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3 Keys for Your Journey
Business and Community Leaders sharing key principles.
3 Keys for Your Journey
From Passion to Movement: Championing Diverse Beauty and Intentional Growth with Makeba Griffin
Ever wondered how a simple desire to create something meaningful can spark an entire movement? Meet Makeba Griffin, the visionary behind Makeba Design Print, who turned a passion for art and graphic design into a flourishing business that champions diverse beauty. Discover how a quest to design backpacks that reflected her daughters' identities not only birthed her brand but also catapulted her into the spotlight, with features in Essence magazine and collaborations with retail giants like Walmart Canada. Makeba opens up about the power of customization, a request inspired by her son, and the intentional choices that set her apart in the creative industry.
Our conversation with Makeba is a testament to the magic of community support and unexpected opportunities. Listen as Makeba discusses the importance of being intentional in both design and business, aligning decisions with personal and professional goals, and her exciting future endeavors in STEM and STREAM. As we reflect on the enriching journey of podcasting, we celebrate each listen and look forward to sharing more inspiring stories with you on "Three Keys for Your Journey.
Thank you for listening! YouTube - @3KeysforYourJourney -Tune in for a new episode every Sunday. Connect with us at www.ocfo.info
are you ready to unlock your potential? Tune in to three keys for your journey podcast, where business owners share invaluable insights and empowering strategies to guide you towards success. Based in Oklahoma City, our host, greg T Jones, will inspire and motivate you every week. Get ready to join our conversation as we build community together.
Speaker 2:All right, good afternoon, makeba Griffin. I have the privilege. Oh, y'all don't understand. Right now I feel nervous and shaking over here sweating. I got the one and only Makeba Griffin. Makeba Design and Prints live in studio.
Speaker 3:How are you today? I'm doing well. You're talking about nervous. I'm the one rubbing my knees.
Speaker 2:Oh God, Y'all are in for a treat today. Oh my gosh, we were just reflecting before the show started. It sounds like we first met about two years ago.
Speaker 3:Two years ago and midweek.
Speaker 2:OK, so Minority Enterprise Development Week and we were on the same committee together. We were yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah, and you know I have to tell like the story because I kind of shared it with some people, how I say the Greg Jones. So the story behind it is because I, you know, was looking for different fun is when I was looking at this big business had, well, manufacturer, retailer kind of contacted me and they wanted some of my items in a store. So I contacted like small business of commerce and a guy there. He was like hey, the person that you need to talk to is Greg Jones. So we had just got through having a midweek committee meeting and you know how I have like the notations on the names and I was like greg jones.
Speaker 3:Man, that name sounded really familiar right now. Wait, I think we was in a meeting. So here it is, the next week. I was like okay, let me see. And there greg jones was. I was like okay, so I called and I was like hey, this is makiba, he's trying to figure out. How do you even know my name? I was like we are on the is Makiba he's trying to figure out. How do you even know my name? I was like we are on the midweek committee together and the rest is history.
Speaker 2:Wow, that is good that you remember that. I do remember that now. But yeah, because you were instrumental in putting a lot of the graphics together and just all that stuff, and you know how you meet virtually and you don't really get a chance to meet people and know people. But that's ironic that somebody knew you, told you to call me and we're on the same committee working together. Yes, the rest is history. So for our listening audience out there, we made a big deal about who you are, who I am.
Speaker 3:Tell people what you want people to know about you. Hi everyone that's listening or viewing. My name is Makeba Griffin and I'm the founder of Makeba Design Print, where we create cool threads and stylish bags that celebrate diverse beauty with relatable designs. You know, just with children especially my children and mine there was no representation of things that looked like them, so I just created it.
Speaker 2:So that's how Makeba Designs was birthed. Okay, so do you have a background in graphic design? I mean, how did you get this love for wanting to create things?
Speaker 3:Graphic design and art has always been like my passion, so art is just in the family. We have carpenters and sculptors, artists with oil and paint. I've been drawing since I was about four or five years old and I kind of just went back to the history of my passion. I was trying to see well, how can I, you know, bring that passion back and just picked up the pen and pencil and started digitizing some of my artwork and research. How can I get this, these illustrations on bags? For it was really just for my girls, but it just became bigger than that.
Speaker 2:Wow, okay, some point today you got to tell the story, because all I remember the story about how the backpacks got started. Okay, can you tell that story?
