HBW093: Morgan DeBaun on How to Build a Brand for Black Millennials

You may never have heard of Morgan DeBaun, but if you’re a black millennial you’ve probably heard of the brand she created: Blavity. Morgan and her co-founder have done an amazing job building a recognizable and influential brand in record time and she is Rosetta’s guest on this episode. You’ll hear her tell the Blavity story, describe how they came to be, and how they are leveraging their platform to build a brand that’s not only profitable, but also influential in the minds of those who follow it. It’s a great conversation between Rosetta and Morgan, on this episode of Happy Black Woman. It’s important to spend the time to build a brand that others will miss if it vanishes. For the entire first year that Blavity was in existence, Morgan DeBaun and her team were busy creating content and resources to make an impact on their following. They weren’t worried about making money or gaining influence, they just wanted to make an impact on those they were serving. Today Morgan says it was that focus that enabled the Blavity brand to stand out and be one that fans would miss if it were to go away. She says that’s the focus every entrepreneur should have and shares how she did it on this episode. Trust your gut and believe in yourself. That’s the best advice I can give. ~ Morgan DeBaun Every episode of Happy Black Woman includes Rosetta’s question to her guest about the best advice they could give someone who wants to build a brand or business of their own. On this episode, Morgan DeBaun says that her best advice is that upcoming entrepreneurs need to trust their gut and believe in themselves. There will be all kinds of reasons for why you can’t do what you want to do. It’s up to you to silence those voices and believe that you not only had the courage to envision what you’re doing but that you’ve also got what it takes to build it. It’s important to be yourself. That’s what creates the brand. ~ Morgan DeBaun It’s easy to think that you need to copy what other successful entrepreneurs are doing in order to be successful. While there is definitely something to be said for learning from those who have gone before you, it’s important to be who you really are. Morgan DeBaun says that YOU are the brand, so you can’t spend your time trying to be like somebody else. It’s YOU that will shape, influence, and maximize your brand so don’t shy away from being all-out you. Move fast. Keep going. That’s what provides the momentum you need to succeed. The Blavity team has done the impossible: They’ve built a nationally recognized brand for black millennials in just under 3 years. How did they do it? Morgan DeBaun, co-founder of Blavity says they didn’t take a lot of time before taking action. They were quick to make decisions and quick to take action on almost everything they did. That’s what enabled them to build momentum and keep it going until they reached the level of success that they couldn’t be ignored. Find out more of the details about Blavity and Morgan’s journey as an entrepreneur, on this episode of Happy Black Woman. Outline of this great episode [0:29] Rosetta’s welcome to this conversation with Morgan DeBaun. [1:85] Morgan’s introduction to Blavity and what they’re doing with the site. [3:00] How Morgan had the idea to start the Blavity website in May 2014.. [6:28] What the Blavity blog and community provides now. [9:54] How Morgan and her team are making money through what they are doing. [13:50] The tipping point that made Morgan realize they could monetize. [16:20] Strategies Morgan DeBaun used to build her brand. [22:06] How to learn to move fast to make your dreams happen. [24:51] How Morgan got connected with the amazing people she has. [27:18] What Morgan does to stay focused and productive. Resources & Links mentioned in this episode Morgan’s website: https://blavity.com/ AfroTech EmpowerHer Conference Morgan DeBaun on Instagram Twenty One Ninety Shadow and Act BOOK: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership BOOK: How to Win Friends and Influence People BOOK: The Lean Startup Google Calendar Slack Moleskine About Morgan DeBaun Morgan DeBaun started her career in Silicon Valley and is the CEO of Blavity. She is a serial creator passionate about living life to the fullest. Since founding the company, Morgan has led Blavity to become one the fastest growing digital media startups and a top destination for black youth culture. She is one of only 12 Black women to raise over 1 million dollars in venture funding and has been featured on Essence, New York Magazine, Teen Vogue, Nylon, and a finalist for 2016 TechCrunch Founder of the year.