<p>Congratulations to @kaieecee and @sashaowens for winning our #CupcakeMafia giveaway! In order to have been considered, we asked for you guys to share something that you&#8217;ve had to overcome on your journey to entrepreneurship.</p>
<p>A few of us at TSR have businesses outside of the company and understand how difficult and scary it can be to start your own business. That&#8217;s why we have decided to share these ladies&#8217; stories in hopes that you are encouraged to keep going! Get into it:</p>
<p> ;<br />
Karmeen:</p>
<p>&#8220;I began brainstorming about Synigence during December 2015. When I expressed my desires to my mother, she insisted that I give her a full business plan and create an LLC so that all of my bases would be covered before I started accepting clients. In a nutshell, she wanted to know I was ready.</p>
<p>Following the presentation of my full business plan, she still drug her feet on providing me with the funds to establish my company. I did not understand why. I kept begging her! At the time, I could not pay for it myself because she insisted that I did not obtain a job while in college in order to focus on maintaining a high GPA (which is required to retain my scholarship). I felt that she was putting me on the back burner and I did not understand.</p>
<p>One day, I called my stepfather and cried to him about my woes because I felt like the only person in my corner did not believe in me. He informed me that my mother did not want me to start a business until I graduated. I was hurt. She never told me this! She knew this was my dream, and she refused to communicate the fact that she wouldn&#8217;t help me start my company. I refused to be held back, so I took matters into my own hands. I liquidated the funds I had invested in stocks over the summer, and payed to file for my LLC. In addition, I cancelled my spring break to stay at school and work on making my dream come to life. And it did!</p>
<p>Over this past summer, I had to work 40 hours a week at a Fortune 500 company for an internship while also perfecting my craft. I realized that my hard work payed off on the last day of my internship. I got a call from one of my contacts asking me when I could come to California to work for a potential client. I left my internship on Friday, and I was flying to sunny California that Sunday, on my CEO stuff. I literally lived the dream. Due to non disclosure agreements, I cannot disclose this client&#8217;s identity, however, I was introduced to one my premier clients, reality star Jennifer Williams. I redesigned the website for her clothing boutique:</p>
<p>I believe I deserve to win this giveaway because I am young Girl Boss who loves Cupcake Mafia! Despite the doubters, I started two businesses this year: Synigence Digital Solutions and Kinky Cart, an online pleasure boutique, and ended this past semester with a 3.7 cumulative GPA (aint no losing that scholarship bih ????). I am not entering this to simply win free clothes. I am entering this to win clothes from the brand that I rock on a regular basis, from my shirts to my bookbags! See receipts below.</p>
<p>Sasha:</p>
<p>&#8220;I left my job in June of 2016 to pursue my acting and writing career full time in Atlanta, GA. It has been a unique journey and I can relate to Skittles starting a business with a small amount of funds. I put up all the money I had in for my books.</p>
<p>I published two novels from June til December with no big publisher. I used all the money in my accounts to do this. I had to give up looking Fly and certain things because my dreams meant more. I know that the sacrifices I&#8217;ve made are setting me up. There were days were I didn&#8217;t know where my next income was coming from but I still had faith.</p>
<p>Even if I don&#8217;t win the contest I would love for Skittles to know she&#8217;s true inspiration. My mom committed suicide when I was 17 years old. My father was murdered when I was 8 I have overcome every obstacle to not be a statistic and succeed as an entrepreneur. It was also at age 17 I went to Ohio and saw her perform for the 1st time. To see what&#8217;s she has become is amazing.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m a true overcomer and so is she. Thanks Skittles and TSR! Even if I do not win, thanks for giving me a chance to share a snippet of my story!&#8221;</p>
<p>We hope that these stories inspire some of you to take that leap of faith into entrepreneurship!</p>
<p>TSR STAFF: Talia O. @theclosetratchet on Instagram &; @tallyohhh on Twitter!</p>
 <div class="wpra-reactions-wrap wpra-plugin-container" style="justify-content: center;;"> <div class="wpra-reactions-container" data-ver="1.3.10" data-post_id="25570" data-show_count="true" data-enable_share="onclick" data-behavior="regular" data-animation="true" data-share_url="https://dev.theshaderoom.com/25570-2/" data-secure="8ac66c6067"> <div class="wpra-call-to-action" style="color: #000000;font-size: 25px;font-weight: 600;">What Do You Think Roomies?</div> <div class="wpra-reactions wpra-static-emojis size-medium" style="border-color: #ffffff;border-width: 0px;border-radius: 50px;border-style: solid;background: #ffffff;">					<div class="emoji-8 wpra-reaction wpra-pad-fix" data-count="" data-emoji_id="8"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-10 wpra-reaction wpra-pad-fix" data-count="" data-emoji_id="10"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-4 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="4"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-5 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="5"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-2 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="2"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-7 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="7"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div><div class="emoji-12 wpra-reaction" data-count="" data-emoji_id="12"> <div class="wpra-plus-one">+1</div>	 <div style="background-color: #ff0015" class="wpra-arrow-badge arrow-bottom-left hide-count"> <span style="border-top-color: #ff0015" class="tail"></span> <span style="color: #ffffff" class="count-num">0</span> </div>	</div> </div> <div class="wpra-share-wrap wpra-share-buttons-bordered" style="">				 </div> <!-- end of share buttons -->			 </div> <!-- end of reactions container --> </div> <!-- end of reactions wrap -->		
