Creative Women In Business, Interview#2: Jasmine Mills

Creative Women In Business

Interviewing the women of today for Women’s History Month, Part two.

Haven’t read part 1? (Here ya go!)

Last week we began our journey to interview creative women in business and learn more about them in honor of Women's History Month.

This week we’re spotlighting this individual who was inspired to run her own business last year and refused to let anything or anyone stop her.

Interview two: Jasmine Mills.

Jasmine Mills is a budding Entrepreneur and Business owner of Wrapped In My Own World in Chicago, IL.

Wrapped In Her Own World?made its debut in December 2022; where she creates and sells her own headwraps and oils, vending at multiple locations all around the Chicagoland area, and creating a brand that’s made from the heart and spreading the gospel of the freedom of being yourself.

She’s in the process of creating a new line of t-shirts called: ‘Chin Up’. A brand of relatable and catchy sayings for everyone and anyone. As she grows her business, she’s having fun while doing it, learning new things about herself, and living in the moment.

Questions:

You've been in business for 3 months. What was your biggest takeaway?

Answer:?The biggest takeaway that I have so far is that every moment is an opportunity.

As an entrepreneur you don’t have the luxury of ‘ok, I clock in during these hours and I’m paid for these hours’. Every day is a potential moment to talk to someone who could possibly help you fund your business as an investor or someone who can contribute and help you to navigate an idea whether it be literal or physical.

From something so small as someone who may have a lot of contacts for future events that may be coming up to someone giving you tips to better your craft, everything overall is an opportunity. Don’t let it pass you by because that’s your paycheck.

What inspired you to do this type of business?

Answer:?When I had locs, I started to wear headwraps often and I realized I could make these for myself. I took a sewing class while I was in College and knew the basics enough to do what I needed to do with my headwraps and we went from there!

The name of my company Wrapped In My Own World came from the fact that I’m always in my own world but what I found out during this process is that people who are suicidal use this term and for me when I thought about that place in a person’s life, the other side from that is the ability to laugh at oneself and just to laugh in general.

My upcoming t-shirt line Chin Up, which has little funny and sarcastic sayings, is where the name comes from. It gives you that laugh that can possibly stop you from getting to that moment when you feel like it’s no longer worth it.

What are your plans for the year?

Answer:?My plan right now is to really get my T-shirt line out there. The headwraps have been doing good so far when I vend at different events. People buying have reasons ranging from ‘I don’t feel like doing my hair today, let me buy a cute little wrap’ to you don’t want to always throw your hair into a ponytail like me and it could be used as an accessory.

Also, maybe start a program that teaches people to appreciate one's self and learn how to laugh at themselves or find a cause that means something to me so that I can support and get behind in connection with what I'm trying to do with my own company.

How has the journey been so far for you? any setbacks, endeavors, and/or wins?

The journey so far from me has been interesting. Everything you think you know you really don’t and it shows you how open-minded you are or willing to be or how closed-minded you are or can be. There’s this opportunity to learn and be adaptable.

The success would be the comradery from other people and just meeting others who also want to pay it forward or just in general want to help you grow.

As a businesswoman, have you ever dealt with setbacks based on your gender within your career?

Answer:?I wouldn’t say no but although it may be clique, you do find women who want to see the next woman succeed. I had the pleasure of meeting a few women who have informed me about new events that I can be a part of and given me ideas and commentary about my work.

Who is your favorite woman in history big or small? How do they inspire you?do you think the women of yesterday would be proud of what you’re doing?

Answer:?I have a few women that I look up to that are so dope to me! On a personal level: Monique Smith who is my aunt. She is the owner of Smithson Bancorp, a micro-lending agency that offers revolving lines of credit and short-term loans for life’s unexpected expenses to those who qualify. We just recently found out that she’s the first black woman to own a Western Union and be a Western Union agent in Kankakee, Illinois which is absolutely amazing. That’s not your typical business to start. I don’t know any people who want to open a money service program that wants to help others and she did that shit.

On a more popular level: Eartha Kitt is amazing. I appreciate her willingness to speak her mind and express her opinions regardless of the expectation of the next person or industry.

Nikki Giovanni is also amazing. Her contribution to conversations left a lasting impression on the mindset of those she encounters.

Someone who is for more of our era, Issa Rae. I think she’s so dope from personality to being realistic about what’s going on but still having a chill nonchalant, funny demeanor to them. The definition of unbothered, hilarious, and creative.

How do you deal with doubt, imposter syndrome, etc? What’s motivating you to keep going?

Answer:?A lot of the time I try to think about the alternative. If I'm gonna think about something that could go wrong then I owe it to myself to think about what could go right and be fair to myself. If I’m going to be fair with someone else I gotta start with myself in order to extend that vibe, that’s what I try to focus on.

What’s motivating to keep me going is the possibility of freedom and the ability to build something for myself. Being in the work field, essentially you’re building someone else dream. Why not take that same time and effort for your own? That’s exciting to me and it feels like a fresh breath of air and I want to feel like that every day. That’s what motivates me right now.

What mantra or quote do you live by?

Answer:?It’s You vs You. If all else fails and everyone else leaves, it’s You standing by You. Only you can beat You. keep going.

For anyone that wants to be in your position or just starting off, what are 3 tips you would give them?

Answer:?1. Get a notebook and write everything down. There’s going to be days when you feel like there are a million things on your mind. Trying to remember it all two weeks later? You’re playing yourself.

2. Get a calendar, get a planner, even your phone, and write out your plans. Not only does it help keep things in line, but it also frees up your mental space to create.

3. Have fun. Even though you may be somewhere for business, still show who you are. At the end of the day, whether people work with you or not, I think it's important living in the moment.

Is there anything you would like to share or anything our reader should know about you or your business?

Answer:?Shop is on the way, follow me on my social media pages for more!

This is where you can find her and give a follow!

Instagram and Facebook:?@wrappedinmyownworld

To see who our next guest will be next week, stay tuned! for more of my work, follow me on?Medium!

-Sade (Styling and profiling.)