I remember the day like it was yesterday. Feeling inadequate at work despite my gifts and wondering if I would ever be enough. I’m not sure if those feelings of inadequacy were perceived by my co-workers but deep down a voice inside me whispered, you’ll never be enough and for once in my life I believed it.

I’m not sure how I got to this point where I would allow any notion of negativity steal my joy but it stung, like a bee.

I went to bed that night wondering not only if I would wake up with a job the next morning but wondering if somehow  I missed the window of opportunity to do something even great.

What many people don’t know about me is I grind for free. I’ve spent years volunteering and offering many of my services for free to several companies and organizations hoping that saying yes to enough free opportunities would some day lead them to say yes to me. Yes, I was creating dope campaigns and content but it was simply a labor of love. While my family and friends continued to criticize me for my “free work”, I felt fulfilled. I could spend hours upon hours creating content for others because I recognized it as my passion and knew my reward would come in ways I could never expect.

Remember how Biggie said “it was all a dream”? That’s exactly how I felt about The Black Girl Group. It was simply a dream. I remember very vividly seeing the words “The Black Girl Group” posted on a banner and hearing the words “Where Black Girls Create” in the background. I promise, I can’t make this thing up.

The next morning I woke up and began to piece the puzzles of the company together; after all, it had been laid out in my dream. My job now was to simply remember it all. As any entrepreneur would do, I hopped online and began to scour the internet to see if I could find other companies doing the same thing. Just as I suspected, no one had done it yet.

You see, The Black Girl Group was created for women just like me. Black women who from time to time felt inadequate working in the corporate environment. Or for those wanting to add to their current revenue stream. It’s a micro job site that is dedicated to African American women selling their skills and services to businesses who have a hard time identifying talent for themselves.

While this platform does greatly benefit African American women it also benefits companies who are seeking to tap into the African American demographic by enlisting already established creators to help them enhance their messages.

Creating the Black Girl Group hasn’t totally erased all feelings of inadequacy for me, but it’s been a great start. If Black Girl Group can impact the life of 1 Black Girl or company, then I know my labor has not been in vain. For now, it’s simply one day at time.