Today we’d like to introduce you to Miguel Carmona III.
Miguel, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey to being my own business owner and author started back when I was eight. I wrote my own comic book looking to start my own comic book company called “C2” (Carmona Comics) while also experiencing bullying for the first time but not the last, so I also started writing poetry to express my pain. Fast forward to College (Middle Georgia State University). I entered in a shark tank competition for a mobile app I created in less than eight days. I won first place, blew the award money, and dropped the idea. I was always a creative person but lacked the confidence and willingness to take a risk despite me being the only person believing in the idea or having no support. Out of college, I started working for a truck leasing company in 2016 and had great success. I was promoted to a rental sales manager position within five months of beginning the management trainee role. While in my rental sales position, I was awarded in 2018 and 2019 for exceeding my sales quota while maintaining being number one in the company for many months. With all that success, I attempted seven times for a promotion to the next step in my positions hierarchy and didn’t receive one interview. I got seven different emails saying how I was a good candidate, but they made their decision already, and if there’s another opening, apply “next time.”
The phrase “next time” would stick with me until 2018, when I decided that I would make my own “next time” by researching top new businesses to start. While doing my research, I accidentally missed my haircut appointment for the third time, which led me to wonder, “why don’t they just come to you?” looked into it and noticed a huge untapped market in one of the fastest-growing industry’s each year. The health and beauty industry has plenty of scheduling apps, but no scheduling apps that have the artist come to you; that’s when Clipnwhip was born. Barber’s, makeup artist, hairstylist, and lash specialist that can be booked 24/7 anywhere in Atlanta on our Clipnwhip app. Along my path to be my own business owner, I also found myself with over a hundred and fifty poems just sitting in my lap, my creativity begging to be shared, and a world with stories needing to be told. In the summer of 2018, I took a writing workshop held by two fellow African American authors Orenthia Speakmam and Anneta Swift. These two ladies help me see that publishing a book can be a reality. In less than five months, I organized my first book together and was published in February 2019, “Intelligence Of A Clown.”
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?
They were a multitude of challenges along the way. One of the biggest ones for me was time between working a full-time job that requires you on the road Monday through Friday cold calling, putting together a poetry book, learning coding to build my app, and wearing every “hat” for my business I was overwhelmed a lot. As everything in life funds were another pain point, all these things required money, so in 2019 I decided not to do a vacation or any “wants” purchases, I even canceled Christmas for myself to ensure my best chance at success. Lastly but certainly most important, especially in my community support, I couldn’t understand how people would share artists they will never meet but won’t like or buy from someone they know. It’s certainly something to definitely build tough skin for because it takes time for people to buy into something new, but once they buy into it and it’s a good product, they’ll never leave.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Clipnwhip is the name of my mobile app(available on Android and Apple) where we have barbers, makeup artist, hairstylist, and lash specialist that can be booked 24/7 anywhere in Atlanta on our Clipnwhip app. It’s structured similar to many popular taxi apps out now, look for artists in your area, select the service you want, all payment is made through the app, and you even get a free shoutout on our Instagram and Facebook (Ig@clipnwhip_/FbClipnwhip). What sets us apart from our competitors on the employee or team member side is that all artists choose what days they work, hours they work, how much they charge for their services, and what area they would like to service. We don’t charge any recurring fee or booth rental, unlike almost all of our competitors. We also market our artists daily and have no minimum requirements for appointments you have to have to be paid. On the customer side, we do all ages from kids to adults, our payment is made through the app. Hence, no money exchanges hands for added security purposes (even tip can be done through app), and we can be booked 24/7 (on Apple, Android, Instagram, and Facebook) so you can get styled from 9 AM to 1 AM, etc. I’m most proud of my company because at the moment, we have an all African-American team (but all ethnicities are welcome to join) and that our app can help children with disabilities or single parents have another option for hair care services.
So, what’s next? Any big plans?
My biggest plans for Clipnwhip are adding and maintaining at least 10 to 15 artists by the end of 2020, start looking to expand to specific areas in the state of Georgia by mid-2021, look at the Carolinas or Florida as the next state to launch #clipnwhip in toward the beginning of 2022 and introducing our aesthetician and nail techs in January 2021. The biggest plan for me as an author is dropping my second book this summer and doing more spoken word shows to promote my book as I transition into screenplay writing for 2021 as well.
Pricing:
- Buy “Intelligence Of A Clown” signed copy $10 Dm(ig @Mac_dapoet)
- Book on lulu publishing, Amazon, Barnes & Nobles $10
Contact Info:
- Address: 75 log Cabin Drive Dallas GA 30157
- Phone: 6788798680
- Email: clipnwhipllc@gmail.com
- Instagram: @clipnwhip_,@mac_dapoet
- Facebook: Clipnwhip
- Twitter: Mac_dapoet
- Other: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/clipnwhip/id1464966987
Image Credit:
Photos:@heathflimandphoto
Artist for little boy:@goodlife4eva2
Artist for young lady:@zsavetshouseofstyles
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