By Arthia Nixon

Atlanta, Georgia… At 19-years-old, Yamisha Young has already paid for mother-daughter trips to exotic locations such as the Maldives, brought herself a five-bedroom home, two cars and has a business that earned her $23k in one weekend. She has done all of this while trying to overcome a mental breakdown of finding out her last year in high school. As a senior, 2020 was supposed to be memorable. She is also a functional autistic.

School is her only social life outside of Young’s family time. She loved school and enjoyed being around other teens just like her. But with the COVID-19 virus, she and other members of the class of 2020 have watched their rights of passage vanish.

“My child is wonderfully special,” admits her mother Yassin Hall. “Our family is special. We’ve had some things that would make other families fall apart but honestly, it drove us to make changes so that we wouldn’t pay the ultimate price.”

Hall is talking about her own traumatic childhood that included a mother who was a violent bipolar schizophrenic. After decades of advocating for the government to do more for those with mental illness, in January 2020, Hall was ecstatic to see that there would be legislative changes such individuals in the US Virgin Islands where she is from. She is also the author of “Journey Untold” and “Beyond The Love Curse” which have remained on Amazon’s bestseller lists for five consecutive years and are now on some Georgia school curriculums.

Now an Atlanta area resident, Hall helped her daughter create her own career by establishing Amazon stores and fulfilling customer needs with basics with everyday household items such as various snacks, Ramen noodles and toilet paper.

On their trip to The Maldives in 2019, the duo reflected on how they used to struggle as a single mother and daughter and thought to create a care kit to add to their inventory. Neither fathomed that just a few months later, they would be sending out those products as there were massive shortages around the world due to COVID-19.

“It’s insane,” said Yamisha. “We have about five UPS or USPS trucks filled with products on a daily basis now. It’s nonstop labeling and packing and shipping for us.”

Toilet paper, peanuts and ramen noodles are the top sellers, Hall and Young say and one reason they are continuing to sell so much is that unlike other suppliers, when the shoppers began their buying frenzy, the mother and daughter duo did not inflate their prices.

“It is absolutely wrong for people to do that,” Hall shakes her head in disbelief. “People are suffering, dying, out of work and you expect them to pay double or quadruple to items all of a sudden? That is absolutely not right. We are not doing it and we are reminding the students in my Amazon Boss Classes not to do it.”

With all that she has overcome with autism and her family’s mental health history, Young says she simply stays focused in her tasks and tries not to let things get to her. With April being Autistic Awareness Month, she said she hopes that she can inspire others to remain focused and know that they can thrive in whatever they put their mind to, especially with support of friends and loved ones.

By Arthia Nixon

Atlanta, Georgia… DeAndrea Byrd is on a mission to help moms and the African-American community understand the importance of ownership. In the past two years, she has gone from coaching, vision board events and goal-setting workshops to helping over 150 people become business owners. The millennial mom has also helped her own children set up their tutu business which has been very successful.

In February, Byrd hosted a Black 2020 Expo at Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall, an area that some people would have considered a risky place to hold an event. She says that it’s important for people to invest where the money is instead of leave communities after they become successful.

“Atlanta is the birthplace of legends like Dr. Martin Luther King Jr, and former mayor turned ambassador Andrew Young,” said Byrd. “This is where Moorehouse and Spelman still stand as leaders amongst historically black colleges and universities, this is the new Hollywood thanks to Tyler Perry and other black-owned studios, and where musicians start before they go global. Atlanta has become a Black mecca and we want to showcase people who capture that essence and have a place where youth can pledge to continue to build on that foundation.”

Byrd also believes in parents supporting their children’s dreams if they want to start a business based on their hobbies. Her daughters launched their business Tutu Maniac which went from a tutu making company to planning spa and birthday parties for girls. She said that young people need older members of the community to support them, mentor them and help them navigate their businesses and talents. A business coach herself, Byrd has helped many small business owners develop their foundations, create additional streams of income, develop digital products and transform failures into flourishing companies.

“There is so much spending power in the African-American community,” said Byrd. “Think for a moment how much we spend on our hair, fashion or food. We have so many people who looking to the African-American community especially on social media who are inspired by our style, culture, music and more. So we can go beyond Black History Month to showcase our businesses and brands.”

Byrd noted that many of her clients do have a fear of failing. She says that it is a part of the journey of becoming an entrepreneur and if something doesn’t work out, try again until you find what is right for you. She adds that people should never be discouraged into thinking starting a business costs a whole lot of money.

“Sometimes you have talents or things you are already doing and items you can create from your own home,” said Byrd who has an ebook on creating businesses for less than $500. “You just have to keep your eyes on the prize and know that it is possible and reclaim control of your life so you can spend that time building generational wealth or time with your own family. I didn’t even complete my degree but I am proof that you can still succeed in spite of that. Don’t be afraid to take that leap of faith. Are you a risk-taker? Are you a problem solver? Are you a visionary? Will you take action? If you say yes to these four questions, then yes, you are ready for entrepreneurship.”