Today we’d like to introduce you to Whitney Reese.
Whitney, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born in Gary, Indiana. Growing up, I had a very close knit family. I’m an only child so my parents and I were very close. My childhood was pretty ideal until I hit my teenage years. My dad became very sick and he passed away when I was 16, 2 weeks before my 17th birthday. He was one of my biggest role models so it crushed me to lose him. I was in a dark headspace for a while. When I gained some mental clarity, I realized I wanted to start over and have fresh start going into my adult life. I moved to Atlanta in 2016 when I was 20 years old. I moved out here on my own without knowing anyone here. At the time I transferred my credits to a college here in Atlanta. I was making great grades but but the school didn’t provide financial aid plus I felt like I wasn’t finding my purpose. College was not for me. I started waitressing at restaurants then I moved to doing bottle service waitressing in the nightlife industry in 2017. Working in the nightlife industry allowed me to network with elite people in Atlanta and it helped me elevate to what I really wanted to do.
I started my brand Whitney Solana in 2018. I came up with the name Solana because it means ‘Sunshine” which the nickname my dad gave me when I was a little girl. His influence is always major part in any business venture I have. I started my first business in 2019 called Miss Solana Beauty. It was a beauty line focused on lashes and makeup services. I loved making people feel beautiful. I used this business to get my feet wet in understanding how to be an entrepreneur.
When the pandemic hit, I realized how up and down the nightlife industry can be. I knew it was time to take my businesses completely serious. I spent the majority of 2020 networking with people in nightlife and researching what goods and services people really need. I took the time to take meetings and to learn from various courses to figure out exactly what route I wanted to take. This whole year has been about rebranding and launching my companies.
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?
My journey has definitely not been easy. Dealing with loss and navigating through my journey as a 1st generation self-employed entrepreneur has definitely presented challenges. There has been times where I’ve felt like I’ve hit rock bottom, but I had to learn that means that you can only go up and grow from there. It has taken time to truly figure out what business ventures I wanted to pursue, and I’m happy I didn’t rush it. I had the chance to try things out and realize what I love to do, which is helping people. Although there has been challenges, having a strong support system definitely makes it easier. My mother has supported me and stuck by me through every decision I’ve made. She’s truly my backbone and I wouldn’t be able to do any of this without her.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
My company is Whitney Solana, Inc which is the parent company for my other businesses Vroma Management, LLC and Feed Your Sol by Solana, LLC. The company motto for Vroma Management is “Innovative Thinking to Unlock Your Vision”. Currently, the 2 divisions of Vroma Management are Vroma Business Consulting and Vroma Listens. Vroma Business Consulting focuses on both new and established businesses. Some clients have an idea but need help developing it, some clients have the idea but need help properly establishing their business, and some clients have their business up and running but need new ideas to get the results they want. Vroma Business Consulting can help with all of that. Vroma Listens is a listening service with trained listeners that aim to provide an open, non judgmental space to help clients make sense of what they’re feeling and ultimately find meaning in their story. We understand that life can get overwhelming at times, especially with the state the world is in, but this helps our clients find ways to cope with their experiences. By the end of this year, we’ll also be expanding to Vroma Hospitality and Vroma Drives to service our business clients so they can travel hassle free. We’ll provide housing and car rental services.
Feed Your Sol by Solana is about community health awareness. Many people don’t know, but most health conditions start with what we eat.
After researching the damage unhealthy lifestyles take on your body, I decided to stop eating meat 4 years ago. My dad is a huge inspiration behind this because I wish I knew then what I know now about health. As a company, we want to inform others so they won’t have to endure the painful results of unhealthy and unbalanced lifestyles. Being healthy is not a chore and its not hard to do, its a lifestyle that can easily be maintained. We will provide cookbooks and ebooks to get your health back on track, and also catering services. Feed Your Sol by Solana will launching this December 2021.
I also have a vending machine company, Green Light Vending, LLP, I started with my best friend, turned business partner, Megan Whitehead. We came up with this idea because we noticed there aren’t many black-owned or woman-owned Vending Machine Companies in our area and we believe its important to be represented. We service locations all around the Metro Atlanta area and looking to expand!
Alright so before we go can you talk to us a bit about how people can work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
I have an Instagram for all my companies, @whitneysolanainc, @vromamanagement, @feedyoursol_, and @greenlightvend. My personal Instagram is @whitneysolana_. Feel free to follow us for all updates!
If you would like to collaborate or have any questions, you can call (470)750-0344 or email contact@whitneysolanainc.com!
Pricing:
- Vroma Business Consulting: $70 per hour
- Vroma Business Consulting: $300 Initial Business Launching (this includes everything to start up your business)
- Vroma Listening Service: $45 per hour
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@whitneysolanainc.com
- Website: www.whitneysolanainc.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/whitneysolanainc
Image Credits:
AJ Sneed (@sneedsnapped)
