Angela White

I attribute my success to never giving up, even when things get hard. My journey started with writing in 2004, then moved into event planning, and four years ago I launched my online store, Angela's Fashion Apparel. The most rewarding part for me is getting feedback from my audience - when they tell me how much they love the product they purchased, seeing their smiles on their faces when they're wearing what I've created, that's what keeps me going. I'm still facing challenges with advertising and marketing, and not having the funds to do everything I want to do, but I just keep going and keep my head held high. My biggest accomplishment is the store, but without all my other accomplishments along the way, I wouldn't be where I am today. Everything I do is about women's empowerment - helping women recognize their beauty and worth through fashion, jewelry, and accessories. And at the end of the day, I'm family-oriented - spending time with my family, cooking, and hosting big family gatherings is what matters most to me.

I want young women to know: just keep going and don't stop on your dreams and your goals. No matter how hard it gets, just keep being your loving selves, and don't listen to all the negativity and stuff out there. People are cruel, but never give up upon yourselves. Always have faith in God. I want other women to know their beauty and worth, to recognize who they are. Even when I'm facing challenges with my business - with advertising, marketing, not having the funds - I keep my head held high and keep going. That's what I want to pass on: keep going, never give up on your dreams, be your loving self, have faith, and always move forward.

The biggest challenges I'm facing right now are advertising and marketing, and not having the funds to do what I need to do. It's a real struggle to get customers when you have an online store. I've been at it for four years now, and I'm basically doing everything myself - advertising, getting features, getting my name out there. I've been featured in Newsbreak, Power Magazine, and Voyage Magazine of Baltimore to help with visibility. I'm trying to get featured on Google and build that presence. My future goal is to have my business be successful to the point where I can relax, not that it isn't already successful, but to get to that next level. I keep going and keep my head held high despite these challenges.

The most important values to me are women's empowerment and family. Everything I do with my business is about helping women recognize who they are, their beauty and their worth. I do this through clothing, jewelry, and accessories - glamorizing them so they can see themselves clearly. What I find most rewarding is getting feedback from my audience, seeing their smiles when they wear my products, knowing I've made a difference. I aim to please and live for those smiles. Outside of work, I'm a family-oriented person - that's my biggest thing. I love spending time with my family, cooking, and having big family gatherings during the holidays. That precious time with loved ones means everything to me because you never know. I also believe strongly in faith - having faith in God and keeping that faith through challenges is essential to who I am.