Create & Cultivate 100: Entrepreneur: Morgan DeBaun
THE GAME CHANGER.
THE GAME CHANGER.
Name: Morgan DeBaun
Instagram Handle: @morgandebaun
Business Instagram Handle:
@blavity @shadow_act @travelnoire @21Ninety @afro.tech
What are the common challenges you've seen among female business owners and entrepreneurs?
Being able to get into the room. There are still a lot of closed doors when it comes to women entrepreneurs, whether it be to pitch, or securing funding, it’s still very much a boys club. Hopefully, that will change in the near future with the number of women business owners and entrepreneurs consistently growing.
"A press release won't fix male ego." Obsessed with this, but also, TRUE. How do we keep changing culture? How do we fix it?
We change the culture by continuing to have an open dialogue about situations and issues that may have been accepted in the past, but as we move forward, towards a more inclusive landscape in every industry, those practices and beliefs just aren’t acceptable any longer.
What was the turning point that convinced you, it's time to take matters into my own hands? The world needs Blavity.
It was after the death of Mike Brown. Almost every media source painted this kid out to be a monster, all while his body still laid in the middle of the street. Too often we see the narrative around people of color go from bad to worse in the media before real facts have been presented. Blavity was created to change that.
When you run into a career obstacle, how do you find new roads?
I find new roads by going back to the drawing board and revisiting the original vision. That usually helps me get back to aligning myself with my goals. In doing so, I almost always come across new avenues and alternative ways to get to the job done.
What is your biggest pet peeve?
People who talk a lot about what they want to do instead of just doing it. Actions speak louder than words and execution is everything.
"Actions speak louder than words and execution is everything."
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What does the concept of #hustlesmart mean to you?
To hustle smart means to put in the work needed, but doing so efficiently and effectively, so that time, energy and resources aren’t wasted along the way. Sometimes I think people take pride in being “busy” and “working hard.” If you can accomplish the same outcome with less work isn’t that a better outcome?
How has your relationship to that concept changed over the last five years?
I have a team now. We still hold the concept in high regards, but with more brain power, it has become easier, in a way. We work together and are able to pick up on each other’s blind spots, so that makes the process of executing ideas a lot smoother than being alone in my one-bedroom apartment trying to do everything on my own.
What are your biggest fears about running a business?
If I had to take a stab at it, I would say that taking too long to recognize that a project or idea or system just doesn’t work. I love the quote “fail fast” because the greatest lessons are born out of failures and mistakes.
Fail fast, because the greatest lessons are born out of failures and mistakes.
Blavity is explaining difficult concepts like Cap Tables. And also sharing the recipes from black food bloggers. You're diversifying media with diverse content. How involved are you in mapping it out and what does the process look like?
I’m very involved. Our team constantly collaborates and brainstorm together in the office or via slack. Each person on our team juggles multiple hats (we’re a startup!) but we work together to create the best content or product for our community.
What about your career makes you feel the most complete?
I feel most complete being able to employ people who are underdogs and deserve to work in a space where they can be their full creative selves.
If you had to trade jobs with anyone else in the world, who would it be and why?
I wouldn't. I’m proud, and very much still in awe of what my team has done in the short years that Blavity has existed. I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
At what point in your career did you find the confidence to really take charge and become the woman you are today?
It was when I decided to quit my job at Intuit and pursue Blavity full time. It was all sorts of scary and nerve-wracking but I never looked back. I think that when you find something that you’re really passionate about that you’d be willing to do for free then it makes everything that comes after less scary.
What's the best advice you've ever been given? Or your favorite piece of #realtalk?
Stop asking for permission and just do it.
What song do you sing in the shower when you’ve had a bad day?
Beyoncé - "Formation"
Photo Credit: @davisfactor
Hair & Makeup: @SmashboxCosmetics @TheGlamApp @TheOuai
TO SEE THE FULL CREATE & CULTIVATE ENTREPRENEUR LIST CLICK HERE.
