‘Owning the Block’ with Karleen Roy of The Vanity Group

What does it mean to ‘Own the Block?’

Simply put, it means to make an impact in the community (area, city, town) that you are from and to be a hometown s(hero) of sorts.

Karleen Roy, CEO and founder of The Vanity Group, is celebrated for curating one-of-a-kind experiences for high caliber clients and celebrities all over the globe. As Karleen put it, many people can become fixated with making a national or global impression, while being completely unheard of in their own home town. This is why bringing ‘Owning the Block’ to Memphis was so important to Roy. What better way to spread business wisdom than to bring it to a place that holds such a special place in her heart?

The event sold out pretty quickly, so I was elated to grab a ticket to come be a part of such an intimate experience. Karleen chose to host the event at the Memphis Botanic Garden, located in a central part of Memphis, Tennessee. The gardens are one of Memphis’ most idyllic spaces where all types of events are held – from concerts to weddings to cool gatherings like ‘Owning the Block.” On this day, Mother Nature decided to be a hater with a downpour that even raised my eyebrows. However, it didn’t stop all the lovely ladies (and some gentlemen) from donning their best ensembles and making their way to the event.

On the inside, music mixed by The Runway DJ (so talented!!) graced our ears as everyone mingled and sipped on specialty cocktails with names like ‘Keys to the City.’ It was great to run into quite a few familiar faces, but still leave with contacts of newly formed acquaintances. After all, it takes a village to own the block.

The special guest of ‘Owning the Block’ was none other than Myleik Teele – CEO and founder of Curlbox and the wildly popular MyTaughtYou Podcast. The ladies took the stage to discuss life, legacy, and leveling up in business.

There are five essential takeaways I am thrilled to share with you from the ‘Owning the Block’ discussion:

1. RELATIONSHIPS ARE CURRENCY. This is something that I emphasize to groups when I conduct workshops on entrepreneurship. There is something infinitely powerful about knowing and having a solid relationship with people who can (a) say YES, (b) write checks, (c) grant access, or (d) introduce you to other influential players in the game. But aside from that, in the beginning, it can simply be helpful to have people in your corner. Don’t be afraid to barter services, because that is what can help you all collectively grow. Whether you are an entrepreneur or a business professional, building relationships is an asset that takes a fine amount of time, patience, and practice. It means taking an assessment of self because you want to be the type of person that others can trust as well as like. You should be on a constant journey of improving yourself, but also being a blessing to others. That goes a long way to forming healthy relationships with others. Also, keep VALUE in mind. Relationship building is about being interconnected based upon skillset as well. If you want to be the person that gets called time and time again, be sure to have the skills needed to accomplish the task.

• DO NOT LET FEAR HOLD YOU CAPTIVE. No matter how many times people address this issue, it knocks me off my feet every time. We have no idea how tight the grip of fear really is to our lives. Fear has stopped so many talented and brilliant people from taking risks or building a business or starting a new job or giving romance a chance. Fear has kept people in a state of complacency that literally hindered them from reaching even a piece of their potential. I’ve gotten good at recognizing it. When I hear someone talk passionately about their dream, but that moment of hesitation sets in and the excuses start, I immediately know that its fear. Myleik spoke briefly about it to one of the attendees, letting her know that it’s perfectly normal to feel the fear but still take the leap. Worrying about who else is doing the same thing will halt your progress every time. Trying to wait until its ‘perfect’ is a useless task. Instead, go forth with a boldness in your spirit and a winning mindset to launch your dream.

• LEAVE A LEGACY. How do you want to be remembered? This was such a necessary conversation that had been on my mind quite heavy lately after the passing of a dear family member. Many of us go about our daily lives without the full understanding of how precious each moment really is on this earth. Tomorrow is not promised and it got me to thinking, “What impact am I really making on a daily basis?” “Am I checking off items on my bucket list?” “Am I spending too much time in one particular attitude?” “Am I leaving behind something special for the youth?” Although the ladies didn’t touch on the full scope of legacy living, it certainly is a topic that we should all pay more attention to as we get older. In some of the workshops I host, many of the 2^nd and 3^rd generation business owners are not Black. That raised some flags for me. Everyone isn’t meant to be a small business owner. But, what’s being passed on to the youth? I for one think that it shouldn’t be debt. Let’s keep this legacy conversation alive and begin implementing fiscally responsible strategies to build for a brighter, more prosperous future.

• YOUR PRICE IS NON-NEGOTIABLE. You heard that right. I’m almost certain every small business entrepreneur has had to deal with prospective customer’s complaints about price points. People like a good deal. I get it! But to be honest, minorities and women have to endure the brunt of the haggle. Not being a huge conglomerate makes you vulnerable to people wanting a discount ‘for the low’ or disagreeing with your no returns policy. It means ugly customer service emails and nasty ratings on Google or at the BBB. Sometimes people do not give new business owners the grace to make mistakes. And it still comes down to the facts. If you are a for-profit company, then one of your business objectives is to – MAKE MONEY. You cannot pay a bill on someone else’s opinions. For this reason, be unapologetic about your price. Do not let someone browbeat or guilt you into lowering your rates. Those type of customers are NOT YOUR CUSTOMERS. This makes establishing a standard really easy and you can begin the process of targeting those prospects that will willingly support you and be brand ambassadors for you.

• HAVE A MARATHON MINDSET. I never fully understood the meaning of this until I began writing this just now. I started to think about marathon runners and how dedicated they are to running the race. I worked with a few some years back and I still marvel at how consistent and committed they are not only to end result but to the process of where they currently are. It dawned on me that many of us want to win the race without even running in the race. Mind. Blown. Running the race requires qualities like faith, sacrifice, pain, money (lots of it), rejection, imposter syndrome, and a host of other challenging qualities that the average person isn’t willing to put up with for the reward. So as you embark on your next idea or venture. As you make goals for each New Year. Think about those marathon runners and what mindset you need to fulfill your own personal or professional goals.

Major thanks to Karleen Roy for putting together a very inspiring and empowering experience. She definitely plans to bring this event to Memphis again, so make sure you are keeping up with Karleen via her website www.thevanitygroup.com and on social media at http://instagram.com/karleenroy.

Myleik shares a wealth of knowledge on her MyTaughtYou podcast at http://www.mytaughtyou.com. Also, if you are a lover of all things hair and beauty related, head over to sign up for a Curlbox subscription at www.curlbox.com. Paragraph

Cheers to Owning the Block!