Today we’d like to introduce you to Nicole Grimes.
Hi Nicole, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a former science teacher who started teaching in 2003. I’m also a proud immigrant from the tiny island of Trinidad in the Caribbean. I moved to the U.S. at age 15. Like many friends, I was the first to graduate from college in my family. I went from earning a B.S. in Mechanical & Aerospace engineering to becoming a Physics teacher and eventually a university professor and a high school principal. Education as a field completely transformed the way I viewed the attainment of success in the world. Working with urban youth of varied socio-economic backgrounds and life stories, I wholly embraced that my kids – and anyone really – can and should follow their passions and can lead a life of success via alternate pathways. Entrepreneurship is one.
I had so many Caribbean American colleagues starting small businesses and struggling to navigate that world. I found myself becoming extremely passionate about all their ideas and products & I wanted to help. In 2018 I started Carib Biz Network (CBN) as a passion project on social media to promote the small businesses of those I knew and their own circles. Organically over time, I quickly realized this was an underserved niche. A year later, I incorporated CBN as a formal business. Today, we are a growing business development platform designed to support micro, small, and medium business owners. Our mission is to support entrepreneurial pathways as we remain dedicated to fostering economic opportunity and closing the wealth gap in the U.S. We provide access to resources, opportunities, and overall capacity building needed to help small businesses reach their full potential.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Entrepreneurship is incredibly challenging. It requires endless creativity, tenacity, and resilience. The road is filled with disruptions, distractions, and obstacles of all sizes. I’ve absolutely encountered all along the way, sometimes in the same day! Specifically, there are real challenges that come with being a solopreneur. Solopreneurs have limited resources in terms of time, money, and manpower. Juggling multiple hats as overseer of operations, marketing, accounting, admin, social media, and customer service can be overwhelming and draining. You run out of steam sometimes and simply can’t do everything well. This directly impacts the scale and speed at which your business can grow and evolve. But you just stay the course, wake up every day, and give those 24 hours your best shot. You absolutely need to make super smart decisions about the software platforms you invest in to help you stay efficient.
Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Carib Biz Network?
CBN’s mission is to connect, support, and amplify Black and Caribbean American entrepreneurs to make them more impactful and successful brands. We help businesses move through key milestones as they strive to reach their full potential. We do this by providing access to information resources and also by providing marketing and branding services through our in-house agency called Creative MRKT. How are we different? We serve Caribbean brands whose stories and products we understand. What I’m most proud of being able to work with so many brands at the start of their journeys and across industries. Being able to provide low-cost marketing services and direct-to-consumer experiences to almost 150 bootstrapping entrepreneurs in three short years has been mind-blowing and extremely rewarding.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
Quitting 9-5 work with no professional plan in mind back in 2018 was the first realization of my openness to risk. I definitely would never advise that to anyone who is considering starting a business. Having a plan is critical. But taking that chance on myself has been the best bet of my life. As someone who was terrified of failure and a meticulous and perfectionist planner as a former teacher and school leader, all that had to go out the door starting a business. I had to learn to let go of wanting things to unfold in a certain way every time. I told myself, “Trust yourself that you have the smarts and skills to figure anything out.” With every scary decision I’ve made and event I’ve produced, I’ve learned so much more than I could ever have imagined. I’ve had both amazing wins and some gut-wrenching losses. But here’s the truth – failure is not fatal. Life unfolds, and your business evolves. I’ve been trying to abide by the mantra: “Stay Hungry, Stay Foolish.” I always want to be a bit daring and maintain a hunger for learning and a willingness to take risks. It’s all about having the courage to put your foot forward that really counts.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.caribbiznetwork.com
- Instagram: @caribbiznetwork
Image Credits
Diana Kahrim. Kolin Mendez.