How to Trust Your Gut When the World Is Telling You Otherwise
All in a day's work.
Would you be willing to risk it all for you biz? That's what Aussie expat Koel Thomae, co-founder of Noosa Yoghurt did. And it's a route we hear many entrepreneurs take. As they say, without passion and risk, there is usually no reward.
Thomae, alongside co-founder Colorado dairy farmer Rob Graves, launched Noosa in January 2010, with the idea of bringing the sweet, tangy and full-fat yogurt of Australia to America. They are now in the full swing of things, developing new flavor profiles that customers can't get enough of.
So today, we’re talking trusting your gut. You know, going with that undeniable feeling - even when the world is telling you otherwise. Read through as founder Koel Thomae shares her experience keeping it 100 while scaling her company and why she thinks it’s ultimately the core of their success.
DIG IN.
How much of your new flavor offerings is driven by data and market research?
In the early days it was all instinct. As we've grown up into a national brand and face more competition for shelf space we obviously have to be mindful of what's happening in the category and if we are missing any of the top tier flavors. But ultimately we want to deliver a wow taste moment and aren't afraid to walk away from a flavor if it doesn't achieve that mark by our own internal tastebuds!
How much is driven by trusting your gut?
So much. I think too much consumer research can be crippling in innovation. If you love food you know what tastes good and that to me is the ultimate barometer.
Is that still an essential part of being a woman in business for you?
Absolutely! The few times I haven't listened to my gut it has ultimately been a bad decision. But I also take every mistake as a learning opportunity versus beating myself up.
"The few times I haven't listened to my gut it has ultimately been a bad decision."
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Are flavor profiles and the new “mates” driven by trends that you’re seeing in the food world?
We gain insights and inspiration from so many sources in the food landscape, from farmer's markets (can someone please grow more Dapple Dandy pluots so we can launch this flavor!) to the culinary world to looking beyond our category in the grocery store. We have seen a rise in snacking as a whole and know that yoghurt consumption is still underdeveloped compared to other global markets and this was the starting point in our thinking for mates. As we developed flavor profiles we absolutely knew coconut had to be part of the lineup - this flavor has exploded beyond the traditional pina colada of days past!
How do you get ahead of trends in the food world?
I often think of myself and my team as flavor/food trend anthropologists. We all have a passion for food and travel and these in tandem allow us to see and taste so many new things that we bring back to our internal think-tank so to speak. I've taken both national and global food treks (did I mention that I LOVE my job) and we see more ethnic flavors showing up across categories, more spice, more fermented foods. Obviously not everything lends itself to yoghurt but it's a great framework to ideate within and it keeps us at the forefront of trends.
Noosa has really exploded over the last year. We see it everyone. People are freaking out over it. Part of how you continue to innovate is through flavor. What else?
I know, I have to pinch myself at how much people love noosa. Beyond flavor I believe our success is a testament to staying true to who we are and that's making bloody good yoghurt, staying grounded, always making sure we hear and respond to our fans and ultimately having fun.
How do you test new flavors in different markets? What kind of strategy goes into wide-releasing new flavor profiles?
We are so fortunate to have had amazing support from our retailer community in Colorado in tandem with the best fans a yoghurt could ask for. This has allowed us to use our backyard as a test market as we push the boundaries on what is expected from yoghurt, like our sweet heat launch. We also love to reward our Colorado base with special batch flavors like Palisade Peach, available this summer. But we also know when we've got winners that can go national out of the gates like our new Mates.
What’s your favorite flavor in the newest "match" batch?
Maple ginger! I'm a ginger fan and I love that we haven't shied away from delivering on that flavor promise!
And we need to know, how much yoghurt are you eating daily?
I'm a passion fruit noosa a day kinda gal! But now that we have this amazing Mates lineup it could be noosa for brekkie, afternoon tea & dessert!
For more from Koel and how she launched her biz, click here.