Speaker 3:yes. So my girls wanted to go back to school with backpacks that look like them, but we didn't have. I could look online, looked in the stores and couldn't find anything at all. So I just researched, trying to see how can I do this for them. So I end up, you know, find a manufacturer. Long story short find a manufacturer.
Speaker 3:And I was at a natural hair show and just wanted to introduce some of the items to see how, you know, the ladies want to gravitate to it. Boy, it was a big hit. People was, you know, kind of pre-ordering then. And then what one thing that sets me aside from other um, you know the customers were from the competition is my customization. So customization is one factor that a lot of people know me as. So thanks to my son, my son. He had his oldest son and he needed a diaper bag and he didn't want just a regular girly-looking diaper bag. So he wanted a backpack and I illustrated my grandson and put it on a bag. And boy, they went viral. So now I'm just doing custom, getting notice from different magazines and retail stores.
Speaker 2:So that's how I started. Okay, so you're dropping dimes. We need to know what some of these dimes are Now you've been featured in a few different magazines.
Speaker 3:I have one of the biggest magazines, Essence, so I was featured in Essence magazine and from that feature you never know, like, like, who's watching you and just keep pushing. So I was featuring at Essence Magazine and a year later a buyer from Walmart Canada contacted me. It was like hey, I remember you in this magazine. We want 10,200 units of your backpacks and lunch bags.
Speaker 2:Oh my gosh. Wow so you got Wow. So OK, we haven't got to the keys yet, but I'm taking that one Keep pushing, Keep pushing.
Speaker 3:Wow.
Speaker 2:Yeah, that's good transition leaders in their respective places with keys along the journey, and I think of keys as unlocking doors. I think sometimes you have keys in your pocket, some keys I don't use, some keys I do need to use, and the idea around the podcast is that we want to provide people with keys. So what are some things that you've learned along your journey that you can share with our listening audience?
Speaker 3:So some things that I've learned along the journey, even from others and my mentor have to say I have the most amazing mentor and business coach, greg T Jones.
Speaker 2:So here we go, thank you.
Speaker 3:I have to say you know, just on this journey I'm going to name one key is to be intentional. If you look at like, one of my missions is to just be intentional on, like my design aspect or who I'm trying to reach. So I'm always trying to be intentional. And this other key is something that I had to learn and if it wasn't for my mentor to say no, that's a major key. Learning to say no, there's nothing wrong with, you know, saying no and I know we're kind of elaborate a little bit more on it and then collaborate progress and not just results. So that's another key okay.
Speaker 2:So, oh okay, which one do we want to start with? Cause, those are all good. Where do you want to start?
Speaker 3:We can start with learning when to say no.
Speaker 2:Okay, learning when to say no. What's the power of that?
Speaker 3:Man, let me tell you. So we, you know, my mentor and I, greg, we had at that time because we were still learning, and he's we had at that time because we were still learning, and he's coaching me through my different Walmart, different, you know, deals and talking international. And he already knew that I was just at the point of overwhelmed and I'm saying yes, it is yes, it is yes, it is Even with family, friends. But he had to tell me you're going to have to say no, it's okay, it's okay to say no. And when I started saying no, I'm like, hey, this feels kind of good, it's freeing up some time I get to some me time again. And I wasn't feeling bad. So here it is, I'll you know, I'll next week call. So how's it going?
Speaker 2:I'm like I'm still saying no wow, so it freed you so that you got your time back. What would you say? It did anything else. When I say that, I mean saying no, freed you, you got your time back, but did it make you any less productive? Did it make you more productive?
Speaker 3:It made me more productive. In that meantime, I was able to create a new product. I have my STEM and stream product with the coloring books and the puzzles, with the coloring books and the puzzles. So it's yeah, taking that me time. Just allow me to be strategic on me bringing in a new product line or even just taking time for myself. Not even have to just create something new. Just taking some of that time back.
Speaker 2:Wow. We've had another guest on here and he shared something about that. He said saying no makes my yeses more effective. And so, as you're talking about that, it makes me think so again. If you're listening out there and you're like, yeah, that's me, I say yes to everything. Well, you just heard it today that maybe saying no more often, freeing up your time, will help you become more effective. Exactly, that's wonderful. Wow, exactly.
Speaker 3:And I have to even add with, because I'm such a collaborator, I love collaborations, but sometimes you have to think does this make sense? Not necessarily what's in it for me, but it just still has to make sense. So don't even say yes to all the collaborations, because sometimes the collaborations may not even line up with your mission or your vision or just the integrity part of your, your business, because I definitely had to say no to a business that it just wasn't um, something that that Makeba Design would do.
