For Black Girls’s Historical past Month, we’re highlighting Magic Makers who’re leaving indelible marks in entrepreneurship, leisure, and music, and we expect Marty McDonald is an ideal match.
Supply: Amazon
The Dallas-based entrepreneur and designer is the founder and CEO of Boss Girls Media, an internet hub for profession and business-minded girls who wish to succeed and create a tribe to lean on. Not solely that, however she’s the creator of the Elle Olivia way of life model that was impressed by her want for illustration for her oldest baby. Now present in over 400 Goal shops, Elle Olivia is immersing little Black ladies right into a world of BIG prospects by way of attire, books, experiential play facilities, and parental schooling.
All of the whereas she’s making an impression and inspiring girls to go confidently within the route of their desires, she’s residing hers as a devoted spouse and mother of three.
BOSSIP just lately chatted with McDonald about her bustling enterprise, the Dallas entrepreneurship scene, and her expertise working with the likes of Amazon.
As we proceed highlighting sistas slaying of their respective fields all through April, see our chat with this Magic Maker beneath.
–Dani Canada
BOSSIP: Let’s dive into Boss Girls Media. I do know that is all about neighborhood constructing for you, how did it begin?
Yeah, completely. Actually it was 2016, I used to be in company America attempting to navigate the areas of imposter syndrome, not being seen or proven in management. And so me and a buddy determined that we wished to come back collectively and create an area and a spot for ladies who need extra. At the moment, I wasn’t even absolutely positive what that meant. I simply knew that I desired this alteration. I desired to be round girls who wished progress. I used to be in my twenties. I used to be navigating what it meant to be a frontrunner in company America. Why was there no more of me in company America? And so we created these brunch sequence that actually allowed itself to catapult into us being across the synergies that we desired.
With that, in 2018, I made a decision to give up my company gig and pursue Boss Girls Media as my full-time. And so I put all my efforts in and actually what that meant for me on the time … As a result of I didn’t even perceive what it meant in full transparency to construct a media firm in any respect. I simply knew that I used to be diving in to create an area and a spot for ladies who wished extra, who wished to attach, who wished to be resourced, and who may develop collectively.
And from that, I keep in mind attending an occasion truly in LA, and I used to be actually on this area of tremendous energized, tremendous motivated, tremendous hungry to hustle, and so I used to be placing myself in areas and locations the place I may join with different girls who was doing simply that.
I flew out to LA, went to this convention that actually remodeled my enterprise to be sincere. At this convention, I met the CEO of Sugarfina. We had been in a breakout session on the time, and the CEO of Sugarfina was speaking about how Sugarfina created these taboo gummy bears. Nicely, rewind a few months whereas I used to be nonetheless in my company gig, I had learn this Nielsen information report known as “Black Woman Magic is Actual.” And it talked concerning the shopping for energy of Black girls. And by 2022, Black girls would be the highest spending shopper out of any ethnicity and race, however manufacturers weren’t listening to her. Neither was she the primary audience for manufacturers.
And in order this woman is sitting on this panel speaking concerning the gummy bears that they create at this high-end confectionary retailer. I assumed on the finish of this dialog, I’m going to go as much as her and I’m going to pitch to her this concept the place she ought to create a gummy bear known as “Black Woman Magic.”
And so I’m going as much as her and I’m going, “Hey, my identify’s Marty McDonald. I’m the CEO of Boss Girls Media. Boss Girls Media is an offline on-line girls’s empowerment neighborhood and media firm. Have you ever ever heard of Black Woman Magic?” And her response to me was, “Can I say that out loud?” Now, that is pre-George Floyd and the world was naive to what Black tradition was actually, proper? And I do know Black Woman Magic is a rallying name. There’s a shopping for energy within the conduct of Black girls, and I guess you don’t even have her as a audience. And in order I continued to share, I mentioned, “Hey, it is best to create this gummy bear known as “Black Woman Magic. “I’ll convey all of the Black girls to Sugarfina throughout the US and we may host and create occasions.” She goes, “Ship me an e mail. It’s contact@Sugarfina.”
And I’m going house, I’m so impressed and I’m so extremely motivated to actually take this model that I’ve created and make it a media firm and take it to the subsequent degree. I despatched her a pitch deck that actually remodeled my enterprise. It took her six weeks to reply. She responded, we get on a name, I pitched her the thought. She agreed. And that following 12 months, Boss Girls Media went on tour at Sugarfina areas at 5 throughout the US and we hosted a tour known as Black Woman Magic.
And that was actually the beginning and starting of Boss Girls Media, and we had been now not this native model. We had created a nationwide footprint in area and other people confirmed up for us, and we linked with all of those girls in so many alternative cities throughout the US and that’s actually what allowed us to develop our connection and our assets for our neighborhood.
You’re not solely the CEO of Boss Girls Media, you even have your Elle Olivia model in 400 Goal areas, which is large. Speak to me about constructing that from the bottom up and the way you keep motivated with constructing as a result of I do know entrepreneurship shouldn’t be simple.
