Interview with a Creative: Keneisha Malone
Keneisha Malone and her business partner, Meghan Paige, opened Terra Cotta in October of 2020. Maker, business owner, and full-time teacher. She seriously does it all!
IG @ziyasoulco
You and your business partner, Meghan Paige, opened Terra Cotta in October of 2020. For our creatives looking to open their own businesses with a partner, how did the two of you work together to develop a business plan? How do you delegate various aspects of running a business?
To be honest, Meghan and I didn't have much of a business plan. We had an idea of what we wanted to offer people, and we used that to get started. Our main focus was to offer a marketplace for vendors to sell goods - and we were paying event spaces hundreds of dollars to use a space for less than a day. Those expenses, plus all of our cancellations due to COVID, inspired us to start looking for our own space.
We never really had a conversation about delegating tasks - I think we just naturally fell into roles based on what we’re good at. I handle most of the aesthetics at Terra Cotta. I’m all over the place and designing the store is a creative outlet for me. I also handle most of the payroll-related tasks. Meghan is super organized. She handles most things that require meeting deadlines and contacting people outside of Terra Cotta. She pays the bills and keeps everything organized.
Opening a brick-and-mortar shop takes a ton of planning and research. How did you start scouting spaces and ultimately select the one you are in? Did you use an agent, etc.?
We didn't use an agent. We used to wake up on Saturday mornings and drive around Memphis looking for retail spaces. Any time we saw a for lease sign, we would park outside and call the number for information. We quickly found out that some of our preferred areas were way too expensive to afford. We went into the idea with the mindset that we need to find something that we can afford to pay if we don't make any sales and end up having to pay the rent out of pocket. We found our current building - and it was the first number that we called that wasn't super expensive.
Besides your awesome customers, what is your favorite part of running Terra Cotta? What is your least favorite business activity?
My favorite part of Terra Cotta is being surrounded by plants and getting to meet new people. We've gotten really good feedback about the vibes of the store, and that makes me really happy. I've met good friends through Terra Cotta already.
In addition, to be a shop owner, you are a full-time teacher, AND you own Ziya Soul which is a natural beauty and bath product line. How do you make all of this happen? What are your tips for others (such as apps, software, hiring, etc.) for keeping up with it all?
Honestly, I feel like I'm scrambling all the time lol. Shipping out orders timely is my biggest problem, and Shippo has helped a lot with that. I can meter and pay for packages at home, and that has saved me a lot of time. I do let someone else handle the paid marketing and ad campaigns for Ziya Soul. I haven't taken the time to do it yet, but I want to start scheduling social media posts. People who do that have told me it's a game-changer.
Terra Cotta doesn't have any employees - Meghan and I work all the hours. We're not in a place yet where we feel like we can comfortably afford employees, but I think we're getting there.
What's one thing no one told you about starting a business that now stands out to you and that you would like to pass along?
Leaving my day job is a lot harder than I thought it would be. A few years ago, I definitely saw myself being able to be a full-time creative by now, and it hasn't happened yet. I think comparing ourselves to people on social media who appear to be living out their "working for yourself" dream can make it seem like you're not doing enough because you aren't there yet. Making enough money to work for yourself is TOUGH. I think remembering that it's okay that I'm not there yet, but also striving to get there is a big part of what keeps me going.
Thanks again to Keneisha Malone for taking part in this interview. Disclosure: Keneisha Malone and her businesses are not affiliated with Independent Financial Group (IFG).