Hi fellow Females of Filadelphia readers 🌻 Hope everyone is staying safe and practicing self-care. I am so so excited for today’s guest, Marielle, because she is creating a space for Black women entrepreneurs and fighting for social and economic equality. Her business, A Ray of Light Event Planning, provides monthly classes for Black women and seasonal networking events. Before I give too much more away, let’s hear from Mari herself.
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Interview:
V: Thanks so much for agreeing to do this interview! To get started let’s talk about what inspired your business idea.
M: At first the event planning business was just me being contracted out by individuals to host their events. I had been in event planning for over five years so I had a ton of experience. When I was being contracted every person I was working with was a Black woman, anyone from a fitness trainer to a hairdresser to an author. That was kind of my market without being intentional about it.
Then I moved from DC to Philly and I took a pause from the business while I transitioned into a new city. During this time I began working in economic and social justice and inclusive economies. In that job, I planned an event in California for over 650 people. It was my first big event at this new company. When I got there, I was really proud of the work I did, but I felt a little uneasy because I didn’t see many Black women in the space. It was a largely white male dominated space, but it was a powerful space because it was all these business leaders from notable companies. We had incorporated a people of color safe space, and out of the 650 attendees there were only about 30 people of color in the space and even fewer Black women. I started to ask myself “why”. Why weren’t there more women that look like me?
V: And that’s a great question. I have also been in a lot of spaces where there isn’t that representation. After you saw that example, how did you launch your business?
M: I did my own research by diving into the statistics of how well Black women entrepreneurs do in business. Then I started doing interviews. I did 100 interviews in Philadelphia with Black women. When I did those interviews I was asking questions like: what has your experience been like, what are some barriers you are facing, and what do you feel has benefited you or is holding you back?
After I gathered all of that data, I found that three key things kept coming up. The first was access to funding. Over and over people said it was really hard to get a loan or to get VC funding. The second thing was a lack of technical knowledge. Lots of people said things like “I don’t know how to use social media to market my business” or “I don’t know what to put in my business plan because I didn’t go to business school”. And the third thing was mentorship. A lot of folks said they were the only person in their network that’s an entrepreneur so they had no one to mentor them or guide them. With all of that information, and as I was learning more about social justice, my business evolved with me. As I was growing, my business grew.
After completing those interviews, and figuring out where the gaps were, I began contracting experts. For example, I contracted a lawyer to host an LLC and trademarking workshop, or an accountant to speak about their experience as an auditor for new business owners. These classes allow people to close any gaps they might have while also giving them the opportunity to pick and choose what will benefit them most.
V: I totally agree with mentorship being a large gap in certain communities. If you don’t have someone to help guide you, the journey becomes a little bit tougher. Switching gears a little bit, how do you think the quarantine has impacted your business model that relies heavily on networking and workshops? What’s been the hardest part of adapting your services during this quarantine?
M: After doing those 100 interviews I had mentioned previously, a lot of people were very excited to meet other women who had been a part of this journey. So, for the beginning of this month [May], I found a venue, got my deposits ready, hired a caterer, finished my run of show, and did all this groundwork to host those interviewees, and it ended up getting cancelled. I had to get all my deposits back, let everyone know it was no longer going to happen, and I felt bad because there was no good way for the interviewees to connect.
But I knew I had to pivot. I created a GroupMe for the business and it now has 40 engaged members. They’ve selected accountability partners and we provide weekly resources for all of them. We have the teachers who host virtual classes join the GroupMe and include some resources prior to the class. We are also doing monthly virtual happy hours so that everyone who is a part of the GroupMe can network and get to know each other. Everything definitely has shifted but it’s kind of a good thing because the virtual platform has allowed me to reach more people in different states.
V: That’s incredible. I’m glad you’ve been able to reach more people and spread your message across the country, especially during these times when people are looking for support. What do you foresee as being next for A Ray of Light Events? What does the future look like?
M: I know for the rest of 2020 there will be a lot of virtual networking events and classes. In 2021, I have already started curating the classes and looking for the best experts to hire. But I’m also thinking about funding- that’s the piece that I can’t give business owners, yet. The next phase of the business is definitely trying to create a foundation that provides funding for Black women entrepeneurs.
V: Oh wow I hadn’t even thought about that part but that would be amazing! Oftentimes we see only people with lots of resources ($$$) expanding their businesses, but that shouldn’t be the case. So far you’ve given a lot of insight into your process for starting a business but if you had to give any more tips or advice, what would it be?
M: My #1 tip is to be passionate about your idea and formulate a strategic plan. If the idea you have is not in your heart and you’re not passionate about it, it probably won’t work out because entrepreneurs need to put in a lot of hours, and if you’re working full-time and running your business on the side it can be a lot. If you don’t have passion as your motivator, it’s really difficult. The second thing is to really be strategic about your plan. If you really want it and it’s in your heart, create a plan with goals and put those things into action. Having a library card or the Libby app also helps. I have almost 40 books that I read up on about venture capital, Silicon Valley start-ups and so much more. I’ve been learning a lot through reading.
V: A lot of really successful people I’ve met read a lot about how other businesses started so I definitely think all my readers shouldn’t take this advice lightly. Thank you so much Mari for the insights you’ve provided- I think people will be able to see how much you’ve worked for this and I hope to only see your business continue to flourish. If you’d like to stay up to date with A Ray of Light Event Planning, follow them @arayoflightevents on Instagram!
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