Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Harris-Walker.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Bacon Magazine: Black Women In Business serves as the foremost authority for Black Women entrepreneurs. Our mission is to amplify their ventures, share their stories, and celebrate their successes while providing valuable insights and business resources. We are a nonprofit organization based in Los Angeles, committed to preserving and promoting the positive image of Black women. Our goal is to equip them with the necessary business education, opportunities, resources, and encouragement as they continue to blaze trails in the business world.
I founded Bacon Magazine in 2022 to address the underrepresentation of America’s leading entrepreneurs. Did you know that during the pandemic, 2.6 million Black women launched new businesses? Furthermore, Black women start businesses at a rate 15% higher than white men, and they have the potential to single-handedly bridge the wealth gap in America.
Before establishing Bacon Magazine (For Black Women Who Bring Home the Bacon), I worked as a business coach and operated two thriving online firms that reached six-figure revenues within the first year. I helped fellow entrepreneurs learn how to specialize, brand, and market their products and services with their unique brand voices to their target audience, resulting in a 100% scale rate. Through this experience, I gained a deeper understanding of the representation, mentorship, and inspiration that Black women desired, required, and sought.
Upon conducting market research, I discovered that most leading Black publications targeting women were neither owned by women nor by Black individuals. Our stories were being told through the lens of other’s consent and perspectives. To address this issue, I created a Black women-owned business publication and community specifically for Black women in business, with a strong emphasis on wellness and an online safe space for all women including members of the LBGTQ community. In conclusion, Bacon magazine was born to serve Black women in business on a consistent scale.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Anytime you push the envelope, seek change and attempt to do something that hasn’t been done, you will be called Kanye, crazy, or delusional.
I might be a little of all three, with a hint of Jay Z.
“Difficult takes the day; impossible takes a week.”
To give you a straight answer, of course, I have faced challenges. Work-life balance, fluctuating confidence, funding, building capital, finding contributors who see the value of what we’re doing here. And, of course, you have deadlines, rejection, failures, and days when you ask yourself, “Who the hell do you think you are, girl?”
I believe the better question is how I view obstacles and challenges. The answer is— learning experiences.
I learn quickly because every day is another opportunity to improve in emotional intelligence, and going back to low-hanging fruit (ego, frustration, force, uncultivated thoughts) doesn’t produce a harvest but gratitude, and strategy does.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Bacon Magazine is excited to kickstart preparation for our upcoming campaign, #BlackWomenWhoBarter, in Los Angeles. This initiative is aimed at Black Women entrepreneurs and innovators seeking opportunities to network and engage in negotiations with one another at our business mixers.
Our mixers will have a live DJ, business experts sharing stories, wisdom and advice, pitching contents and more.
We are committed to fostering secure environments for Black Women Entrepreneurs through our digital platform and in-person events. We are looking for sponsors and contributors to help us kickstart these monthly events by August 2023.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
Be adaptive, learn how to pivot, and don’t harp on rejection. If you’re the leader, you’re here to serve your customers and staff. Develop confidence so you can trust your intuition and be a doer. Your work ethic will speak for itself.
Pricing:
- Free Issues
- Free Bacon Newsletter
- Ad space $600 and up
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.thebaconmagazine.com/
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/dreahwalker?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Other: https://instagram.com/thebaconmagazine?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
Image Credits
Bacon Magazine
