Today we’d like to introduce you to Yeaux Mama.
Yeaux Mama, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
As I approached 30, I had an early mid-life crisis because I wasn’t making the money I thought I should. I started researching passive income ideas and ebooks kept coming up. Since I had always wanted to create hygiene kits for young women but didn’t have the funding, I figured I could publish an ebook about the life lessons I’ve learned coming of age about sexuality, relationships and love. I definitely thought I would sell millions and be able to fund my product- Heaux Kits.
Not quite. Because you have to actually sell books to earn income. You have to literally promote, network and throw events, which I never really did out of fear, lack of motivation + mentorship. I was also trying to grow as a professional and didn’t want my name to be associated with the book- Heauxisms, hence why I go by Yeaux Mama.
I took a step back from trying to reboot Heauxisms because something hit me this summer. I love becoming an older woman. I love being a mentor to younger women. I really love being an auntie. Anybody who knows me knows I love my niece like I gave birth to her. Since I’ve always wanted to start a t-shirt line, I figured this was a good place to start as a dedication to my baby girl.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
The only struggles I’ve faced with putting out this t-shirt line has been allowing myself to be vulnerable enough to put something that I created out there. I went back and forth a lot this summer about whether I should really just do it. With the encouragement I received from all my friends and family back home in LA, I made the decision literally a month ago. The other struggle is that it’s all money OUT right now, but I’m going to give it my best shot.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
The brand, Yeaux Mama, represents Black women’s love- of self especially. It embraces the many contradictions of me- the ratchet scholar and spiritual gangster. I’ve struggled with managing the many versions of me that sometimes conflict, and am learning they can all co-exist. I can be the God-fearing “hoe” and the Black feminist who listens to Too $hort- I don’t have to choose.
Everything created under this brand is created out of love for Black women as a reflection of my journey in loving myself. Although Yeaux Mama is still in its early stages, my mission is to build community with Black women so that I may continue to grow and create items that speak to who we are and can become.
What were you like growing up?
Early on, I was considered one of the motherly, smart, introverted kids who loved to draw and craft. By the time I got to middle/ high school, I stopped drawing but began to create in other ways- doing hair, playing instruments, and making clothes. I also developed a knack for “joaning” my peers, which also speaks to why I chose Yeaux Mama as my brand name.
Contact Info:
- Website: yeauxmama.com
- Email: info@yeauxmama.com
- Instagram: yeauxmama
- Facebook: facebook.com/yeauxmama
- Twitter: yeauxmama
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