in the next 5 years, where do you see your brand and what type of customer do you see wearing your brand?

Well my 5 year plan will be dedicated towards creating sustainable opportunities for women, makers, and artists in Nigeria to partner with me to create some of my material. I’ve already started working with my family who live in Lagos to help me create some of the handprint fabrics that I will be using in future collections. I didn’t grow up physically aside that part of my family and for me it has been really gratifying to use my talent to be able to build a bridge over to them in Nigeria. It is hard to establish an inherent relationship because yeah we have our blood in common but the fact that they are creative and entrepreneurial and that they see my company as valid is gratifying. Also, the fact that they want to help create something that can benefit them and their families and that can help me grow means everything and it is an added bonus for it to be a family endeavor. However, I would like to have an establishment where specifically female makers and local artisans can work with Eluke to either not only produce these pieces but to help as as an entrepreneurial incubator so that they can do what they want to do with their craft. Whether that is to help them have a steady income or just a platform. It is something that I hope Eluke can bring to others specifically in Nigeria since my family is already there and I feel connected.

Where can people find you and what projects do you have coming down the pipeline?

I will be in DC vending at the National Museum of Women in the Art during their MakeHer market which is a pop-up artisan market promoting local women artists and designers. In October, I will take my designs and I will be vending out in California. Those will be the two main places where people can find ELUKE other than the website which is at Eluke.co but I am really excited about these opportunities.

Comment down below if you are a budding designer and relate with Etiti’s journey!

Boss Watch will feature creatives, entrepreneurs, influencers, digital professionals and anyone who is moving their passions from an idea into a reality. Boss Watch is for anyone who aspires to live a fulfilled life and just needs a little bit of inspiration to know that they are not alone on their journey towards self-realization. Boss Watch is for anyone who has made it through the growing pains of realizing their dreams and is now looking to share wisdom or just find new people to increase their network.  Is this you? If so, then feel free to leave a comment or email cnkstylebook@gmail.com for a chance to be featured on the next Boss Watch.

Confidence and a smile is a woman’s best armor and best accessory. Fashion and trends will always come and go but how a person carries themselves in their walk and how they embrace their place in the world lends a hand into a person’s style. I always try to walk the world with a purpose and leave an imprint that is uniquely my own. This purple dress is just a simple purple body-con dress but because I’m wearing it the dress becomes something more than just a dress. I think it is important for every woman to find their inner light and their inner selves and just let it shine. No matter what you put on that inner light will show through and give you flare. Never let anyone steal your light, never let any circumstance take your flare. If you keep your fire burning no one can stand in your way lest they burn.

Outfit Details

Purple Body Con Sleeveless Dress: Zara

The dress does not currently come in the purple but is available in fall colors black, grey, and sand!

Black Block Heels: H&M

Comment down below if you feel the same way about confidence!

One thing that is an important part about building a brand is building a community. Jasmine Utterback has been extremely successful in building a community through Creative Women Build which is a growing safe haven for creative women and entrepreneurs based in NY and D.C. It is also important as a woman of color to share experiences and lift each other up in various pursuits. In and interview with Jasmine, she was able to drop many valuable gems that she has learned over the years to build her brand and grow.

How do you pitch to brands?

In terms of pitching, We had the first Creative Women Hustle at Peace and Riot in Brooklyn and then we had the second Creative Women Hustle in August that was at the Tillary Hotel based in downtown Brooklyn. I really wanted to elevate the experience of Creative Women Hustle with sponsors and we had [the beauty brand] Glossier, an app called Swivel which is based in NJ and NY where basically you can find hairstylists near your home or even hairstylists that can come to your home, and there were other brands too. What worked for me is I bought a pitch template from a blogger named Monroe Steele and she pretty much lays it out and she even gives you an example with a pitch letter that she has used in the past. All you have to do is fill in your information and come up with your different tiers. So, Tier 1 was my monetary sponsor where I decided that this is all the money I will need to cover all the expenses of this event. Next, Tier 2 was my gift bag sponsors and what I was looking for from them and what was going to be the deliverables on my end. For each brand that I reached out too I just changed the message a little bit but the intro stayed the same.

What challenges do you face when launching anything new?

I really feel that having a business, a platform, or a blog is really all about overcoming yourself. That’s what it is all day and every day. For example, I recently launched a membership service a couple weeks ago and the membership program was something that I’ve wanted for a long time but then I had a list of worries like wondering if people would think I’m qualified, wondering how is the membership would go, if people were going to enjoy it, and if they were going to get what they need. Eventually, I was just like look, Jasmine your going to do it and it’s time. So, yeah, it’s a lot of just overcoming yourself.

How do you learn your target audience?