Speaker 3:So, I can't say yes to everything, even if you think well, I have the time, but it still has to make sense.
Speaker 2:Well, I like that as well. So I'm pulling out what you said there is you need to have a mission and a vision statement, and let that be your litmus test. So, whether you say yes or you say no, and so if you're trying to figure out, does it make sense? Use as as some guardrails kind of in your decision making process?
Speaker 3:Exactly. Oh, wow, ok, yeah, ok, exactly.
Speaker 2:OK, all right.
Speaker 3:What else we can. Number two let's talk about number two. Ok, the celebrate progress, not just results. What do you mean by that? Celebrate progress, not just results? What do you mean by that? Let me tell you, so you know. So it's so easy kind of getting caught up on celebrating just big wins. So I had to kind of take a step back in just appreciating the journey and celebrating small wins. So if I got an order yesterday, it's probably two orders. I'm celebrating that there's two other people that didn't know me that now knows me, and you know it's just repetitious because those two people is probably going to introduce to 20 or 30 people. So I'm just learning to celebrate when I can 20 or 30 people.
Speaker 2:So I'm just learning to celebrate when I can. I love that example, because sometimes the way we equate wins are only the big wins versus one customer at a time is one more customer than I had. And then you said something else that that I think is worth repeating that if you do a good job, provide the right service, that customer tells other people Exactly. Has that happened to you?
Speaker 3:It has it happened so many times because, you know, word of mouth is always just the the most marketing strategies that you can do. It's one person you know, um, ordered for me and I was like, oh you know, because I I celebrate small wins, but that one person worked at this company and I end up doing the entire company shirts and mugs so that one order turned into 150. Wow, so celebrate your small wins.
Speaker 2:And when you say, celebrate what I'm saying to you as a business owner out there is, celebrate that to yourself. Like it doesn't have to be some big party you throwing for people like to yourself. You take some time out to actually celebrate the win and then, when you have these opportunities where that win turned into something else, how good is that and how good does that feel? When somebody else told somebody else about your business and about you, Exactly.
Speaker 3:I mean, it just feels amazing even to just reflect on well, this happened because this happened, and now this is happening because of that happened. So it you know, it's just feel great when you just sit back and cheer for yourself.
Speaker 2:Well, and I have to share with our listening audience as well the time of this taping this podcast. I literally was on our way to our meeting place, where we are now, and heard a commercial. It was Makeiba's commercial on the radio that she ain't never heard before, and then, she starts telling me the backstory that she was uh meeting with one of the radio executives and yes he heard about her and said I want to do something for you and literally cut her some radio spots and then put the radio spots out there to promote your business I mean a shout, shout out to Perry Publishing because you know we were at an event with Urban League and I saw them across.
Speaker 3:You know, sometimes you're kind of hesitant when you see you're in this room, where it's like, man, I don't even supposed to be in here, but I'm in this room with all of these different leaders. And I saw him because he was one of the hosts and recipients and I just went over and was like hey, you know, I just want to speak. And he was like you know, makeba, because you know, sometimes you think you're not being impactful but you are, because he remembered me from Women of color expo. But he was like, you know, you soared into me, I want to soar to you, come to the office. And I was like, okay, you know, not expecting to be having a radio ad, but you know, just shout out to um kevin perry and perry publishing. You guys are, uh, amazing and I appreciate. You know the ad and the notification is crazy. You just never know who you're impacting.
Speaker 2:And that's awesome and I, you know, I've had relationships with them over the last number of years and you're right, I mean very supportive of things that are going on in the community, and so when you told me that story, it wasn't surprising at all. But I think that's an attribute of and I say this all the time common and unity equals community. And when you find things in common, then that's how we build a community.
Speaker 1:Wow, that's fantastic.
Speaker 2:I just had to share that because you know this is real time, like what are the things that actually impact us, what are the stories that are actually happening? And is real time like what, what are the things that actually impact us, what are the stories that are actually happening? And wow, this just happened. And so we were literally, I literally got my phone out and I said girl, let me, let me play the, the, the, the ad for you, and played it for, and she hadn't even heard it yet, I mean. So I just think that that's amazing, that's wonderful.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that was amazing, or?
Speaker 2:as you would say.
Speaker 3:Your word is wow, wow, wow wow, that is my word wow, wow, wow okay, so we've talked about a couple of them.
Speaker 2:Which one have we not talked about? We haven't talked about be intentional okay, let's talk about that being intentional so basically like being intentional, this even when it's coming to designing.
