November 12, 2016

Meet Downtown Serial Entrepreneur: Malikah Planas

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Malikah Planas.

Malikah, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Being a serial entrepreneur is something I always dreamed of, however, being that I don’t have any raw talents such as singing, acting, designing, drawing, etc… I never knew exactly what I would be doing as an entrepreneur. Entrepreneurship has always been in my blood, whether it be selling handmade beaded jewelry and snacks to my neighbors, earning extra cash to do my mother’s homework, babysitting the kids on the block, or selling my old electronics/apparel for money– hustling is something I was never a stranger to.

I am originally from Raleigh, North Carolina however I started my journey in Atlanta 4 years ago after completion of my Bachelors of Science degree in Healthcare Management. I relocated to Atlanta only because I received a job offer from an insurance company and my previous job searches were not going as I imagined. I moved in with my aunt for the first month and after my 2nd paycheck, I was off to my own little apartment in the outskirts of Atlanta. Mind you I had no furniture in my apartment besides an air mattress for a while, but nothing made me more proud than knowing I had something to call my own. Doing it all on my own was tough so I got a second job at a local bar and started doing really well with my finances. It wasn’t until I quit my night job that I started to realize I needed and wanted more out of life.

I applied for many different full-time jobs with no luck, applied to different positions at my current job and went on many interviews but never no luck. My full time wasn’t paying me enough, I worked extremely hard and felt like I wasn’t being rewarded. It even got to the point where I was there for 3 years with no substantial raise or bonus and dealt with unfulfilled promises and from that moment I finally realized my worth and decided to take action.

I was sick of working the 9-5 life, sick of applying for jobs and being overlooked, sick of doing all the hard work and getting no reward, sick of working paycheck to paycheck with no extra money, sick of making payment arrangements on all my bills. I was fed up, it had to stop.

I needed some extra money so I started looking around in my apartment for things I no longer needed. I sold some of my old handbags on Poshmark and Ebay, pawned in my old electronics, and even sold my IPad to my father pretending as if I didn’t need the money and just simply wanted to get rid of it. Asking for help is something I’ve always had to trouble with so I had to figure out a way to do it on my own.

Selling my old handbags on Poshmark and Ebay was mind blowing because people were buying them so quickly and was inquiring about them almost every day! I told my uncle, who is a successful entrepreneur, about what I had going on and he decided to take me to a wholesale manufacturer in Atlanta. The minute I walked in the building I fell in love and knew at that very moment I wanted to start my own handbag store. I never was the fashion guru I just always loved accessories because I feel like they make your whole outfit. So, I spent about 2 months planning and figuring out how I was going to get this business rolling, mind you I had no help I had to learn everything on my own and teach myself how to be a business owner. Of course, my uncle gave me a few pointers but I didn’t want to bother him too much so I tried to learn it all alone.

I spent the first six months in business doing everything alone. Graphic design, inventory, shipping, bookkeeping, photography, modeling, styling, website design, taxes, EVERYTHING. It was really hard so I knew it was time to seek help. I was at the point to where I wanted to stop my business but about a week after I decided to stop I felt empty. I felt like I was abandoning my child and I knew I couldn’t just give up that easy. I asked my uncle for help, he simply gave me a book to read and that book changed my whole perspective and mindset. Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill. After reading that book my whole mindset changed and I started to really work ON my business and not IN it. I started delegating tasks to others, hiring interns to do the things I wasn’t great at, got a photographer and virtual assistants. Outsourcing my task is what really helped me get my handbag store back on the ball. Now things are running way more smoothly with the business, however, there is still room for improvement and I have no problem trying to improve the business in any way I can.

I started two more ventures after starting VITAL XII. Diaries of an E-preneur is the first. Diaries of an E-preneur is a blog I created to share my journey of becoming an entrepreneur and sharing what I have to deal with as an online business owner. I started this blog because when I started VITAL XII I had no help and I felt people were not eager to help, it’s kind of a dog eat dog world around here, so everyone is for their self. I wanted to give the people who may be scared to ask for help or who just don’t have anyone to go to something they can go to and see how to start their business and see what struggles one might face. I’ve always been a quiet and shy person so writing down my thoughts on running a business has been something that has been a stress reliever to me and also helps clear my mind.

The other venture I started is my new business that I am still working on which is On Twelve Management & Consulting. It is a management company for artist & small business owners. This business came about because my cousin here in Atlanta is a Hip Hop Artist and needed help with his craft so I came on the team. Although I went to school for Healthcare Management and not Artist or Business Management I still feel as if I learned the fundamentals of managing which includes hard work, determination, professionalism, time management, and leadership which all I feel I possess. I currently have 4 clients and I’m trying my hardest to be the best I can be because this is something I really am passionate about. The small business management portion of the business came about because my uncle needed help with his event management for his speaking engagements since he is also a motivational speaker. Small Business has become something I am so fired up about and I just love every aspect of it, hint why I started Diaries of an E-preneur, so now helping small business owners with their craft as well is so exciting to me.

A wise friend once told me, “some people want to be known in life to be great at that one thing they have mastered, but you, on the other hand, want to be known for being great at many things” and at that moment I knew that I have started reaching my dream of becoming a serial entrepreneur.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has been far from a smooth road. Some of my biggest struggles were getting help and support from others. Doing everything alone was not easy, but asking for help seemed even harder. The moment I asked for help and started outsourcing my task was when everything started to come together a little better.

What has been the proudest moment of your career so far?
My proudest moment thus far with my career has been to give others the opportunity to fulfill their dreams. It took me a long time to ask for help from others but when I noticed that asking others for help with my vision also benefits theirs. I currently have two interns one who is an assistant that has a passion for fashion and the other who is a photographer and over my marketing, both of the interns are strongly passionate about their field so giving them the opportunity to live their dream makes me really proud. Also with Diaries of an E-preneur I’m proud to know that my journey I am sharing is helping others get over their fears of becoming an entrepreneur.

Every story has ups and downs. What were some of the downs others might not be aware of?
Struggling is something that started with my business and is still present. It was a struggle financially and emotionally because I was doing everything alone. Using my paychecks from my full-time job to support my business while also trying to take care of home was not easy. I didn’t have any business loans, investors, or sponsors so paying for everything out of pocket was tough. The financial struggle hurt the most when I wanted to restock inventory but didn’t have enough money to do so. I came across that struggle often and it was hard trying to figure out ways to tell my customers why I didn’t have an item in stock. I struggled emotionally because I often felt alone, I felt like no one was really supporting my business or trying to help. When I finally built up the courage to ask for help and hired my interns is when I felt more relieved from this emotional struggle.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
I feel like Atlanta is a great place for me career wise. Atlanta has become a melting pot and there are so many different people from across the world here. I love the diversity and opportunities that are presented and couldn’t see myself at this moment living in another place to get my career booming. I would definitely recommend Atlanta for aspiring entrepreneurs to start out. There are many networking opportunities and people here that are business minded and ready to work.

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