I did an event planning webinar and one of the things I talked about there is learning your target audience. The audience that you have right now is going to grow and evolve and you will also grow and evolve. So, it’s a continual process of learning your audience and asking your audience what they need because people are going to be at various stages. One of the ladies who was on the call is about to start an event series for Moms. I said that Moms who have a baby just under 12 months and moms who have toddlers, and moms who have kids over 5 all have different needs and yet they are a part of your audience. How I get feedback from my audience is I usually send out a survey after the event but sometimes I do forget or I don’t communicate it well enough. In this case, I also receive feedback from people who post about going to the event on social media and having an amazing time at the event or they come up to me after the event and tell me how they enjoyed the event. I’ll also may get messages on Instagram where they say how inspired they were by my event that they are now creating their own event.

What motivated or inspired you to create Creative Women Build?

I lived in NY for a year and I was searching for a community to be a part of and I felt like I hadn’t found one so I created one for myself. In the very beginning I just wanted to get black creative women in the room together and I just wanted us to have a seat at the table and just openly discuss our needs, what types of workshops and the content that we need to progress our ideas forward. I am also just really big on getting feedback and I will continue to do that andI just like people to feel like they are a part of something and that their feedback is valued. I want to help them meet their goals and I want to meet their needs basically. Many of the things we have done have come from that first meetup where I literally asked what do you need and there were some things that I haven’t even gotten too but people wanted to do some social things together. At that first meetup they mentioned going thrift  shopping together and I was like let me run with this idea. So I was like, why don’t we go to a vintage store and we meet the owner and we learn her story and that is where Creative Women Hustle came from where we were able to hear all 3 of their stories. I take what I hear from other business owners very intently and try to figure out how I can help them problem solve. For example, if someone asks about how they can get funding for their business I’m going to tell them that I’m actually trying to get funding myself and here are the grants I am trying to get. I just strongly believe that we go further together and the community is really about sharing resources and celebrating one another’s accomplishments and really appreciating people for what they’ve contributed. There have been many women who have come to CWB events who have talked about how being a creative can be lonely and I want people to know that they have support and they may not be able to attend every event but when they do come they will get the same energy they received at the last event. So, I’m really working on improving CWB’s company culture so that if you are in CWB DC, Atlanta, LA  or wherever you are that you are going to leave feeling the same way.

When did you know it was time to expand your team?

It took a very long time for me and I am the type of person who wants to do it all. I still do a lot of the work but there were areas where I realized I needed help. Like, I do need people helping at the event to check people in, get photos, or run an Instagram live. There is a lot that goes into planning an event and getting all the people together and still when you get to the event there are still all of these people to coordinate. Even at our first vision workshop a friend of mine advised me that I really need a team to help with  the day of the event but as I went along I realized I that my friend was right. Also, there is the fact that I’m building this community but at the same time I still want to exist outside of the community.

CWB is really my heart and everything that I am and when people come to the event the energy that is created is my energy. We’ve recently expanded to DC so now I have a DC team lead and it is absolutely necessary because I don’t live in DC and I only plan to be there when we have the events. So, I knew from the outset that I needed to have a team lead and it’s a blessing because she already already plans events so it was like wow I found someone that does something similar to what I do with CWB and probably does it even better because she knows the DC landscape and where to have events. One of the major things that I feel has been helping with CWB growth is I have been taking time to sleep.So as I grow personally, my brand also grows when I take time to take care of myself. I become more clear about my direction and I infuse these things into CWB and one of those things is quick recovery. So for instance, with the Creative Women Hustle [event], when I was looking for sponsors I went to an event where I met this amazing brand and I was so excited but then they ended up not being able to do the event. However, at this time I’ve already started talking about quick recovery and I talked to Courtney who is a CWB member who expressed her sympathy because  she knew how much I wanted that sponsor but  I just told her it was okay. What brands are we now going to now replace them with? Later, the replacement ended up being Glossier. So it was like OMG! So much better!

What do you think was the catalyst for your growth and when everything clicked for you in a way where you knew that this was what you wanted to do?

I had a really rough period this year and before CWB I had a previous platform and blog back in 2012 and I was still living in Louisiana. My uncle passed away suddenly and I just had a huge void in my life and so I was like wow life is short. My uncle was the life of the party and I realized that I need to do the things that I love doing and part of that was hosting events and supporting black owned businesses. CWB is all part of the journey and I’ve had years of experience planning events for different things and I’ve been public speaking since I was a kid so everything has just been a part of my nature. So, I started CWB and I told myself that I was committed and that if anything happens I am committed. The best way for me to do that is to host monthly events. However, I quickly got burnt out doing that because I was working on CWB day and night literally. Waking up early and going to bed late and my energy was just very low. Then I was at the first session of CWB and there was pain radiating down my leg. I have never experienced that before but I told myself I was going to push through the pain. Later, I went to Jersey to visit one of my friends and realized that I really couldn’t move. I was in a lot of pain so fast forward I found out that I have two large fibroids and the doctors I have spoken to told me I would have to remove the fibroids. So there was a week in January where I was crying everyday because I was in so much pain and I didn’t go to work. However, the first Creative Women Hustle event was coming up so I was like Jasmine you gotta pull through because you are not cancelling this event. I literally could not walk and was in so much pain but I still had to make it to the event. So from January to May I was building CWB but I was also at a low point.  I just told myself that I have shit to do. Everything started to lift a little bit when I turned 30 in May and as I gradually went on I got a little bit better and stronger each day. You would not know now that I went through such a rough time but my closest friends were there and when my drive kicked back in it was like a whole new level.

