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RaJean Beauty’s Megan Seard on Self-Care, Shea Butter, and Realizing Your Dreams

Cincinnati is full of so-called local celebrities; they grace nightly newscasts and are shown in The Enquirer on a regular basis. Founder and CEO of RaJean Beauty, Megan Seard, just might be considered one – after all, she estimates her products are in more than 1,500 tri-state homes! However, when taking into account the way one feels after using her shower scrubs and shea butters, the title “local goddess” might be more appropriate.

With a passion for self-care, a relentless customer-first mentality, and a hell of a lot of determination, Megan has been to nearly every corner of Cincinnati and Indiana – with her famous backpack full of products in tow. RaJean Beauty has gone from kitchen table concoctions to a beauty empire that brings out decadent skin with a cult-like following. We sat down with Megan at her favorite partnering location, Aladdin’s, to discuss what’s important to her in these unprecedented times.

Introducing UPLIFT: A directory of women-led products and services

At Women of Cincy, we believe that when you uplift women, you uplift everyone. After a hellish 12 months, we think that all of us could use a little uplifting – especially those who own or lead small businesses and nonprofits. In our experience, if you build it – the community will come. So let’s get to work.

March 2021, EntrepreneurshipChelsie WalterMarch 5, 2021Community Mix

‘What makes you come alive?’: A Conversation with Quinn McIlhargey-Nicholson

For Quinn McIlhargey-Nicholson, a simple scrap of forgotten leather tells a story – it has a hidden history, a character that’s only enhanced with time and wear. I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Quinn, owner and founder of Baqette. Her handcrafted bags are making a name throughout the city, and each bag – made from recycled leather – has its story to tell. Quinn’s own story is about taking a leap and trusting yourself to find the way.

Community Mix, March 2021, EntrepreneurshipAbby FarrMarch 5, 2021Community Mix

Women of Cincy Gift Guide: Black-Owned Businesses 2021

Community Mix, Gift Guide, February 2021, EntrepreneurshipCourtney ReynoldsFebruary 10, 2021Community Mix, Celebrate Black Stories

Miya Sohoza on Finding Community at Covington Farmers Market

When you enter the Covington Farmers Market, you’re greeted with a warm hello and a spritz of hand sanitizer. People browse the stalls with masks and gloves – always making sure to follow the arrows on the ground. At 11 a.m., market volunteers shout over a megaphone for vendors to pause what they’re doing and sanitize their tables. These are just some of the new changes Covington Farmers Market has adopted to keep up with the new normal of COVID-19.

Community Mix, February 2021, EntrepreneurshipEmma SegrestFebruary 5, 2021Community Mix

Nahamani Yisrael: Changing the World One Connection at a Time

Nahamani Yisrael truly embodies the meaning of her name: compassionate leader. As an entrepreneur, mother, teacher, website designer, and community activist, Nahamani is a woman on a mission to share her spark with the world and to light a spark in others. From balancing being a single mother of two kids to becoming a successful entrepreneur, Nahamani’s story speaks to how far kindness, hard work, and having the courage to make connections and speak your truth can take you in life.

Features, EntrepreneurshipKelsey GrahamFebruary 1, 2021Features, Celebrate Black Stories

Women of Cincy Gift Guide: Winter 2020

I think it’s fair to say 2020 didn’t pan out how we were expecting. But the holidays will be arriving soon, and like most things this year, they’ll look different. Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, and Festivus will be over Zoom, through the mail, and socially distanced. However you’re celebrating this year, the act of giving – to loved ones and to yourself – is as important as ever.

November 2020, Gift Guide, EntrepreneurshipOlivia TaylorNovember 6, 2020Community Mix

Jasmine Ford: Baking Up Her Own Success

Jazzy Sweeties started in 2013. I was working at Children’s Hospital. I was in housekeeping – and I was thinking about what I really wanted to do. I always baked as a child, so it came naturally to me. The first thing I started with was cheesecakes. I did cheesecakes for a holiday, and my mom told our coworker, and then I did an order for her. Before I knew it, I was doing cheesecakes! And then I was like, “Okay, this is a thing, so I need to give it a name.”

Jazzy came from my family. No one ever really called me Jasmine. It was always Jazz, Jazzy, just random names [laughs]. So that’s when I came up with the name Jazzy Sweeties. After that, I started doing pop-up shops, and then I had someone ask me to make a cake. So I tried it, and it took forever to do that cake. By the time I got done with that cake, the party was over. The cake got there, and I was like, “Well, it worked out, I guess, so I’ll try it again.” And then I started doing cakes and cupcakes.

Entrepreneurship, Food + Beverage, FeaturesKelsey GrahamOctober 23, 2020Features, Celebrate Black Stories

This is Entrepreneurship: Dr. Grace Kerr on Perseverance and Making Cincinnati Smile

It was a bit surreal walking into an empty waiting room at Grace Kerr Orthodontics. Usually full of teenagers trying not to make eye contact, COVID had rendered it – like so many places – quiet and bare. But it was the perfect backdrop to talk with Dr. Grace Kerr about her thriving orthodontics practice.

Having Heart: A Conversation with Melyssa Kirn and Michele Tibbs of Grainwell

To step into Grainwell is to step into a rustic charm interior design wonderland. Nestled within the historic, red-bricked West Pike Street in Covington, Kentucky, Grainwell has established itself as the go-to place for sentimental family gifts and modern design.

