business

Dale Earnhardt: How business savvy built marketing empire

5 days ago Shirley P. Olin

NBC Sports will take a look at the life, legacy and long-lasting impact of Dale Earnhardt who died 20 years ago this week on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, 2001. This is the third chapter in an oral history series that remembers “The Intimidator” though the voices of those who knew the seven-time Cup Series champion who remains one of the biggest icons in NASCAR history.”

Adjacent to the “deerhead shop” – an aluminum-sided inner sanctum of race cars surrounded by its owner’s trophy hunting-covered walls – Dale Earnhardt’s business empire started at a square maroon desk.

When Don Hawk joined Dale Earnhardt Inc in 1993 to help manage the appearances, branding and commercial opportunities for the seven-time NASCAR champion, his office primarily was in a converted brick farmhouse on Earnhardt’s sprawling property in Mooresville, North Carolina.

It’s where many major decisions were

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Motivated by community, these Black-owned business have grown in the pandemic

7 days ago Shirley P. Olin

By relying on community support and faith and fighting for representation, three Black business owners showed how to survive against the odds.

While many businesses were forced to close their doors permanently due to COVID-19, these three owners actually opened their businesses amid the pandemic — and have seen the businesses grow.

“I was set to open in March to honor my mom’s birthday but ended up delaying the opening because of the pandemic,” said Rodesia Scott of Lynn’s Beauty Depot, a beauty supply store in Desoto, Texas.

Scott said she decided to hold her grand opening during the Juneteenth weekend, a holiday celebrating the end of slavery, because the event is widely celebrated across Texas.

In the heart of a historically black neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, sits Leah and Louise, a juke joint. The Southern-inspired restaurant opened in March, just days before North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper announced

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remarkable Serena Williams refuses to let business crisis halt Australian Open run

2 weeks ago Shirley P. Olin
Tennis pro, fashion CEO: remarkable Serena Williams refuses to let business crisis halt Australian Open run - Shutterstock

Tennis pro, fashion CEO: remarkable Serena Williams refuses to let business crisis halt Australian Open run – Shutterstock

Having got this Australian Open off to a visually arresting start with her one-legged catsuit, Serena Williams has continued to combine fashion with tennis in the manner of an expert multi-tasker.

Williams was pushed deep into a deciding set overnight by Aryna Sabalenka, but came up with some clutch tennis to secure a 6-4, 2-6, 6-4 victory and move into her 54th major quarter-final.

Then, in Williams’s on-court interview, she revealed that her attention had been diverted back to the USA on Saturday’s rest day, when she was drawn into a debate over fabrics for her fashion company.

Asked about her clothing business, Williams replied: “It was so crazy – yesterday on my day off, one of our people was out of the office … As CEO, I had to kind of

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Beth Birkett of Bephies Beauty Supply on Running a Small Business

2 weeks ago Shirley P. Olin

Women running their own companies? We love to see it. In our monthly series Small Business Spotlight, we chat with independent fashion entrepreneurs about their journey to be-your-own-boss status. Here, tips for raising funds, developing a marketing strategy, navigating social media, and more—straight from women who have done it themselves.

Beth Birkett is no stranger to the fashion industry: She is a costume designer, a creative director, the co-owner of the iconic Los Angeles streetwear store Union with her husband, Chris Gibbs, and the founder of Bephie, an ultra-cool women’s streetwear line. Instead of baking bread when the COVID-19 pandemic hit, the fashion girl took a leap into yet another space: Beauty. She evolved Bephie into Bephies Beauty Supply, an online retailer that serves as an inclusive marketplace for clothing, beauty, house wares, and more, that supports the work of Black women and those in the LGBTQ+ community.

small business spotlight
Bephies Beauty
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Gabrielle Jordan talks about overcoming burnout and finding meaning in business

1 month ago Shirley P. Olin

Gabrielle Jordan is an entrepreneur, author, public speaker, podcast host and mentor. 

Jordan founded the successful jewelry business Jewelz of Jordan when she was only 9 years old. But her story isn’t as smooth-sailing as it appears.

“I 100 percent believe that you are more than what you do, that your job or your career is not your identity,” Jordan told In The Know. 

Jordan is a certified CAD/CAM Jewelry Designer from the prestigious Gemological Institute of American (GIA) in London, a bestselling author on Amazon and a co-founder of the ExCEL Youth Mentoring Institute. She has been pictured with Michelle Obama, featured in a slew of publications and given numerous speeches — all before turning 21. 

“When I was finding early success, I was excited about what I was doing,” Jordan said. “Whether it was TV interviews or traveling, I felt very in it in those moments, and

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