Today we’d like to introduce you to Alleah Moore.
Alleah, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
Absolutely! Back in the best year ever, 1995, I was brought into this world truly by the Grace of God. As I grew along my adolescent and teenage years, the foresight of my future really surrounded around becoming a doctor, wife, and mother. My goals for myself were the standard “American Dream” so to speak.
I attended Southern Illinois University Edwardsville beginning in the Fall of 2013 and from there life really started to take rollercoaster turns. From deciding that I wanted to officially pursue Nursing and eventually own a prestigious practice, to failing a lot of my core curricular classes and having to switch majors at least 3 times. My college experience really showed me what I did not want- not only for myself but for my future family. I didn’t want to be bogged down by a corporate entity or mindless job that I would wind up regretting. My very last semester of college was when I decided to take matters into my own hands- without the harsh criticism from family and close friends, I wanted to finally do what felt right to me.
Unfortunately, in the Fall of 2019, I was yet again working a job I didn’t like, driving for Uber and Lyft to make ends meet, and still struggling with finding myself as a woman. I winded up in a terrible car accident that took mobility from the left side of my body- talk about a struggle. At my lowest mentally, physically, emotionally, and financially I researched how to “get my life back on track”. Because I couldn’t work a physical job anymore and I didn’t have any savings to carry me back to my feet, I had to do something quickly.
On February 17th, 2020, Everything blkK was founded. A Brand created by me with the intent of expressing creativity and balance with the color Black, I wanted to stand out as the one who made Black as bold and as beautiful to everyone else as it was to me. From the effortless, chic aesthetic that Black gives to any wardrobe, I figured why not create a brand that highlighted every clothing item in the color Black. To this day, Everything blk serves as the moment I decided to defy any and every barrier I’ve ever been confronted with and show others that they too can find solstice, confidence, divinity, elite status, and love through Everything blk.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Smooth road? Not in the least bit! I started not knowing an ounce about anything business related. I relied heavily on my Aunt Erin for a lot of guidance. She created a business along with partners that focused on the rehabilitation of inner-city locals, who found themselves in lieu of struggling to find and maintain a healthy work-life balanced relationship. Using her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees as well as field experience, she has been able to maintain her business for over 2 decades.
Outside of her and the support of my mom and a few best friends, I really had to learn everything on my own. How to design a logo, register a website domain, apply for essentials like an EIN, Dunn & Bradstreet number, register for a Sales and Tax Use permit, and much more. All of this came from heavy research, becoming a part of business focus groups, and asking A lot of questions.
Everything blk may have been founded in 2020 but within the last 2 years, it has turned into so much more than I could have ever anticipated- and for that very fact, I am beyond grateful for every struggle I have and have yet to encounter.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
About two years ago, my answer to this question would be extremely different. But today, my answer is simple- I am a Brand owner, Content creator, and social influencer. Do you know the term “jack of all trades”? Well, I guess that applies to me because I really am. I learned from being in positions like a Field Technician for Dish Network to a Logistics Coordinator for a building supply company that I really am capable of doing just about anything.
Being a millennial, I think this had a lot to do with my tech-savvy skills. I take advantage of my practical sense but highly with my technical sense, I guess you can blame that on the Virgo in me. I love to share my insight on things I’ve learned or been exposed to so I’ve always been one to express it either in person physically and/or verbally on social media.
Since creating everything blk, I’ve exercised my creative skills through photography, literary bodies of work, and social interactions traveling the world. I wanted to really see what life had to offer me and this just scrapes the surface of the places I want to go and things I want to be involved in. Seeing so many Black entrepreneurs flourish within the last decade or so has put me in the mindset of never creating a glass ceiling on my imagination.
In the midst of trying to maintain organization with the brand, I created a journal series called Accountability Drives Purpose. This forced me to really sort through the creative thoughts in my head and put them on paper. This series includes 4 journals and is featured on Amazon, available for purchase.
Everything blk is currently known as a clothing brand but will be expanding into accessories and foot ware in the near future, which I am so excited about!
And most proud of? Well, I could write a book on what that entails but I’ll leave it as this- myself. I am most proud of myself for everything that I have ever accomplished -big or small- because it has molded me into the woman and business owner that I am today.
What sets me apart from others is my resiliency to never give up on a challenge in the face of discomfort. One of my mentors told me at the beginning of my entrepreneurship journey that in order to grow, you have to get comfortable with being uncomfortable. Will it be difficult, will it hurt at times, will it provide setbacks? Absolutely. But I will always be the person who if falls, will always get back up.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
Oh, yes! Whatever you do, do not quit ever. No matter how out of reach it seems to be, no matter how many others are doing it, no matter what limitations you tell yourself in your mind, please never count yourself out. Of course, there will be moments where all you’ll want to do is throw in the towel, but I promise the reward that you get when you don’t is far greater than any regret you would feel later on down your journey. Any business created is never saturated.
Now, for three tips I wish I knew starting out.
Number 1, not everything has to be done at the same time. Sometimes, it’s better to gradually acquire things for your brand and/or business because anything can force change. From the original artwork of your logo to the samples you choose for a new collection launching.
Number 2, your return on investment will probably not be seen until after year 1 or year 2. There is no actual date where the money you put into your Brand will return to you plus more because we live in an ever-changing reality. People’s interest changes and you have to be willing to acknowledge that. Also, don’t think the entire world is your audience, sometimes it’s best to start off with a small engaged community than a blind-sighted rush of patrons. Patience is the name of the game, honestly.
Finally, Number 3, trust the process. You will change your mind on things a lot, or not, who knows. But that’s the beauty of creating something that started with you, you can venture in as many directions as you see fit, and whatever brings you the most peace and confidence to put out into the world, Do it. Over and over and over again, I promise the journey is always worth it.
Pricing:
- ADP Journal 1 $9.99
- ADP Journal 2 $13.99
- ADP Journal 3 $10.99
- ADP Journal 4 $10.99
- TAHD Journal $10.99
Contact Info:
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/itsofficiallyalleah
- Other: www.amazon.com/shop/itsofficiallyalleah
Image Credits
Alleah Moore
