I’m Back!

The Update | Our Move

It has been a very long time since my last post, but quite a productive season during my hiatus. The updates…well…I have finally closed on the house/studio after eight months of bidding, waiting and bidding again in this crazy competitive market. Not to mention whilst during a pandemic and a recession…the whole ordeal, in and of itself, was a test of my family’s patience and emotional endurance….but we made it!!! So we are now going on four months into the home, and true to my style, I have definitely been working my decor magical eye into reality, transforming the house into a home and studio space.

The Shop | Black Paper & Cloth

Next, my online store Black Paper & Cloth. It officially opened in April 2021 and I did a soft launch in May of 2021. Overall, this entrepreneurial journey has been a very long time in the actual manifestation of it. Roughly 20 years. A true learning curve in areas within this sector that I had absolutely no awareness of or interest in, aside from the selecting and wearing clothes. I have been really learning a great deal in building this business like buying/merchandising, finance, analytics, marketing, content creating, as well as the other “back-office roles” within the retail sector. I must say, I am really enjoying this work. I love the sourcing, the sample purchases for the clothes, shoes, and accessories I am adding to the store. I enjoy working with suppliers, building my team and most of all the engagement with my customers. It’s a lot of long, hard hours of work, but the payoffs are amazing because I get to meet my customers, learn what they are liking and hearing from them what is working and what they are recommending as I continue to create a satisfying customer experience.

The Epilogue | Thank You!

Lastly…Just being thankful for all of you who have been encouraging, supportive and going along on this journey with me. Especially my amazing family, My husband Dennis, who has been such an inspiration and mentor to me along this journey. His love, support and acute business acumen, has really helped to me to establish a strong foundation for success. My amazing children Josh (stepson), Ellie (stepdaughter), and Evan (son) with their combined gifts, diverse talents, interests, hobbies, and occupations (Marketing, law, digital content creation, entrepreneurs, team building, fun, excitement) have been my main source of motivation for me to keep doing it all. My sister Monica for being a huge motivator and realizing her “accidental” dream when she built her company Learning Dimensions. It was her insight, support, knowledge and tenacious drive in being an “Everyday Daredevil” in her lessons on taking risks. Finally, I want to send tribute with my love to my mother Dorothy Swope who has always been my motivator, mentor, model and inspiration of what it means to be and do it all. She was fiercely fashionable, a true entrepreneur, an amazing educator and taught my sister and me to speak life and create what we desire. She always poured life into us. Taught us to be strong, authentic and true. Though the buzz word and attributes that are in vogue now is the idea of vulnerability, she did not teach us to be vulnerable, but transparent, honest, and true to ourselves. She taught us the realities that being a Black women in this society did not afford us the privilege of being vulnerable, but rather to be proud of who we are, our identity, the family we represent and being the example of success…in Black skin! She taught us how to be and live a life of positives…always seeing the glass half-full and creating opportunities out of adversities. Never quitting, but pushing forward because “it’s not in the attainment of a goal where success lies, but in the journey towards a goal where we learn, grow and are successful. above all.”

I’m back with so much to share that will equip as many who are ready to realize their true worth and live their best lives ever!

Be inspired. Be empowered. Be Fabulous!

Felicia