Myleik Teele is a brand GENIUS. Avid Reader. CEO. Business Owner. Mentor in my head. Girl Boss! Bout her BUSINESS. Straight Shooter. Just LOVE HER!
At The Ladies of Business Conference, I had the pleasure of having a 1 x 1 with Myleik to ask her a few minor questions (nothing too pressing, because I sure could have talked to her all night).
Your My Taught You brand is very transparent- Mentoring to everyone, what made you choose this as your next venture after CurlBox?
Myleik: I probably was doing My Taught You before CurlBox, and I think CurlBox just got so big that it eclipsed what I was doing before, but I was always doing it. I grew up from a very private mother and I used to feel like– the pain is in the secrets. If people think they know things about you or they feel like they can say something to you—it kind of over powers you and I’m just like.. this is who I am, this is what I struggle with- I’m no different than anybody else. You can still succeed after failing. You can succeed and make mistakes, you know what I mean? I felt like as a young woman of color that it was something that was so necessary.
Why did you choose your demographic to be young women of color?
Myleik: Because I felt like growing up I didn’t have that. I grew up in Los Angeles and a lot of the women who helped me get ahead professionally were not black women. They were white women, Jewish women, like people out in Hollywood—those were the people who took a chance on me. So for me, I asked what would happen if we took a chance on each other? We are so afraid to, for a HOST of reasons but it’s kind of like—feeling like I’m so committed to helping young women of color, heal themselves, access themselves, take inventory- so that they can live a full life, because so many of us feel like we aren’t living a full life.
What was one of your biggest entrepreneurial mistakes thus far and how did you bounce back?
Myleik: At the very beginning of my career, I used to—Everything that everybody said hit me so hard, and I used to be so hard. I used to be the “Meek Mill” of this whole thing. Running on twitter and type typing and it’s like “oh my God,” and I was so young! And It’s like you don’t think it’s going to hurt until someone kicks you in the heart and you’re like fuck this—I’m ready to fight anybody. I learned that when people— what people say about you says more about them than it does about you. And once you know that people are speaking from their insecurities, their pain, their whatever you go—girl this ain’t even about me!
Isn’t she just marvelous? Even in a brief moment – she drops so many gems!
At the conference in her keynote address, Teele explained how she continues to trail blaze in her business, remaining current, innovative and fresh. She also shared key tips to successful networking, and poured words of encouragement into a room full of current and aspiring women entrepreneurs.
Be sure to check out her podcast, an check out some of the #CurlBox and #MyTaughtYou hashtags on Instagram and Twitter!
Lo In The City 