Hello Faithful Reader,
I hope this month’s edition of the Black Birds Eye View finds you well and in good spirit. I am well. With the holidays fast approaching it wasn’t difficult for me to think of a topic that I felt needed to be shared. This month I want to share with you the importance of supporting local black owned businesses.
According to a recent study by the Nielsen Company: “In 2017 African Americans have $1.3 trillion in collective buying power, making us “more relevant than ever” as a consumer bloc.
Currently 43 million strong, African-American consumers have unique behaviors from the total market. For example, they’re more aggressive consumers of media and they shop more frequently. Blacks watch more television (37%), make more shopping trips, purchase more ethnic beauty and grooming products (nine times more), read more financial magazines (28%) and spend more than twice the time at personal hosted websites than any other group.” * Source: http://clutchmagonline.com/2014/02/african-americans-1-1-trillion-dollars-buying-power-putting-good-use/
When you take those numbers into consideration you can’t help but wonder why so many black owned businesses appear to be struggling and/or lack the support from the black community. It is common to hear black people say that they don’t do business with black owned businesses because the black business does not open on time, does not conduct themselves professionally or any number of reasons that stem from their personal experiences. It is important that we do no lump all black businesses into a negative category based on limited experiences. There are many black owned businesses that pride themselves in presenting a superior product and brand. One such business is based out of Raleigh North Carolina.
This month I had the pleasure of speaking with Currin Speight, the owner of Caps Urban Wear located at 1601 Crosslink Road, Suite 55 in Raleigh North Carolina. It is always a pleasure speaking with Currin because he does not hoard information and is willing to share guidance in a way that uplifts his people. He drops jewels in a very natural way.
I reached out to him to schedule a time to pick his brain to see what makes him tick, because clearly, he has shown himself to be a man of action as it relates to business. It seemed to me that telling his story would be motivational and encouraging to anyone who has been brainwashed to think that all they can do is what they are told they can do.
His story was quite profound and simple at the same time. He was a young man who decided to make a change. He decided that troubles didn’t have to last always and that yesterday did not have to define tomorrows. He started at the correct place…. He looked at what he loved to do and figured out how to fill a need with it. He and his brother had a fetish for caps and were always the stylish sort. It was only natural that they open stores that sold caps and urban wear. With that thought came a vision and with that vision came action and with that action came goals and with goals what remains is what presents as Caps Urban Wear. The initial idea of becoming an entrepreneur came up in 2001. In 2004 Currin’s bother Kaliek established Caps Urban Wear in Greensboro North Carolina. In 2008 Currin established Caps Urban Wear in Raleigh, North Carolina.
When asked what was is the most challenging thing about being an entrepreneur Speight had this to say,
“I guess it would be meeting the expectations of others. I really love what it is that I do so that’s a hard one to answer. I love talking with the youth and being an example of what hard work and planning can do for the Black Man and Family. I speak to people all day from all walks of life. I don’t discriminate because I know that sometimes we get the best message or information from a person we would least likely expect it to come from. One of the most rewarding things about being an entrepreneur is being that positive role model in the community. I realized that I can do so much…. from being a lending ear or going into the community for speaking engagements designed to spread information and uplift. I feel privileged to be able to show downtrodden people that there is a way out.
I have a natural knack for business. I consider myself to be intelligent beyond education because I realize that it is all very basic. If I know the product I can sell it. It just so happens that my product is one that has always been with me. Rather than be the consumer I am providing the product for the consumer and I take great pride in selecting garments that my clientele can appreciate. Becoming an entrepreneur allowed me the means to understand the basics of business. I take that understanding and merge it with my hustle know-how on an everyday basis. The key is to never get too comfortable and always have goals.
I remember one day a Lady came into my store. She was pregnant. I remember her saying that she came to Caps because she knew she could sit down and feel at home. I also remember feeling humbled and proud when she sat there and allowed me to pick out the outfits for her son, who was away at school. It let me know that I’d created an “experience” at Caps. She came for the experience and she trusted me enough to let me do what came naturally to me. That was one of those day that I knew I was on the correct path.
It’s important that black people support black owned businesses. If there are 10 successful black owned businesses in the community that should translate to 10 successful families with successful children and if we allow our dollars to circulate the way other cultures do, we would see the change that I want to be.”
Before I ended the interview, I asked Currin the same question I ask all the people I interview: If you were placed in a position where you could bestow 3 jewels upon the masses….3 things that would better mankind….and there was no communication bearer and everyone understood the language you spoke…. WHAT 3 JEWELS WOULD YOU SHARE? To which he responded,
1. Love more
2. You can do anything
3. Never judge people.
Just like I thought, interviewing Currin was time well spent. It is clear to me that this is a Self-Made Man and that from starting a business, to becoming an employer, a husband and a father……It was all by beautiful design. Support Caps Urban Wear and this outstanding Entrepreneur…. because like Currin always like to say…TEAM WORK MAKES THE DREAM WORK
Instagram: @caps.raleigh / Twitter: @capsraleigh / Facebook: Caps Urban Wear
Thank you for taking the time to read the Black Birds Eye View….Until next time…Happy Holidays
Always, Robin
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