Entrepreneurship isn’t for the weak or faint of heart. It takes strong will, and supreme resiliency. Too often we see entrepreneurship presented as overnight success, and rarely do we see or hear the story behind the glory. We take a closer look into how success is built through the eyes of this Charlotte-based entrepreneur— who reveals the good, bad and ugly of owning more than one business.
Meet Teshia Bailey Norman, the CEO of Queendom Outreach and Rabbit Food CLT. Norman has a true passion for everything she puts her mind to, and recalls her humble beginnings.
“I have always wanted to be a beacon of light to show women that you don’t have to be perfect to uplift someone,” Norman shares with The Block. “Queendom Outreach was created to promote unity among women, while empowering them to take charge of their empire.”
Norman often attended women empowerment events around the Charlotte area, and noticed how she felt after leaving them. There was a sense of feeling like she didn’t belong, or that she didn’t have support from other women locally.
“I noticed that some women can’t look past where they met you, and this has been an obstacle in building my brand.”
Norman places an emphasis on financial education and mental health awareness within her brand, but also aims to alleviate that feeling of unworthiness— sometimes caused by the lack of unity in women. As Norman grows, so does her brand and she is looking to fulfill a broader need.
“I feel called to empower on a larger scale,” she said.
“I feel called to empower on a larger scale.”
Norman’s love for cooking and connection of food to the community, birthed Rabbit Food CLT. It is a catering service that offers nutritional meals for delivery and pickup. As an individual who is constantly on the go, she wanted to also bring a convenient option for those constantly working.
“Food has always calmed my spirit, so I knew I needed to do it. My ultimate goal was to provide resources for our community, and more nutritional options for our diet.”
She has had tremendous success with operating both businesses, but this success has come with some unexpected obstacles. After several months in business, Norman secured an official pick-up location for Rabbit Food at a commercial kitchen. Until the day she went to the kitchen to work, and all of her stuff was gone.
“There was no explanation of what happened or why. Just a quick phone call detailing that they would no longer be open,” said Norman. “They didn’t even offer me a refund for monthly rent just paid.”
She was left in a state of shock.
“I lost everything, and that was the turning point for me.”
Owning a business and while also maintaining a personal life outside of it, is a feat that many don’t discuss. There are times where both can cross, and ultimately have a negative impact on one’s entrepreneurial journey.
Shortly after losing everything with Rabbit Food CLT, Norman was hit once again, but via a social media post made by a woman connected to her child’s father. The post revealed personal details about Norman’s life, and quickly turned nasty.
“I couldn’t just sit there and not say anything back. This woman painted a picture of me that was so far from true. She attacked my family and my business.”
The continuous defamation of her character, took her to a bad place.
“I was blown away, but I made sure to apologize to my friends, family and patrons of my business. It was unacceptable and I took responsibility for it.”
After the blow up, Norman needed to take some time away. She went into a short bout of depression that she couldn’t seem to pull herself out of. To cope, she immersed herself in her business, and didn’t come up for air.
“I lost everything, and that was the turning point for me.”
As Norman took time to reevaluate things, she also discovered her love/hate relationship with social media. She noticed that oftentimes, social media can make you feel like you have to show up a certain way, but transparency is what people really want to see.
“I want people to know that they can go through life, and grow through it as well. It’s okay to have your moments. Even in your imperfections, you just have to give yourself time to figure out a solution.”
Regaining entrepreneurial momentum after losing it, can be hard. But Norman wants people to know that it is possible to rebuild and continue. She believes that if you get knocked down, you can always get back up.
“Losing it all has taught me that I can definitely gain it all back.”
To find out more about Norman’s journey, follow her on Instagram at : @rabbitfoodclt and @queendomoutreach
