There are so many reports out there highlighting the extent to which Black people are falling short when it comes to building wealth.
Diishan Imira, CEO of Mayvenn, puts his finger on how to address this in Part 2 of his conversation with GHOGH host Jamarlin Martin. Mayvenn is a platform that enables hairstylists to supply their clients with the products they need. Mayvenn has reshaped how retail products are sold and distributed. Diishan shares gems on building confidence, and focusing on your strengths.
Diishan and Jamarlin discuss how Black entrepreneurs often find themselves in a position where they don’t ask for all the value they want in securing an investment. Diishan stresses how important it is to go into a room knowing you have a valuable business and investors are fortunate to get an opportunity to invest in you.
“We’re intimidated a lot of times walking into places where we feel like we’re coming from such a place of scarcity and lack, and you walk into this place of abundance and you’re scared to ask for all the abundance. It’s a crazy feeling. I’ve had to work on it myself to remind myself like, ‘Yo, don’t be walking in here timid. This is your shit. They’re lucky to get a piece of my shit.’”
Looking for resources to make sure you’re putting yourself in the mindset of valuing yourself so you can secure the bag? Here are some resources:
Listen to GHOGH with Jamarlin Martin | Episode 48: Diishan Imira
Part 2: Jamarlin continues his interview with Diishan Imira, founder of hair-care platform Mayvenn. They discuss how Diishan was mentored to think like a boss and “ask for the check,” and how much it meant to him to have investor Richelieu Dennis in his cap table. They also discuss New York progressives bangin’ back against Amazon and the growing negative sentiment against big tech.
Diishan also highlights the importance of investing in your strengths rather than keeping your head on a swivel to pick a lane that seems hot at the moment. Focusing on your strengths, in Diishan’s estimation, helps you exercise patience and take the long view in building opportunities for yourself.
Looking for help on identifying your strengths? Here are some resources:
Black people have a lot to offer and can demand the requisite value for what we bring to the table. Here’s to us making that happen! Let’s GHOGH!
Kwame Som-Pimpong leverages relentless research, a knack for connecting dots, human-centered design approach, and effective communications strategy to help organizations realize their strategic objectives. Over a 10-year career, Kwame has supercharged grassroots political organizing efforts, assessed the effectiveness of U.S. federal agencies, managed an international program, founded a digital media startup, and advised government agencies on delighting their end-users. He earned a BA in Political Science from Davidson College and Master of Public Administration from the University of Georgia. He can be reached at kwame.som.pimpong@gmail.com.
