Hey! It’s Doone, your hype girl in business. As the heat keeps dialling up Leo Season is in full swing: the time for trying new things, reaching our goals & stopping at nothing to attain them. Is there a better time to try something new?

Today we’re covering 👇

• The advice you need if you’re in the fashion industry

• It’s Black Business Month (& there are some epic grants you can apply for)

• News to know

• Resources & reccies 

• Looking for a new job?

Turtlepreneurs Unite 🐢

When did we all become so impatient? Impatience, unsurprisingly, is a common byproduct of entrepreneurial minds. Racing through product development, racing to launch, racing to build community… Today, let’s chat about that business race. Our very own version of the turtle and the hare.

At your core, you know that success isn’t just about sprinting to the finish line.

The news gave us the perfect analogy of that just this week. Van Moof, in this case, the hare; and also the electric bicycle company that just went bust due to its crazy fast growth. While the hare might have had a moment of glory, this was a classic case of moving (far) too quickly and losing sight of what matters. Speed isn't everything. We've seen it time and time again: the hare shoots ahead, leaving a trail of buzz and hype, but fails to sustain that momentum. In contrast, the turtles out there stay strong, steady, and resilient.

The turtle, although maybe a little frustrated, takes it slow. They build their brand, and they gain traction step by step. They cherish every customer, every order, and every milestone achieved. They do what they do and do it really well, as Cin Cin co-founder Geo Moriarty spilled this week.

So the next time you feel in a rut about your “slow” growth, remember the turtle and the hare. Let's stay true to our niche, be patient, and savor the joy of building something meaningful. We may not be the fastest, but we're the ones with staying power. Ready, steady, slow! 🐢

Listen to Geo on the podcast →

Black Business Month (& GRANTS 💰)

In August we celebrate Black Business Month. A time to highlight and support founders through our purchasing power, make a difference, and uplift.

• Aasiyah Abdulsalam from The Renatural (her story)

• Aisha Fatima Dozie from Bossy Cosmetics (her story)

• Dorian Morris from Undefined Beauty (her story)

• Desiree Verdejo from Hyper Skin (her story)

I’ll let the stats speak their volumes. Data from ProjectDiane and Crunchbase showed that, until 2021, less than 100 Black female founders had managed to raise $1 million or more in VC. Companies led by Black women received just 0.64% of all venture capital funding. All the while, from 2017 to 2020, the number of Black-owned businesses across the country increased by 13.64%—larger than all businesses in general (which increased by 0.53% over the same period). What does this tell us? We have a long way to go. Lack of funding could and should be used as a tool to start to address these inequalities. Things are finally changing… But nowhere near fast enough.

Let's be intentional about supporting Black-owned businesses this month and beyond. With our purchasing choices, we can help these incredible entrepreneurs thrive and grow. We each have a role in building a more inclusive and supportive business community and a better future for everyone.

LIVE grants for Black-Owned businesses this month:

• Pepper’s $5K Startup Grants for Black Women (→ August 23rd) 🇺🇸

• digitalundivided BREAKTHROUGH Miami $5K (→ August 27th) 🇺🇸

• Fearless Strivers $20K Fearless Grant Contest (→ August 31st) 🇺🇸

• Publish Her Business Impact Grant $5K (→ August 31st) 🇺🇸

• NAACP $25K New England Grant (→ rolling basis) 🇺🇸

• Kinetic Black Business Support Fund $2.5K (→ rolling basis) 🇺🇸

• Startups with all-women founding teams raised just $1.4B in H1

• Jessica Verrilli and April Underwood raised $75M for their debut fund

• Sheryl Sandberg is helping girls become leaders

• TikTok is introducing text posts

• Béa Fertility raises $3.2M in funding

• Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop-filled guesthouse is on Airbnb

• Women are actually networking queens, thank you

• A Bratz x Kylie Jenner collection is in the works

• Supply Change Capital announces a $40M debut fund

• Patti LaBelle now has a best-selling brand at Walmart

• Taylor Swift paid out how much in bonuses to her tour staff?!

• Beehiiv, a newsletter platform, gets $12.5M in its inbox

This week's lineup...

This week's recommendations...

Remote 🌴

• Pet health company Wagmo is hiring an Enterprise Strategic Account Executive to own the entire sales cycle. Something for you? 

LA 🌇

• Nomadica, carefully curated canned wines, is looking for an Area Sales Manager to join the team ($75K/yr - $100K/yr). Apply here.

• Curated nonalcoholic bottle shop The New Bar is looking for a Community Manager to join their small but mighty team. More here.

NYC 🗽

• Everly Health, transforming lives with modern diagnostics-driven care, is hiring a Director of Business Development. More here.

That’s all for today folks! Thank you for letting us be your Hype Girl, we’ve got your back 💗