We had the good fortune of connecting with Aerika Miles and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Aerika, what’s one piece of conventional advice that you disagree with?
One piece of conventional advice that I disagree with this to find a mentor to help you with your business. Instead, I rather have a sponsor that will advocate for me in spaces that I have difficulty reaching in.

In the corporate america workplace, we are trained on how to construct certain emails, what to wear, how to wear our hair and other political nonsense-that should not have any weight on how an individual is adequate in their work. With being a minority woman, I have seen and been a victim to this mindset of adjusting external appearances, my speech and other miscellaneous mandates to “succeed in this business”.

One reason why I chose entrepreneurship was to escape that negative mindset, and show that I can be successful without compromising myself and my values. Entrepreneurship allows me to be as creative as I want and try things that I don’t need a supervisor to sign off on.

What should our readers know about your business?
i AM brOWN Originations stems from a love letter from my younger self to the person that I’m striving to be. When I was younger, there was a lot of discrimination that I faced, however, because it was so normal I really didn’t know how to confront it. Even when I sought counsel for it, I was told to ignore it and just rise above it without causing a scene. But little did I know, I silenced myself. And I know many other minorities, especially black women, feel like we have to hold back so much just to not fit in the stereotype to show how valuable we are. In i AM brOWN Originations, the “i” stands for impact because the word “minority” is just another word to keep folks of color “in our place”. However, when it comes down to it, we make the biggest impact on global issues. “AM” stands for my initials and the reason why “OWN” is capitalized is to “own” your browness proudly.

During co-vid, I was collecting unemployment checks and struggling to find a job that paid at least $35k. I told myself that this cannot be my life. I wanted a change, especially after the murders of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. I’ve always been an advocate for supporting small mom-and-pop shops and minority businesses. Also, I didn’t have a lot of money from collecting a small grant, unemployment, and stimulus checks. I googled “best businesses to start with less than $5000” and ran across vending machines. I got really interested but wanted to be different. I wanted something that was not the average snack and beverage vending machine. Therefore, I used my many years of experience in supporting minority-owned businesses to showcase inside my machine. I want to create a change in the world, and give roses to small businesses that don’t have exposure or the roses that they deserve.

I still struggle with getting more exposure and placing the machines onto more properties throughout Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex. However, in 2023, I’m planning to operate my machines on a bigger scale to gain more exposure.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I like Deep Ellum stip. It’s where lots of vibrant people are hanging out at. I would love to add one of the machines on the strip because there are so many people that would benefit from my special machines. Another cool spot to visit is the stockyards. If you like that “country” feel, I would recommend it. The Stockyards has really good bbq, fun activities for all ages, and good vibes. 

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to give a shoutout to my parents, family, friends, coaches, colleagues, professors, classmates, spectators, haters, doubters and exes.

You all inspire me to want more out of life and I promise to make sure I use the fuel that you sparked in me to keep going.

Website: www.iambrownoriginations.com

Instagram: @iambrownoriginations

Facebook: iambrownoriginations

Image Credits
photos by: @thelxstudios makeup by: @makeupbybernado

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