Today we’d like to introduce you to Mariam Camara.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Mariam. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started on my creative journey as long ago as I could remember. From being an innovative child that used to sell folders from door to door right before school to parents in my neighborhood to experimenting with paint and dramatic theatre. I was never the one who wanted to sit and watch TV all day, I always wanted to create a singing group or put on a show for my family and friends. I can recall that as early as I started being artistic there was already a societal system in place that tried to dull or control what I wanted to be just because my dreams weren’t surrounded around getting a formal education. Being stuck in my creative ways made it extremely difficult for me to assimilate to the pressures and structure of school and the average work life of the masses. These pressures lead me to get into a lot of trouble and also lead me to depression simply because I could not assimilate into society’s standards of what a “progressive” person should be interested in.
Around 2017, I was working as a manager at a hair salon and was completely engulfed in a patriarchal and racist environment that a young black woman could not thrive in. I decided to quit and join my sister in the expansion of our now company Hous 11. Hous 11 Co. is literally everything that I have ever wanted as a visionary. It’s a place where we are finally bridging the gap between corporate and creativity. We teach photographers, models, graphic designers, etc. how to make a business out of their vision instead of being exploited.
Through Hous 11, I am growing as an entrepreneur and a person. Not only is it helping me with my growth but it also encompasses every part of me as an individual! I’m able to be a crazy creative, an activist, a photographer, an event planner, and everything else my crazy ass can think of.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
No road to entrepreneurship is an easy one, that was one of the main things I had to realize early. One of the hardest parts of growing Hous was realizing the lack of resources that young entrepreneur women actually have and all of the people who actually do not want to see women grow. We constantly had to battle misogynistic contractors, fund delays, and partnership changes. I’m still grateful for these losses because it taught me what I needed so I could provide it for other women that are in the growing stages of their business.
Through it all, the biggest advice I would give women is: 1. Keep it pushing, things always begin when you want to give up. Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do what thousands have done before. And; 2. Don’t let your success come at the expense of your wellness. The less sleep you get, the less time you spend with your favorite people, etc. does not amount to how much money you will make, it actually has a negative impact on the amount of wealth you’ll acquire. For anyone that can’t take an hour for themselves should take 2.
Please tell us about Hous 11 Co.
I am C0-Founder and Lead Creative Director of Hous 11 Co. Hous 11 is a creative hub in Vinings and a modern marketing agency that specializes in brand management, content creation, social media management and more! My job is basically to organize how to have fun all day in lighter terms, I get to visually build brands from the ground up by creating innovative brand activation, photography and video content. This consists of being able to give other entrepreneurs the same feeling I feel every day, which is seeing my baby grow.
I am most proud of my sisters honestly, whom I own Hous with, Fatima and Hawa have continued to be the pure example for our business and I’m so grateful that I started this journey with them.
What sets me apart from others is the fact that literally, NOTHING will convince me to stop what I’m doing. Like I honestly don’t give a shit if my world came crashing down yesterday, I will make something shake for my brand tomorrow. I feel like what sets people who become successful apart from the rest is that drive that just doesn’t sleep, I wake up thinking about what I need to do next before I think about past experiences that don’t matter anymore.
Do you think there are structural or other barriers impeding the emergence of more female leaders?
Besides systematic oppression that already exists, I would say that the biggest barriers today for female leadership is the community that we lack to build amongst each other. Society projects that it’s every woman for herself but in reality, you can’t get anywhere without not only receiving help but also giving help as well. If more women viewed each other as sisters instead of competition, we would be a lot further.
Pricing:
- 45/hr studio time
Contact Info:
- Address: 1797 Spring Rd Se Smyrna, GA 30144
- Website: Hous11.com
- Phone: 470.424.0950
- Email: agency@hous11.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/Hous11co , Instagram.com/Mariamshous
- Facebook: facebook.com/Hous11co
- Twitter: Twitter.com/Hous11co
Image Credit:
@mariamshous is my social media
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