When you hear the words “Girl Boss”, what kind girl do
you think of?! Someone who’s hard working, doesn’t take NO for answer, a risk-taker,
and confident. If Girl Boss was in the dictionary Mary “Mz.Sittlez” Seats picture would be under it! The CEO of the urban-glam clothing line Cupcake Mafia has
made her mark in the industry with the uniqueness and originality of the brand.
I actually got a chance to sit down with Mz.Skittlez at
the Cupcake Mafia Boutique & Bakery in Atlanta. We got a chance to discuss her book “The
Icing on Top Ain’t Always Sweet”, having a loyal team, and a quick trip
down memory lane of her being a music artist.
What
inspired you to write your story? Why was so important to share it?
Honestly, I used to be embarrassed about my story. I was
booked to speak at a homeless shelter, and that was the first I shared it. I spent four hours speaking with a section of
kids that were suicidal or have attempted suicide, just trying to uplift their
spirits.
Later that night I received an email from a young girl
stating that I saved her life. She was going to commit suicide that night! She heard my story and it gave her faith.
You were
once a music artist. Would you ever go back to music?
Ummmm, nooo.(laughs) I
don’t think so. Everybody always ask. I work with a lot of music artist and
when Cupcake Mafia initially started it was to bring female artist together. So,
more girls wanted to be a part of it who weren’t female artist that were
regular artist that like draw or spray paint. I needed a way to engage everyone
even if they weren’t an artist and so why not do it with clothing, because
girls love clothes!
Do
you ever go back and look at your old YouTube videos?
Omg yes! People are always coming up to me saying they
use to come to my shows! I’m like ohhh, I want to climb under a rock! (laughs)
I was so young at the time. What tore me out of the music business was that the
management I was with forced me to be someone. It didn’t really give me time to
be who I was musically. Because of that it really pushed me away.
They
say that you can’t get to the top alone. How did you go about finding a loyal
team?
I think there will always be those challenges. You will
find those people that will stick you until the end, the people that will stick
with you until they transition into something else, and you’ll have those
people that will just not be around. You have to sort them out. I think
I’ve done a great job at that. I’m a good judge at character. When I meet you I
can tell off top what you’re motives are and if you’re going to work. The five
people that started out with me, four of them are still around.
I really speak
family within my business. More or less, you work with me more than working for
me. I try to give the people around me the opportunity to grow.
Where
do you get the inspiration for your collections?
Well I definitely know my demographic. If you know who
your girl (customer) is, what they listen to, where they shop, what blogs do
they look at, then you’re able to create something specifically for them. Cupcake
Mafia is about girl unity. So to unite girls, you have to know their issues;
you have to know what strikes them in the inside. I look at the girls around me
and I get inspired, plusI travel a lot.
I
imagine that running a successful business gets crazy and tiring. What
motivates you to keep going?
When you love what you do, that should inspire you. I
tell people if you could not wake up with $0.00 in your bank account and still
want to do it, then you shouldn’t be an entrepreneur! There’s going to be times
where you are going to have ZERO dollars and you still have to wake up and
blog, or still have to wake up and be an artist. There was times when I had
zero dollars, even in the negative and I still wanted to see Cupcake Mafia
work.
My team, which I stated before is like my family, and my
daughter also motivate me.
What
can we expect from Cupcake Mafia in the next 5 years?
I definitely want to have five different locations. Hopefully
collaborate with Forever21, have several shoe collaborations. Just staying
current and relevant!
What’s
your favorite quote?
A slow rise to the top is a better than a fast fall to
the bottom. That’s like my mantra! It is so true! It’s just like climbing a
ladder! If you hop to the top of the ladder you’re going to fall, but if take
your time with each step up along the way, once you get to the top you’re
balanced. You’ll understand that everything that you’ve endure along the way to
the top has balanced you out.
Mz.Skittlez is very
informative! You know most business owners are not into telling their secrets
to success or giving pointers, especially not for free! Talking with her I
learned that it’s ok to dream BIG but be strategic. She mentions a lot in her
videos to work smarter not harder. So definitely do your research before you jump into running a business.
If you’re in the fashion and
beauty business I would advise you to please follow her on Periscope, Instagram, and
pick up her book on amazon.com!
Website- www.cupcakemafiaatl.com
Instagram- @cupcakemafia
Periscope- @mzskittlez4
JL
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