Amber Joy Lillian Women in Business Scholarship

As a 17 year old small business owner it is challenging to build clientele because people hardly take you seriously or you get overlooked, sometimes people underestimate me until they begin to look at my work and realize how good I am. Also as a business owner it is good to meet new people who do the same thing as you and network your business. Being a nail technician my job can be different or challenging everyday. I learn something new and meet new people who are interested in my work. I started my nail journey August 2, 2021, I decided I wanted to do this as my career path because it’s not a repetitive career because there is always something new to learn and new connections to make. I eventually took my first client which was my friend. She was very supportive of me and let me freestyle on her nails. It was challenging doing an actual person's nails then using a practice hand. While doing her nails I was struggling with the acrylic and I didn’t know liquid to powder ratio which made it hard for me, while filing the nail it was tuff because the nail was thick and I had to file it down which took a lot of time and made the process much longer. My first nail set took 8 hours to complete. Even though it took hours to finish her nails, that time did not discourage me, it just showed me that I am only going to get faster and better. As I started practicing more and getting comfortable doing people’s nails I gradually got better and my work started to show for itself. I started my own business page so I can begin networking and finding more clients. I started to share my business page on my other social media accounts and I also invested in business cards and it began to grow and I began to gain clients. Starting my own business was a good investment for me because I’ve always thought about being my own boss and being successful. I’ve been doing nails for 2 years now and my business is successful. Being a nail tech that isn’t licensed, I've learned a lot through social media and youtube, I want to be an all around nail technician so I can have diversity. I plan on getting my license after I graduate highschool, I also want to go into college being a license nail technician; going to college in another state would be different and something new. This gives me the opportunity to build my clientele outside of Pittsburgh and expand my business into another city. I want to go to college for finance management and minor in marketing so I can have many options in the business industry. I would like to open up my own cosmetology or nail school one day to give other kids the chance to learn har, nails, makeup etc. I would also like it to make it affordable for kids who are less fortunate so they can have an opportunity as well. I would eventually let that company run by itself and branch off into something different so I can have multiple businesses under me and be a successful black woman and show other kids that it is possible and that you can make something out of nothing.

Growing up I told all my friends and family that I wanted to own my own restaurant; specifically a diner. Like me, Disney’s Princess Tiana wanted to own her own restaurant so she quickly became my favorite princess and motivation for becoming an entrepreneur. As soon as I was old enough, I began working in the food industry. At first, I volunteered in my church’s youth cafe and worked with a family friend who owned his own catering business. I’ve also had the opportunity to work at other food service restaurants. Through these positions, I have learned the value of good customer service and having a strong work ethic. I also have seen first-hand what it takes to successfully run your own business. While I am still passionate about being a business owner, my recent college tour experience has shifted my focus away from the restaurant business. In April 2022, I attended a 9-day Historically Black College and University (HBCU) Tour. While the focus of the tour was to expose us to HBCUs, I became fascinated and intrigued by the multiple historical monuments and Black History museums that we visited. Despite the college and university visits being the main focus of the trip, I was very intrigued and fascinated with what I was learning from all of the museums we attended. These museum tours made me realize that there is more to our history than the curriculum currently offered to students in our schools. Most importantly, I realized that I want to use my passion for business to create opportunities for other students and individuals to have the same learning and cultural experience that I had. Sadly, many schools in our country only teach about well-known activists such as Martin Luther King Jr. , Rosa Parks, or Ruby Bridges. I agree that their stories are a significant part of our history and need to be shared. However, there is so much more that the youth can learn and I want to create a business that provides opportunities for them to experience more of our culture through places like the Legacy Museum, the Martin Luther King Center for Nonviolent Change, and the National Museum of African American Music. So now my goal is to attend college to pursue a degree in Entrepreneurship and Business Administration. My passion for business is now rooted in my desire to bring this exposure and access to the community through my business. In college, I hope to create a business plan that will lead to funding so that I can begin to create opportunities for others to experience these establishments and learn about our rich history and heritage. When I was younger, my plans were all about me. Now that I’ve matured, I’m hoping to use my business to give back to the community that has already given so much to me and my generation.