Jamila, we know that you are a very busy lady, so we appreciate you taking some time to talk with us. Please tell us a little about yourself.
I graduated summa cum laude from Howard in 1994 with a B.A. in Journalism. I majored in Public Relations and minored
in French. I did a 2-year stint in corporate public relations at COMSAT Corporation (now part of Lockheed Martin)
before I went off on my own at the end of 1996. It didn't take me long to realize that corporate America was not
for me. I felt like a bird trapped in a grey cubicle cage. But I'm still grateful for that experience because I
learned a lot about business, marketing, writing well and writing fast, and corporate politics. This job also
introduced me to using the brand-new Internet as a marketing tool.
I've been self-employed full time since January 1997. I ran an e-commerce business selling Black fraternity and
sorority merchandise for three years. This was back when the Internet was new, when the word "e-commerce" wasn't
known, and people were telling me I was nuts to start that business because "Black people aren't on that Internet
thing, and if they are, they won't buy anything." Of course, they were dead wrong. It was a lot of hard work,
but also so much fun -- who knew you could get paid for road trips? -- and I learned so, so much from that
business. So much of what I do today is based on what I learned during that time. I discovered a formula
to selling on the web, and the same fomula that works for Greek stuff will work for any other business.
My e-commerce business eventually morphed into strategic consulting and web development when other businesses saw
my success and said "how did you do that? I'll pay you if you show me." So I've been consulting for 6 years now.
One of my first clients was PBS, when I produced the web site to go with the "Wonders of the African World"
television documentary in 1999. That project was very visible and got lots of awards and publicity -- it
took my business to a whole different level.
I still have the e-commerce bug though, just can't seem to shake it -- I'm in the process of starting up
business no. 3, a niche market product line that will be distributed on the Internet.
People who are close to me know that I am not just enthusiastic about my own businesses, but about
the concept of entrepreneurship in general. There is real power in ownership, and one of the things
I love most about my current business is helping other entrepreneurs realize their dreams.
I practically grew up on Howard's campus. From a very early age I was exposed to all that Howard had to offer --
intellectually, culturally, socially. Both of my parents are Howard grads, and so is my older sister Sydnye ('92).
However, they put no pressure on me to attend; I made my own decision. Since I lived in the DC area, initially I
wanted to attend college away from home. What I wanted was a "Howard" experience but not in DC. I soon found out
there was no such thing... there is only ONE Mecca, so I to Howard I went! I stayed on campus, though, and
pretended like I was "away". LOL! My younger sister Whitney is currently a freshman at Howard, so the
tradition continues.
The HBCU Network: How did Howard help you in the decision to become an entrepreneur?
Jamila:
I knew since I was a child that I wanted to have my own business. I just didn't know what kind or when. I had
always assumed that in order to start your business, you first had to work for 20 years in a certain profession,
then you would quit and do that same thing on your own. In other words, you had to be older and established, and
you had to have money. But at Howard, that image of what an entrepreneurship was got shattered when I met Carol
Bristol (HU '94), who later became my line sister. She was a student just like I was, but she had her own store,
a dance supply shop in Adams Morgan (a DC cultural and commercial neighborhood). She was 20 years old, didn't
come from a rich family, and didn't even have any formal business training -- she was a psychology major! It
blew my mind that she found a way to open and run her own store. Her whole attitude was "why not?" That's
when it occurred to me that if she could do it, I could do it too -- and I didn't have to wait 20 years to try.
I got a first-rate education at Howard. I learned the basic business and communications skills --especially
writing -- that I rely on today. Perhaps more importantly, I had many professors who taught me how to challenge
assumptions and to think critically. And Dr. Ron Simmons, my Intro to Mass Communications teacher, showed me the
real power of the media, how it can be used for good or evil, and how to decipher marketing messages and propaganda.
I'm really excited about Howard's current focus on entrepreneurship. All freshmen -- regardless of field of
study -- are now required to take a 6-week entrepreneurship workshop. My, how things have have changed!
The HBCU Network:Outside of Howard, did you have any other inspirations to start your own business?
Jamila:
Absolutely. At one point my father had his own consulting business. I was really fortunate in that my entire
family supported my dream 100%.
I also was greatly inspired by Dennis Kimbro's book "Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice," which I read
in 1995. It was one of those lightbulb moments.
The HBCU Network: Tell us about E-Commerce Diva and the services you provide.
Jamila:
EcommerceDiva.com is a spin-off from my consulting company, Jamila White & Associates, Inc. I'm an Internet
Strategist, and I help businesses and organizations effectively market their products, services, or programs
using the Internet. Our services include web strategy and web content development, web site and e-commerce
development, and Internet Marketing and E-Commerce training. The larger corporate and entertainment industry
clients have very different needs (and budgets) than the smaller one- and two-person shops. I realized last
year that I needed to create a separate web presence for the E-Commerce and Internet Marketing workshops and
tutorials services my company offers to smaller businesses and individuals, and EcommerceDiva.com was born.
"The E-Commerce Diva" is a nickname that some of my clients and colleagues gave me a few years ago, and it
stuck. I also publish a free e-newsletter "Sell More Online," that offers tips and tricks on Internet Marketing.
The HBCU Network: I see that you're offering the "Supersize Your Web Sales 6-Week Tele-Bootcamp". Tell us a little about this.