The sisters behind the shop and business – Christine, Michele, and Melyssa – never set out to create a multi-faceted business; rather, it snowballed into one. They began by pursuing their interests in design by making items for family and friends while they were in school. Eventually, they teamed up and brought their collective skills together to form Grainwell. Their business now provides custom corporate work, wholesale items, and in-store shopping.

September 2020, Arts + Culture, EntrepreneurshipOlivia TaylorSeptember 4, 2020Community Mix

This Is Entrepreneurship: Melis Aydoğan on Turning Passion into a Business

We connected virtually with Melis Aydoğan, founder of the Turkish coffee brand, Rüya – “bold coffee for the immigrant dream.” In fact, Rüya means “dream” in Turkish. It’s aptly named as Melis does more than make a tasty source of caffeine. She creates community connections, pushes herself and others to dream big, and is a strong voice for immigrant families, such as her own.

September 2020, This is Entrepreneurship, EntrepreneurshipMichaela RawsthornSeptember 4, 2020Community Mix

On Second Thought: Catching Up with Sweet Cheeks Founder Megan Fischer

Getting to sit down a Wednesday evening and learn about the only diaper bank, Sweet Cheeks, in Cincinnati was such a treat. We first interviewed Sweet Cheeks founder Megan Fischer in 2018, but with so much changing for non-profit organizations during a pandemic, we knew we had to catch up with her.

I quickly learned what a well-oiled organization she began single-handedly. Megan left the corporate world and launched her original site in her home in 2016 after a year-long nudge in her gut wouldn’t quit – at the time, there wasn’t a single diaper bank in the entire greater Cincinnati area.

September 2020, Entrepreneurship, On Second Thought, Outreach + AdvocacyAbby FarrSeptember 4, 2020Community Mix

This is Entrepreneurship: Christina Davis on Time Management and Family Roots

Sitting in her car between errands, Cristina Davis, C.E.O. of Davis Cookie Collection, shared her journey to entrepreneurship. Although our interview was virtual, I could feel her energy and excitement about her business and the forthcoming opening of her first brick-and-mortar store through the screen. I knew instantly that this is a woman who can successfully juggle many roles: business owner, baker, mother, wife, mentor, community leader. Whether describing how to make it work as a wife/husband team or how she thinks up her next cookie recipe, Christina shows how her creativity and perseverance make it possible to live her dreams.

Women of Cincy Gift Guide: Fall 2020

August 2020, Gift Guide, EntrepreneurshipCourtney ReynoldsJuly 31, 2020Community Mix

This Is Entrepreneurship: Barb Smith on Sticking to Values and Pivoting During COVID

Meet Barb Smith, co-founder and president of Journey Steel. She is the living embodiment of Journey Steel’s motto: “We build and support dreams.” Barb spoke with us via videoconference about the values upon which she built her company and how she kept it afloat during the COVID-19 pandemic by sticking to those values. She also talked about what it’s like leading in a male-dominated sector as a Black woman.

Re-Envisioning and Re-Energizing Healthcare with Ciara Staunton of Staunton Primary Care

When Ciara Staunton popped into our virtual meeting, she seemed excited and energized, but our healthcare-worker readers will know she’s had some exhausting months. Frontline workers of all kinds are donning their P.P.E. and masks and continuing to serve their clients, but there are still so many unanswered questions as our world works to respond wisely to the rise of COVID-19.

Staunton, however, is no stranger to new directions. She created her own private practice, Staunton Primary Care, as a nurse practitioner aiming to offer affordable and approachable family primary care in the Walnut Hills neighborhood. It was a joy to talk to her about her passion for accessibility and comfort in a healthcare setting.

Sitting with the Uncertainty: A Conversation with Dr. Ashley Solomon

I’m a licensed clinical psychologist; that's my foundation, professionally at least. I'm also a wife and mom to four young kids: My daughter is almost six months old now and then [my other children are] two, five, and seven.

My professional background is specialized in the treatment of eating disorders; that’s where my dissertation research and all my clinical administrative experience was. I went to grad school at Xavier, and did the doctoral program in clinical psychology there. I love that work. I did it for almost 10 years following graduate school, and I never ever thought I would stop doing that – well, I haven't really stopped doing that work.

This Is Entrepreneurship: Christine Fisher on Managing a Start-Up Through COVID-19

We talked with Christine in late April about what it’s like to manage a company through a crisis (or two) with two young boys, a husband, and a dog in her immediate space. With characteristic candor and compassion, we learned not only about the struggles she and her colleagues are facing, but she talks first-hand about the struggles of the families, teachers, and school systems who are Possip users.

Women of Cincy Gift Guide: Spring 2020

In this weird, uncertain time it is more imperative than ever to showcase female-owned businesses in our area and financially support our plucky entrepreneurs. It’s also not a bad time to treat yo’self as we hole up at home.

This Is Entrepreneurship: Tia Rochelle on Preparing for the Loss of Benefits

We sat down with Tia back in February at First Financial Bank to talk about the toll that planning, organizing, and prioritizing for others took on her mental, emotional, and physical health. And, more specifically, she talked to us about how she prepared for the loss of the corporate benefits she and her family relied on – healthcare, life insurance, employee assistance – as she prepared to leave a secure corporate job for the journey of entrepreneurship.