Publist Date: March 29th, 2009

Evolyn Brooks
Creative Director & President of hand crafted, eco-friendly online home decor boutique
In My Solitude Boutique

Evolyn Brooks's Bio:

Evolyn Brooks is a multi media artist who is not afraid to hyphenate: painter, quilter, collage artist, seamstress, writer, reporter, Emmy-nominated TV producer.

She attributes her eye for mixing colors and patterns to her “artistic” parents and the generations of quilters in her family. After learning how to paint from her father and sew from her mother, Evolyn began to experiment with collage and quilting.

When creating work for her handcrafted home decor website, Evolyn draws from a vast well of “ancestral memory” and creates many of her pieces from recycled and repurposed materials.

Business Bio:

Evolyn describes www.inmysolitudeboutique.com as the “creative fusion of everything I love doing. It’s exciting to execute an idea that reflects my values and also validates the creative lives of women.”

Inmysolitudeboutique.com, hand crafted, co-friendly online home decor boutique.

Evolyn Brooks's Succesful Sista Profile:

Evolyn Brooks shares her success story and personal experiences as a black woman in business.

Did you always want to be a Business Woman?

I’ve always felt like I wanted to have more control of my life and time. I loved the idea of creating art and selling it to people who appreciated items that were hand made. I wanted to continue a tradition in my family that connected me to my ancestors and African-American culture. I needed to create a second income stream so I could say “no” to jobs in TV that paid my bills, but chipped away at my soul. Now, I feel like I have more control of my destiny because I can always sell something that i made and not just survive… but prosper.

How would you describe your experience as a Black Entrepreneur?

When you own a business, it’s a great source of pride regardless of the size of your venture. It’s mine and no one can lay me off or fire me… but it’s up to me to make things happen.

Looking back on your business decisions, is there anything that you would have done differently?

I could have definitely started out with more money. There are so many little expenses that pop up. Also, I’ve learned how to anticipate dry spells and not be afraid of them… they happen to everyone so now instead of getting too discouraged… I work on figuring out how to ride things out and learn from my mistakes.

Did you have any formal business training? Do you think this is important to be successful?

In addition to going to college for Communications, I have a degree in Business Management. I think it’s important to have a grasp of what is required to run a company, but a lot of things you learn as you go along. I try to read everything I can that will help me with my business. It’s also important to partner with the most knowledgeable people you can find. Sometimes, when I’m revealing to someone I respect how much I DON’T know, I feel stupid, but it’s just a feeling and not the truth about who I am as a person.

What funding sources have worked for you?

I used a mix of personal money and a small business loan to get started.

How has family/friend support financially or otherwise affected your business efforts?

While, I have a great support system, not everyone understands all of the hats I wear or appreciates my art and how much dedication it takes to start a business. A lot of my friends think In My Solitude is fabulous and other’s support me to my face, but I know they think it’s this crazy little thing I do that’s destined to fail. No worries, they’ll get it
when I’m on the Forbes list!!! At the end of the day, I believe in me and I refuse to quit regardless of what people think.

How do you work on making your business grow?

I lot of my growth comes along with exposure to my product. I sell items on my website and in stores. Much of my future growth will come from creating a mixture of handmade and special mass produced items that have a handcrafted feel. I’ve learned to balance my creativity with the demands of the marketplace. Sometimes I would make something and I just couldn’t believe no one liked it! Well, the truth is no one wanted it… so I had to get over myself and make something else. Everyday I’m learning more about my customer so I can make items that are handcrafted and functional.

What words of wisdom can you share with other business women?

Everyday you have to recommit your energy to nurturing your business. Seriously, it’s like a relationship without the sex… so you better love what you’re doing. I’ve definitely learned to ask for what I want, especially when it comes to money, and say “NO” when I can’t do something without feeling guilty. I also think it’s important to be respected AND liked, but when a situation threatens to compromise my integrity, maintaining my self-respect is key.

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Questions?

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