Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in beauty and cosmetics but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Porschia Smith, Founder of Matte and Mink Company, located in Chicago, IL, USA.

What's your business, and who are your customers?

My business is about helping women. It started out by helping them feel beautiful on the inside and outside. Then, I began to notice how much working for myself changed my life; I wanted to show other women how to do the same.

Tell us about yourself

My name is Porschia; I am 31 years of age and have been an entrepreneur for the last 7 1/2 years. It’s a funny story about how I started in business, it was not funny back then, but now I know it was destiny. Two months before being fired, my boyfriend told me I should work for myself; at the time, I was puzzled because I had never heard that before. Once I was fired, it made me revisit what he said, and I told myself I would never allow anyone to fire me again. The thing that motivates me is that I can have total control over my own life. For example, I have an eight-year-old; I get to pick her up from school, go on trips with her and never miss a performance she has. I also love that each day is a new opportunity for me to learn something new that helps to grow my business.

What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?

My biggest accomplishment is opening two storefronts next door to each other and being able to maintain and keep them open all these years, even after a global pandemic.

What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?

There are a few, but I’ll name one; the hardest thing about being a business owner is that you never know when you will need to pivot. Things are forever changing and moving; sometimes, planning is not enough. You also have to have a lot of mental strength being a business owner.

What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?

My first tip for something beginning and staying in business is you should learn as much as you can about your product or service. Second, keep track of the money that you are making and spending. Third, you must have a team!

Is there anything else you'd like to share?

I am happy to say I am a business owner with social media has made it seem like the thing to do, and it is! However, it will not be an easy flight-by-night type of thing. There is real work and effort that comes with starting and keeping a business, but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I’ll leave you with one of my favorite quotes; Jim Rohn said, “Set the goal to become a millionaire for what it will make of you to achieve it.”

Where can people find you and your business?

Website: https://matteandmink.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/matteandmink
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/matteandmink/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/matteandmink

If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solo or small business entrepreneur that you'd like to share, then please answer these interview questions. We'd love to feature your journey on these pages.

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