My goodness. By no means. And in order I’ve created this actually service area enterprise, it’s allowed me to actually suppose by way of what I wished my product base to be, however by no means in 1,000,000 years did I feel I used to be going to go create a kids’s model in any respect.
And so Elle Olivia is a life-style model for Black and brown little ladies to see themselves, their chance, to see the illustration of the garments that they put on, the books that they learn, and the parental assets that we share and we’re actually simply getting began. We’re simply tapping the floor of what we will do and the impression that we will make.
However lengthy story brief, the model was created from me getting pregnant with my first daughter in 2020 as a result of it was such an isolating time to be pregnant. And after I was 24 weeks pregnant, she was recognized with congenital diaphragmatic hernia, which mainly meant that her spleen, her liver, and her gut had been in her chest and her lungs weren’t absolutely in a position to develop. And so we needed to have surgical procedure when she was born that led us to be within the NICU for about 35 days for her lungs to heal correctly.
Throughout that point of our NICU expertise, we noticed that illustration and advocacy aren’t synonymous with each other and that to ensure that my daughter to see herself on this world, I’ve to point out her and train her each as a result of merely we didn’t see lots of people within the NICU in management that regarded like us. There weren’t a ton of Black medical doctors; as a matter of reality, we didn’t see one Black physician. There weren’t a ton of Black and brown folks that actually could lead on the cost. And us exhibiting our daughter that something was doable as a result of we expertise a lot within the healthcare system, there are such a lot of disparities and social injustices. And so it led me to wish to create one thing so my daughter may see herself, that her pores and skin issues, that her hair issues, all the issues that actually enable her to grasp her full value in a while.
And so I went out on a quest and I noticed that there was an enormous white area out there and there wasn’t a number of Black and brown illustration fashions and characters that little ladies may lean into and see themselves in. And in order that’s how Elle Olivia was shaped. It was shaped out of us having this actually hardship expertise within the NICU of not seeing ourselves, however then additionally on the flip aspect of that, making certain that the challenges that my husband and I face, that she wouldn’t need to face that as a result of she would know that she might be something she wished and we’re not simply saying it, but in addition exhibiting it to her.
And in order that’s actually been the motivation behind it. Have I skilled challenges of constructing a model that’s lower than two years outdated and getting it in Goal? Completely. The record goes on from not being in a position to financially steward this firm to not having advocates and areas and [initially] locations of producing to name on. Black individuals are within the area of producing. We’re not white-labeling a product. We’re designing this product, getting it manufactured, lower and sewn. This isn’t a licensed model, we’re doing each single factor, we’re transport the whole lot in. However the motivation behind it’s, if I can remodel the way in which a toddler sees herself —And also you higher imagine a toddler understands how she’s seen…
They completely do.
How do we all know? As a result of each time we see any individual put up their little woman in Elle Olivia, the little woman says, “Mommy, daddy, she appears like me. That’s me.” Whether or not it’s the 2 puffs within the hair or the braids and the beads that she has within the garments of the character. These little ladies see themselves rapidly and so they see themselves now. And in order that’s the motivation behind it. That’s the factor that retains me going is that I’m remodeling the way in which generations of little ladies are going to see themselves. I’m serving to to actually go towards the stigmas of how Black little ladies are seen on this world. And I’m showcasing it in a approach that’s constructive and exquisite and aspirational and showcasing massive prospects at a really younger age.
One factor I respect about your story is that you just’re doing this in Dallas, Texas. When folks take into consideration Black enterprise, they consider cities like Atlanta or Washington, D.C. What’s the Black enterprise scene like in Dallas?
I feel that it’s a metropolis with unseen Black companies, [a lot of] untapped Black companies. We noticed that with Amazon. These girls that had been in that room primarily represented Dallas. And after I take into consideration among the manufacturers that had been there, just like the Cookie Society, she has 4 areas in Dallas. She’s an untapped enterprise proprietor whose story is simply going to proceed to explode and other people will know her identify. There have been simply so many unbelievable companies in that room. And so the Dallas entrepreneurial scene, I feel it’s simply getting began. I feel that Dallas shall be a kind of marketplaces 10, to fifteen years from now that folks will wish to faucet into. However we’re the trailblazers which are making the imprint for the opportunity of others to come back alongside. We’re showcasing to this metropolis that Black girls are the main drive in entrepreneurship. Take note of us, give us the assets, give us the funds. We’re tearing down the doorways, breaking the glass ceiling in order that we convey others alongside and we will make it somewhat bit simpler. I feel that the panorama is completely different than in Atlanta and DC for positive. However we’re those that get to jot down the historical past and get to showcase to others that it’s doable. In a metropolis that doesn’t essentially all the time appear to be us, and the assets aren’t pretty dispersed, we’re getting to jot down the foundations, and I feel it’ll be an unbelievable story to learn alongside the way in which.
Let’s discuss concerning the Amazon Black Enterprise Accelerator and Boss Girls Media Founder’s Breakfast. How did it come about?