Speaker 3:So I'm intentional on the audience and you know, I have to say at first I was kind of closing myself off in the box just trying to design for children of color, but that was my inspiration on how and why I got started. So now I'm being intentional and trying to reach outside of that box because it's other children that also need inspiration and representation. So I'm just being more intentional on just not just designing, but you know, throughout the my process, everything within my keyboard design. So it's just intentional.
Speaker 2:Well, what I'm hearing, what you're saying, is the questions that you're asking, really trying to understand your client's kind of heart purpose what they're trying to get accomplished. All those things become critically important, so that when you produce or design something, you keep all those things in mind. So, what I think you're saying is it's not the cookie cutter approach.
Speaker 3:Right. And then you know, in addition to that, and say you know you're making a decision, is that decision making you closer to your goal? So it's all about just being intentional on you trying to get to the goal you're trying to reach. So is that decision, is it going to help me or is it going to hinder me? So just kind of be mindful and intentional.
Speaker 2:Well, I love that. That too. It kind of ties to this intentionally being able to say no to things right, exactly, yeah, because you got to be thinking, you got to have in your mind is it hurting me, is it helping me? But you got to come to that realization.
Speaker 3:Yeah.
Speaker 2:So, as your growth process over the last number of years, I mean, you know, if you look back and go, man, where I was, you know, two years ago or three years ago, where I am now as you look forward, what are some things you're looking forward to?
Speaker 3:Oh, wow, wow, it's some things is definitely in the works, especially in the STEM, because I'm adding STEM and stream. You know, I have to kind of give thanks to Kidvation Global, kind of give thanks to Kidvation Global. I've been, you know, invited to speak to their children there about because I'm a product based business and a lot of businesses, you know, don't talk about the product base of it. Yeah, just being able to be on a panel with with them and working with those kids and because I'm getting ready to launch my STEM stream subscription box so the kids at, you know, millwood would be able to help me prepare that box. So I'm excited about that. With Kidvation, I just had a collaboration with another small business, with K-20 Gear Up, so we was there talking to those students about the product business. You know, learning about fixed variables and just different things costs that you don't hear just on your day-to-day, but being a product-based business, but yeah, it's some things that's in the work and you just need to be watching, watching Makeba Designs.
Speaker 2:I like it, I like it, I like it. So you know, we're in the early stages of this podcast, and so what that means is when Makeba comes back, you know, I don't know, it might be our 50th episode or 100th episode. We're going to expect bigger and better things.
Speaker 3:That's right Wow.
Speaker 2:So for our listening audience, people are going to be hitting me up saying Greg, how do I get in contact with Makeba? How can people find you?
Speaker 3:Listen, you can go online MakebaDesignscom if you just want to shop. We do have a ready to ship tab. You can go there. We ship those items out within two to three days. We ship those items out within two to three days. I'm on Facebook, Instagram at Makeba Designs and my personal business number is 405-352-3557.
Speaker 2:Wow, okay, she gave the website Don't worry Website phone number her socials. When you get a chance to listen to this podcast, we'll put all of this information in the comments so that you will have the opportunity to reach out to Makeba Designs and Prince, and I always tell people get in now, get in where you can fit in, because you know we already have. She talked about international, so we don't know what our next stop is, but we're glad that we have you here, based out of Oklahoma City, and thank you so much for being on our podcast, anything you, any lasties that you want to add.
Speaker 3:Before we wrap things up, let's see anything that I want to add, um, just to even talk about. To finalize on the celebrate progress. Celebrate the journey is just as important as the destination.
Speaker 2:And we'll just sit there for a while on that Celebrate. The journey is just as important as the destination.
Speaker 3:Yes.
Speaker 2:Wow, wow, yep Again, thank you.
Speaker 3:I'm going to celebrate the journey, celebrate, celebrate the journey Each and every podcast.
Speaker 2:I'm gonna celebrate the journey, celebrate, celebrate the journey. Each, each and every podcast, I'm gonna celebrate. I'm celebrating the journey every listen, every download, every share, you get wow because I don't even know what the destination is, to be honest with you. But I do know that I am enjoying this journey and I have enjoyed our conversation today.
Speaker 3:I have too. It's always a pleasure.
Speaker 2:Thank you so much and we will look forward to having you back on the show.
Speaker 3:Thank you.
Speaker 1:Thanks for joining Three Keys for your Journey. Tune in next time for another episode.
