Meet Eboni Frazier | Content Creator & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Eboni Frazier and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Eboni, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
The Bawsy Brand™ was founded with the strong belief that the business value must be continuously generated, endorsed, and shared. When I officially launched my business in 2020, I knew that I wanted to provide products and services which would inspire women or ‘Bawse Babes’ to persevere throughout their entrepreneurial journey.

I originally had dreams of someday opening my own Co-Working space in my hometown of Charlotte, North Carolina. I wanted my space to serve as a ‘hub’ exclusively for women to connect with other like-minded women & entrepreneurs to provide tools, resources & support, to help them thrive and grow to become successful entrepreneurs, creatives or whatever they set out to do! As a former Marketing intern for several well-known agencies and networks, I developed a passion for Social Media Marketing and Management, I knew that aside from providing the space, I would offer those services to clients looking to grow and expand their online presence.

What should our readers know about your business?
If I were to go all the way back to when I FIRST took a stab at entrepreneurship, it would be when I sold hair extensions back in 2011-2016 to help pay my college tuition and graduate (your girl was on Academic Probation and my Financial Aid was in shambles). I found a hair company from AliExpress, with quality hair and I ran with it. I did not know anything about starting a business or running one; all I knew was that if I provided good customer service and affordability, they will keep coming back and tell their friends! That worked but, it definitely didn’t last long. Elle A’gant (Elegant) Virgin Hair Company, EVHairCo, Bawsy Bundles had a good run though (and I graduated), lol.

I continued to work full-time and had a few side hustles working with various MLM companies. However, I still had an itch to start my own business especially after people would reach out to me to help them with their branding and social media for their businesses and this was something I enjoyed doing. By February 4, 2020, I decided that for my birthday I would officially launch the Bawsy Brand, LLC., to provide Branding & Social Media Management services, and grow from there.

Who knew a few weeks later we would be placed on lock down due to the Pandemic and at that point I had to learn how to pivot. One day, I started playing around with the ‘Over’ (now, GoDaddy Studio) app on my phone and started making t-shirt designs with quotes that I thought were cute and a reflection of my entrepreneurial journey. My first design was a simple black t-shirt with the word ‘Hustle’, I posted it on Instagram and asked if anyone wanted a free shirt and they jumped on it. Before I knew it, I was making t-shirts! I created more designs and was able to put my designs on other items and products that I could sell. This portion of my business took off faster and beyond what I could have ever imagined. There were many sleepless nights, tears of joy, tears of frustration, errors, lost packages, some wins and a few losses, you name it! But, if I had to do it all over again, I would! I kept pushing through but, eventually I found myself burned out from constantly being on ‘go’ mode and not taking time for myself along with life’s unexpected changes.

Decided to take my website and storefront down temporarily to reset, refocus, rebrand and come back stronger. I anticipated that I would only need a few weeks or maybe just a month to do so but, I still felt some type of discomfort each time I got ready to relaunch. Something on the inside was saying “wait, not now”. It has probably been a little over a year now and my foot is still on the breaks. This time away has opened my eyes to things that I want to do differently with my business and its structure; in addition to leveling up personally, overcoming fear and imposter syndrome. I want longevity, I want success and I feel if I am going to do it (relaunch), then it needs to be done strategically and correctly with care.

I feel as if we get so wrapped up in glorifying the ‘booked & busy’ mindset, that we often neglect one of the most important relationships we have in life, the one with ourselves. Listen, burnout will humble you real quick and you don’t want that! I get it we all have a story and a past that we may be trying to escape from, we want the best for ourselves and want to leave a legacy (I know I do) etc., But, relax, it’s going to happen and with perfect timing. If God lead you to it, it’s your assignment, there is no competition, now execute. Trust his plan and don’t listen to any outside noise. That’s actually what I’d go back and tell my younger self when I first started selling hair extensions and also something I’d want the world to know about my story.

Today, you can find me behind the scenes rebranding the Bawsy Brand™. In the meantime, I am blessed to still have clients that I work with for content creation and social media management; and I try to stay relevant by hosting and participating in local pop-up shops in Charlotte and hopefully, soon in my new hometown of Houston, Texas. I am still learning the market here, there’s so much to do and Entrepreneurs everywhere and I love it! I am excited for the continued growth and success of my business locally and worldwide and future collaborations to come! Stay tuned!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I would so love if my best friend(s) or closest friends/family came to visit me (*hint, hint). Since I am probably the most extroverted so, planning a week-long itinerary would be right up my alley. I’d probably take them to a few places I’ve already visited as well as check out some new places. It would definitely be a week of fun, self-care, exploring, shopping, vibes, and trying new things. For self-care and beauty: Gloss Nail Spa, Hello Sugar (Heights Location), Spa World and attend a fitness class with Reggie C. Fitness or hit a nearby greenway for some exercise. Shopping: Target (of course), The Galleria, Memorial City Mall, Lilly’s Kloset, Favor the Kind, to name a few. Eating/Drinking: Tikila’s, The Birria Queen Food Truck, Rare, Nobu, Bloom & Bee, Toulouse, The Breakfast Klub, Taste Bar & Kitchen, Willie G’s, Kiss, La La Land, Wild Cafe, Thirteen, Crawfish Cafe, Turkey Leg Hut, Post HTX, Lost & Found, Present Company, Lotus Seafood (the list goes on, I am very indecisive when it comes to food). For Entertainment/Exploring: Houston Botanical Gardens, Museum for Black Girls, Graffiti Walls/Murals, Rooftop Cinema Club, Contemporary Art Museum, Myx Blend Bar, Color Factory, LagoonFest, Trill on Wheels (3rd Ward Tour), Galveston Beach, Church, ATV’s. For the vibes: Chapman & Kirby (Sunday Funday), Prospect Park, Seaside Lounge, Bar 5015, Kamp, Nomad (Hookah Bar), Amahle, Ador, PurNoire, The Address.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that come to mind that I am so very grateful for. Strangers, Friends, Family, Colleagues – I would not be where I am today without their love and support! I don’t think I need to run down a list of names because they know exactly who they are.

However, it would be very remiss of me not to shoutout my girl, my friend, my ‘Bawse Friend’, my sister, Turkeyia ‘Key’ Hawkins. She was one of the people I felt like God knew I needed in my life. On several occasions, we would bounce ideas off of one another, talk about our goals and dreams; and, Key was that friend that would definitely hold you accountable! So selflessly, she would pour into me (and others) by sending random encouraging voice memos or messages throughout the day or night. She was one of my biggest supporters personally, professionally and even when starting my business (hence, ‘Bawse Friend’). Key passed in July of 2020 from COVID-19, and I never knew that losing a friend could hurt so bad! Somedays, it still feels very unreal but, I push through because I know that’s what she would want. One of the greatest lessons that I’ve learned from our friendship is not to take time for granted and “always push for more”. So that’s how I move now, constantly pushing for more when it comes to everything in life. Thank you, Key!

Website: www.thebawsybrand.com

Instagram: @bawsy_ (personal) @thebawsybrand (business)

Twitter: bawsy__

Other: Tiktok: @bawsy__

Image Credits
Areshanae B. Photography Shaded Media Photography Crownd Photography