We examined this program final 12 months after we hosted our summit in September, and we examined it with Pinky Cole as our keynote speaker. And we had a summit of just about 2000 girls, however 200 girls purchased VIP tickets to go deeper on their enterprise. And I assumed, “These girls on this room, they’re motivated in a different way. They don’t have an concept. They’re within the center and within the thick of their enterprise, so that they must be with people who find themselves on the identical degree.” As an entrepreneur, it may be hella lonely. And as an entrepreneur, you want to have the ability to faucet in and name and join with individuals who have been or are in your journey with you. I feel that’s what makes the panorama somewhat bit simpler and issues somewhat bit smoother. You are able to do it by your self, nevertheless it’s a lot better when you have got a tribe which you could name and lean into.
And so for me personally, after I noticed and skilled that, I knew that that is what we wanted to create in a really bespoke method. I knew it as a result of I additionally skilled it. Essentially the most helpful a part of my enterprise and the factor that I maintain is the folks that I can name on. And also you higher imagine I’ve some folks that I’ve constructed relationships with alongside the way in which that I can faucet into and that I can name that has helped make it a lot simpler than me doing any of this on my own. And I assumed that if I may create a room and stack a room with girls who may do this for one another, that might be game-changing. Then additionally tapping into the truth that there’s such a superpower with Black girls doing it collectively, and in a approach that’s not imply woman. In a approach that wishes to actually assist raise you as you rise. I feel that we will present the world a lot extra collectively.
That’s why it was created and the way it was created. After which Amazon has been a associate of ours since 2021, and they also had been 1000% the appropriate associate for us to proceed to create this momentum and to create these conversations with, particularly as we take into consideration Black girls product-owned companies. There are a number of Black service-based corporations. It takes a special kind of capital to create a product-based enterprise. And so them being a associate to lean in and say, “Hey, we have now all of those different unbelievable Black-owned companies which were unbelievable sellers of Amazon. Let’s convey them right into a room and train them how they will additionally do the identical. Make the occasion simply invaluable.” Then as I considered it, I used to be like, “Who else additionally must be within the room?” Not simply the sellers, but when we may get some buyers within the room, some media within the room to inform the tales, after which influencers within the room that may assist promote these companies, it would grow to be a win-win alternative for these girls who’re standing and attempting to go from $250,000 in income to half 1,000,000, from half 1,000,000 to a, they meet their first million greenback 12 months this 12 months as a result of they had been planted in that room and so they got assets that actually made impression for his or her enterprise. And that’s my hope for these girls that had been within the room, and I felt like that was the vitality that was created within the room as properly.
Supply: Amazon
I feel you made an awesome level about having a tribe and having sisterhood in Black enterprise. Speak to me somewhat bit about tribe and sisterhood and Black enterprise and the way that’s been useful to you and useful for ladies who’re in Boss Girls Media.
I began Boss Girls Media, and I didn’t know anyone. I didn’t have any connections. I didn’t have a ton of {dollars} or funds. I didn’t have some wealthy person who was funding me. I actually realized the whole lot alongside the way in which with grit, dedication, and a ton of imaginative and prescient. And if I had a tribe my pathway would’ve been somewhat bit simpler. There’s nothing improper with creating a neater pathway. You don’t need to get the whole lot out of the mud, And so I feel that if all of us unite collectively, that’s what we will do for each other. I feel that there’s a lot energy in having the ability to say, “Hey, I do know Dani from BOSSIP. Let me name her and he or she if she’ll be fascinated about overlaying your story.” That price me completely nothing. However then as I’m connecting and sharing my contact of Dani with that enterprise proprietor, then you must do your half too, proper? You must perceive the integrity of what I simply shared with you. You must present up, and if we’re all talking the identical language and wanting the identical factor, then let’s use the identical assets to get there all sooner collectively as a result of we’re not taking away from anyone with the billions of individuals on this world that may be our shopper. We’re serving to amplify and actually propel ahead the messaging of what we will do as a collective.
Completely. Lastly, what’s subsequent for Boss Media and your model Elle Olivia? What do you see for 2024?
For Boss Girls Media particularly, I see us persevering with to create these bespoke moments for ladies to be resourced in such a radical approach and to attach collectively. I don’t suppose that we’ve double-tapped on that sufficient. Resourced in a approach that transforms companies and lives of entrepreneurship to constructing enterprises and connects it in a approach that permits us to create neighborhood like by no means earlier than.
For Elle Olivia, we’re so excited to proceed the growth. We shall be persevering with our partnership with Amazon and what that appears like for a particular capsule that we are going to announce quickly. After which simply persevering with to construct our footprint of being a family identify and within the family of Black and brown little ladies and white woman allies from the attitude of this character, Olivia, and the work that she’s doing to rework how little ladies see their massive chance.
We’re excited for what 2024 goes to convey. It’s going to be a progress 12 months for us, and it’s going to permit a ton of growth as we gear up into 2024 and develop into 2025!
@MartyMcDonald
@BossWomenMedia
@ElleOlivia
