“Success is liking yourself. Liking what you do and liking how you do it.” -Maya Angelou.
Nowadays, Black women being empowered is a calling card that is championed in the Black community. It is a badge of honor to be a woman of color running her own business and calling the shots. In truth, age is nothing but a number. There is no limit to following your dreams.
Dr. Jacqueline King is a prime example. Having worked for an electric company for over 25 years, she decided it was time to take another course of action. She started her own company called Black Women Empowered.
Since then, she has been able to reach another level of like-minded women who are looking to up the ante in the world of business. Currently, she has a strong working connection with Mathew Knowles. For anyone unsure, yes, Beyonce’s father.
When talking to her about the importance of Black Women’s empowerment, Dr. King said, “We, as Black Women, face many challenges in life. We must encourage and lift each other. We must be our greatest supporters.” With that in mind, it makes sense that Dr. King’s passion is connected to empowering other black women to follow their dreams.
Especially since there are so many rewarding aspects to running a company, for example, Dr. King has had the pleasure of working closely with Mathew Knowles, first known to the world as the manager of his daughter Beyonce’s Knowles chart-topping group Destiny’s Child. To the successful businessman he is now. When asked about her experience working alongside Mathew Knowles, Dr. King remarked, “Dr. Knowles is a brilliant Businessman, a good friend, and a big brother. He is very attentive to details. He is a great father and puts a lot of time into ensuring that his daughters followed their dreams, no matter what they were. The idea of following a dream no matter what it is can come with a variety of emotions and feelings, especially when you are just starting.”
However, Dr. King had an inspiring word for beginners, “All entrepreneurs make many mistakes, it’s a part of growing. We must learn from our mistakes and use them as stepping stones to get to the next level. It has to be an amazing feeling to be a catalyst for other women of color to know that they can achieve their dreams at whatever stage of life they might be in. Even if the foundation of that business starts from working at an electric company.” Dr. King believes her time spent at the electric company for over 25 years incentivized her to start her own business.
I believe that it did. It was a major challenge for a Black Woman in a male-dominated business. BWE gives women the strength and courage through inspiration to overcome some of these obstacles that we face in corporate America and life.
By the same token, inspiration comes in many forms. Aside from her work in the electrical industry, Dr. Jacqueline took her cue from another woman of color Beverly Bond the founder of Black Girls Rock. Dr. King gives credit to Bond and her inventiveness in her women-empowered movement with BGR for inspiring BWE.
Having this to say, “I loved the unity and support for each other. This is very much needed now more than ever before. The concept of black women uniting for a cause is not only brilliant but necessary, as Dr. King pointed out. With all bases covered thus far as it relates to starting a business, there are other avenues to cover, like social media interaction.” Dr. King replied, “Consistency and great content that makes people want to return.”
As the saying goes, nothing worth having comes easily, so for anyone looking to empower themselves by starting a business. Here’s what Dr. King had to say, “What advice do you wish you had when starting? Many people, including friends and family, will not support or celebrate your success, succeed anyway.”
All things considered, Dr. Jacqueline King is an empowered black woman who successfully made room for other black women to flourish. As a final thought, Dr. King shared a bright spot about being an empowered entrepreneur: I love motivating, encouraging, uplifting, and providing opportunities for black and brown women.
Article Written by: Candis Johnson| Candis Johnson is an author and freelance journalist from NJ. She is the editor of the Literary Magazine series SOUL as well the erotica anthology Erogenous Zone. She has a passion for music and the artists who create it.