Did you ever feel like you need a huge following to start what you did?

I really thrive being able to connect with different people. A part of CWB philosophy that I am developing is just to start. Even at the beginning of CWB I was making some changes in my life and I moved to Brooklyn because I wanted a new space to be able to create. When I moved to Brooklyn there was so much inspiration around me and so much community and I was just building all the time. One thing about me that never changes is that I have a lot of faith and so when I put on events I know that without a shadow of a doubt that the people who are supposed to be there will be there. The number of tickets that we want to sell will be sold. Like, it’s going to be exactly how I intended it to be in the end. I just had an intense desire to start CWB and I told myself that I just had to do it and there were no other options.

In 10 years where do you see CWB?

In 10 years we will have chapters in many different cities. We will then expand into Philly, then Chicago and Texas. We will have event spaces and from this moment forward I’m going to be working on crowdfunding so we can have an event and office space which will be our first CWB Headquarters. In 10 years we will have created a pipeline for women to have access to capital. That is a goal that has come about in the last couple of months. I have so much faith and one of the big things about me is that I am a visionary and you can give me a blank canvas and I’m going to figure out how to create on that blank canvas and so I want to encourage people to do the same thing. I also want to have internships, training programs, and be a business incubator that can help women start a business from step 1 to 100.

What did you learn over time is a huge no?

I think I’m intentional about having contracts developed. Like for example, my sponsorships for Creative Women Hustle, I had a lawyer draw a contract because I read in a business journal that contracts are really important.I think that as I go along I will continue to build my skills in business.

What are upcoming events you have coming up and things people should look out for?

Our October 15th Happy Hour focused on self love, self care, and sensuality. Lotus Leloba will be there and talking about unapologetic self love. We will also have Christiana who is the owner of Bum Cake Vintage. October we will do a work sessions but I don’t have a date for that yet. November we will do community service.Then in December/January we will have a holiday party.

Comment down below with your thoughts on this interview! Have you had a similar experience in building a community? Do you have a gem you would like to share?

Boss Watch will feature creatives, entrepreneurs, influencers, digital professionals and anyone who is moving their passions from an idea into a reality. Boss Watch is for anyone who aspires to live a fulfilled life and just needs a little bit of inspiration to know that they are not alone on their journey towards self-realization. Boss Watch is for anyone who has made it through the growing pains of realizing their dreams and is now looking to share wisdom or just find new people to increase their network.  Is this you? If so, then feel free to leave a comment or email cnkstylebook@gmail.com for a chance to be featured on the next Boss Watch.

New York Fashion week this year has been a whirl wind with many exciting designers as well as unique New York street style. This year I attended the Style Fashion Week Runway Show on Saturday as well as the Sandy Liang Presentation on Sunday. My favorite types of looks from fashion week this year have  grungy, edgy, and conceptual. One of the designers that fits this description is Father Akki who presented colorful over sized jean jackets in shades of orange, yellow, pink and blue. Each jean jacket was customized with artwork and matched with over-sized jeans and skirts. Overall the looks give the right kind of edge and coupled with the soundtrack gave off a carefree vibe. In an excerpt from his site, designer, Dan Trujilo described his creative process as

Catch a video from the show below!

Other notable designers from Style Fashion Week included Marco Marco as well as Smock Me which brought in a lot of color alongside statement bodysuits, jackets, and two piece sets that were made to make any individual standout.

Sandy Liang presented her Fall 2019 RTW collection on Sunday and everything about the collection was street chic. The show was located right on Allen Street at the restaurant Congee Village. Congee Village can very easily be overlooked as you would easily mistake that a show would be presented at the Chinese Restaurant but as soon as you stepped into the location it offered a unique backdrop that highlighted each piece. Models were posed standing on chairs while the waiters passed around Chinese beer and Rose flavored drinks. Key details of each piece included pink bucket hats that gave off the street edge coupled with frilled socks and sandals for a dainty touch. The collection included an array of vibrant and feminine dresses but the details tipped each piece into straddling the line between street wear and breakfast at Tiffany’s. Notable pieces included the  black rouched dress and leopard print dress.

 

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Coco in the Wanda dress

A post shared by Sandy Liang (@sandyliang) on Sep 10, 2018 at 3:41pm PDT

 

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Kira in the Lily

A post shared by Sandy Liang (@sandyliang) on Sep 10, 2018 at 1:03pm PDT

Comment down below with your favorite looks or designers!