Jamila:
The "Supersize Your Web Sales Bootcamp" is a new program that started this year for e-commerce entrepreneurs.
It's part workshop, part consulting, and part support group -- it's all conducted over the telephone and Internet.
After teaching many "E-Commerce 101" workshops over the years, I started to see a new trend about 2 years ago.
Instead of getting people who were starting new businesses and new web sites in the class, folks started showing
up who were already in business for a while and were searching for ways to take their existing web sites to the
next level to get more sales and more orders. There was no place else for them to go, so they kept showing up
in my beginners' class even though they weren't beginners. And they had no one to talk to, to share problems
and ideas with others who faced the same challenges in growing their businesses. So I started this program to
address their needs.
Over six weeks, the Bootcamp participants learn proven strategies to get more web traffic and more orders.
We use their own web sites as the case studies for the class, creating action plans that are specific to
their needs. By doing the training in a group, they also get the peer support that is so crucial to
running a business. The Bootcamp groups are set up so that they can continue to network and share with
each other long after the formal instruction has ended. We're halfway through the first Bootcamp and
it's going great. The next one starts in March.
The HBCU Network: What challenges did you have to start your business? How did you prevail?
Jamila:
People never tell you that starting a business is only 10% resources and know-how, and it's really 90% faith.
It's hard to *start* a business; it's even harder to *keep* a business going.
When I first started, lack of resources was a big challenge. I started the business with less than $5,000.
$1,500 of my own, and the rest borrowed from relatives and friends. Most of that money was put into buying
inventory and some into e-commerce software, which was much more expensive and complicated back then than it
is today. I ran my business part-time while I kept my day job for a whole year, so I wouldn't drain the
business by trying to pay myself a salary. And when I went full time, I lived off my savings account for
a year, and gave up my apartment and moved into my father's basement to save on rent and living expenses.
During this time, I just kept reinvesting the profits back into the business. It was tough. For a long
time I was more broke than I was as an undergrad, and I was REALLY broke in college!
Lack of know-how -- I was new to running a business -- also played a big role, although I didn't
know it at the time. LOL! I made lots of mistakes -- HUGE mistakes! But I tried to learn from
each one. Part of being a successful entrepreneur is to continue to reinvent yourself, to
continually tweak and refine and improve your business, to continually incorporate what you
have just learned into your overall plan.
The HBCU Network: How do you get the word out about E-Commerce Diva?
Jamila:
Most of my clients come from referrals, from professional networks, from my classes, and from my
"Sell More Online" newsletter. I get a lot of traffic from the "how to" articles I write and place
on other web sites. Most web entrepreneurs don't realize that it takes someone between 4 and 8
visits to your web site before they make a purchase or transaction, and they don't have any
strategy in place to get them to come back beyond the first visit. I call this a "keep in touch"
strategy and I teach about it in my workshops. They would be well served to spend less time
focusing on search engines and more time cultivating their "keep in touch" strategy.
The HBCU Network: Where do you see E-Commerce Diva in another 5 years?
Jamila:
EcommerceDiva.com is a small part of a bigger vision and purpose.
In five years, I'll be chilling on a Caribbean beach in my vacation home, because my virtual businesses
are running 100% on auto-pilot to bring in my income. *grin*
The HBCU Network: LOL! On a more personal
note, what were some of your most memorable experiences at Howard?
Jamila:
The whole freshman year dorm experience -- especially the big water and shaving cream fight on Valentine's
Day 1990 that involved the entire 2nd floor of Baldwin Hall. That was the craziest, stupidest, funniest thing.
Pledging Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. in spring 1994. My line remains very close, and we all went to the
Bahamas together last spring to celebrate our 10th anniversary. And of yes, can't forget Howard's famous Homecomings!
My entire college experience was one of the best experiences in my life. I learned so much about myself,
the world, and life in general during that time. The friendships that were forged back then are friendships
I depend on today. And now that we're all "grown", the professional network is outstanding.
The HBCU Network: Do you have any parting words for the HBCU Community and for aspiring entrepreneurs?
Jamila:
For the HBCU community, especially those who are currently undergrads or recent graduates: Take a look
at the people around you. The folks who you went to class with, the ones you currently think of as "majors" --
history majors, poli sci majors, pre-med majors, business majors, etc. -- those same folks who can cut up and act
a fool sometimes. THESE are tomorrow's business leaders, politicians, doctors, scientists, artists, mothers,
fathers. I am constantly amazed at what my classmates are doing with their personal and professional lives
today. Today I turn on the news and see some very well-known and well-respected people in the world and think:
"I remember that time when we got thrown out of Club Kilimanjaro..."
As for entrepreneurship or careers in general, my best advice is to follow your heart and just DO it.
There are so many people who are absolutely miserable in their jobs, people who spend 50+ hours a week
in places they don't like, with people they don't like, doing tasks they don't like. They have a dream
they want to pursue, be it running a certain kind of business or becoming a famous artist. Yet they
allow *fear* to keep them from the fulfilled, prosperous life they were put on this earth to have.
In the eight years since I left the corporate world, I have been through business hell and back.
But there has never been one single day -- nevah evah, nevah evah evah -- that I wanted to go back.
The HBCU Network: Thank you so much for your time, Jamila!
Visit E-Commerce Diva
http://ecommercediva.com
