Yirra Miya Blak Business Yarns - March 2023

Yaama ‘hello’, we're back with this month’s Blak Business yarns!?We’re so pumped to be here again showcasing Blak businesses that we love, letting you know about opportunities we think you’d be interested in and sharing a little bit of what we’ve learned from our time in business so far that might help you in yours!

This month, we're featuring the incredible Mikaela from?Badagarang.?Mikaela is a proud Dharug saltwater woman from the Hawkesbury River in New South Wales, who has a deep connection to her culture and a passion for sharing this with others through art and creative making.?She has an online store where you can shop for gifts, educational products, canvas and print designs and runs Cultural Education Workshops for schools and organisations.

Check out our quick yarn with Mikaela below to learn more about her and her business.

What inspired you to start your business??

I've always had a passion for art, and my mother is an artist too! She inspired me to create a platform where others can purchase and enjoy my art. Country is also a big inspiration of mine, along with Education. My whole life, despite the racism I’ve encountered, I've also found an abundance of non-Aboriginal people who wish to learn and understand more about First Nations culture.

What's your favourite thing to do outside of your business??

I love exploring! Camping, hiking and climbing.?I create most of my art when I'm out and about doing these things. Sometimes I'll hike for up to three days by myself; I find it so peaceful and enlightening.

What's something you'd like to share with other mob looking to start their own business??

Do it! You 100% can! If you've found something you’re passionate about, anything can be achieved from a dream. It can be slow at first, and there's a lot of YouTube involved! But we need more First Nations Businesses out there creating a platform to share these Dreams.

Tell us a fun/random fact about you:

I completely failed an entire year of my Art Degree at university! Look at me now ??????a living reminder to NOT measure yourself against other metrics that don't allow you to completely flourish in the area you love. I did art MY way. I then went into a degree in Education and did really well!

Thanks so much, Mikaela.?Yarning with you has been such an inspiration and we love Badagarang and all you do - it’s too deadly ????!?Check?Badagarang’s website?to shop and learn more about their workshops, and follow their journey on?Instagram?too.

Every month, we’ll share workshops, business growth opportunities, grants and community initiatives with you. If you know of anything that you think we'd love to share, tell us about it?here.

Strong Women, Strong Business

Strong women need a strong support system. Sisters who back each other up, in business and in life. The Strong Women Strong Business mentorship program is the place to give support and receive it too.?Connect with Indigenous business women, to share knowledge in navigating the path less trodden. No matter where you are in your business journey, you have wisdom to share.

?Find out more here >>

Black Coffee

Black Coffee is a grassroots Indigenous business networking gathering held in regions around Australia each month. The goal is to provide a platform to connect micro and small business owners around Australia. Indigenous business owners and professionals, along with their supporters, get together and yarn to build relationships and grow networks.?

Check out when the next event near you is here >>

This month's design tip is all about building your brand through storytelling.?It is such a powerful tool that fosters genuine connections and helps customers begin to know you, like you and trust you so that your brand is who they think of when they're ready to buy.

Storytelling as a way of connecting to people is something that we, as First Nations people, have done for thousands of years. It helps you focus your marketing on what you stand for and tie it to the values you share with your ideal customers.

Here are important elements to consider:

?? Sharing your Narrative

Telling your own story is a great way to stand out and show your unique voice. Don't be scared to be personal as people connect to people.

?? Owning Your Competitive Position

Putting forward the driving force behind your business. It’s not the product you sell or the goal of making money, it’s what makes you special and how you differentiate from your competitors - commonly known as your unique selling proposition.

?? Highlighting your Values

Your values sit at the core of everything you, your business and your employees do daily and your customers want to buy from businesses whose values align with their own.

Think about it: when was the last time you bought from a business without knowing anything about them??When was the last time you bought from a business you’d never heard of before, that wasn’t recommended to you??Word of mouth is storytelling in its purest form.?Remember, you won’t always be the one telling the story so you must be clear in your branding about who you are and what your business is all about.

Is it time for you to look at your branding again??What story are you telling your audience???Book your free discovery call?with us to yarn about ways that we can help refresh your brand so that it’s telling the story you want people to remember.

And that’s a wrap from us in March!?We hope you learned something new - our values here are to connect, share, embrace and empower and we keep that at the heart of all we do!? As always, if you have something to share with us please get in touch, we'd love to hear from you. ?

Mandaang Guwu ‘Thank you’ and yarn soon!

The team at Yirra Miya Creative