'Brown Girls Brunch' Brings Entrepreneurial Meetup to Dallas
Brown Girls Brunch founders and panelists shift the series to Dallas. | © 2022 Miss Ari Photography
There are few things in this world more beautiful than a happy and energized Black Woman.
On Sunday afternoon, several such lively spirits gathered at Dallas’ Urban Arts Center for Brown Girls Brunch, a series of brunch events created by like-minded Black Women who want to cultivate forward-thinking mindsets.
The mission was achieved with relative ease.
Joined at decorative tables were the likes of artists, educators, philanthropists, designers, judges and more - all with a common purpose of empowering one another through authentic stories, enveloped in both ambition and triumph.
Sunday’s event was moderated by Dr. Catrina Pullum, who was incredibly instrumental in the event coming to fruition. The Louisiana native is an entertainment executive with quite an extensive background. Known as “The Whisperer” in the industry, Pullum works tirelessly to help individuals walk in their purpose. She was undoubtedly the perfect fit to orchestrate the panel.
The decorated panel for Sunday’s event included Trauma Coach and Mental Health Advocate Kristal Klear, Bank Owner and Entrepreneur Benaisha Poole-Watson, actress Brely Evans and fashion designer Toni Grant. Together, the four panelists shared intimate stories and entertained audience questions.
There were moments when eyes throughout the audience began to fill with tears. There were aha! moments when one could almost see lightbulbs above the heads of audience members. Overall, there was never a dull moment.
Klear is CEO of RockPaperScissorsFoundation, a non-profit organization. She is able to help limitless people navigate both through and beyond their respective trauma by being transparent about her own past. The Advocate for Human Trafficking Victims shared various strategies for effectively dealing with anxiety and stress.
“Don’t let your stigmas stop you - have a self inventory with yourself daily,” Klear insisted. “I don’t look like six people raped me. I don’t look like I was molested at four years old. I don’t look like I’ve been beaten. I’ve had to train my mind to accept that those things were part of my past trauma and I’m now creating a safe environment.”
Benaisha Poole-Watson does not shy away from the fact that she is all about building generational wealth. The entrepreneur is not only a prominent figure in Real Estate, but she is also a bank owner. Prime One Home Loans is the direct product of Watson learning the business, asking the right questions and taking several chances on herself.
“Entrepreneurship is really taking a chance on your crazy ideas,” she shared.
When an audience member posed a question for the panelist who excels in fashion design, the young lady presented herself as an aspiring designer.
“Don’t call yourself that,” Grant insisted. “You are a designer.”
It was that practice of speaking existence and life into her dreams that propelled Grant to a career in the incredibly tough fashion industry. As founder of V’Che, Grant is all about pushing a narrative of both confidence and grace. The Arkansas native has experienced a great deal of success in a very short amount of time. Her repeated message to the ladies in attendance Sunday was to invest in self.
Actress Brely Evans can be seen on three BET shows right now. She is a household name, yet has the most charming and personable spirit about her. Throughout the afternoon, she shared with the audience details of a short-lived marriage, the not-so-glamorous dynamics of Hollywood and the unusual way she wrote her first book via the encouragement of a fan.
“Everything always works out for me,” Evans shared with the audience. “That’s what I always tell myself and I want you all to do the same.”
The entire event was complimented by the sounds of Dallas’ very own DJ JSharaye, who afforded the audience a sneak peek of Evans’ new venture as a recording artist. Even in music, Evans is being transparent about what she has endured and inevitably overcome.
Brown Girls Brunch is making its way around the country and Black Women are buying in to its significance. To have Black Women from all walks of life, various industries, a plethora of financial statuses - all sit together and find the beauty in common ground is a beautiful sight to behold. To watch strangers cry, laugh and pray together is just the blessing we probably didn’t know we needed in the midst of an ever-so-complex world.
