HerStory Series: CiCi the Diamond

Me: *starts singing in the tune of 1,2 step* CIARA Welcome to the HerStory Series where I am highlighting some very dope women that I have encountered in my life and celebrating all of their accomplishments. So let's begin this interview with you telling the readers a little about yourself and how did you come up with the name Cici The Diamond and Dripping N Diamonds?

CiCi: It's always hard for me to talk about myself lol so here's just a little about me. I'm a 38 year old woman with a big personality. I love God. I love jewelry & I love creating "stuff". Cici is short for Ciara & Diamond comes from the name I was given when I was in a social club because I would always have a ridiculous amount of jewelry on. I decided to just merge the two together. As far as my business name, my younger sister helped me. She thought that it should be called "Dripping Diamonds" , but I threw the "N"  in there, because when you put my jewelry on you'll be "Dripping N Diamonds"!

  

Me: I can definitely attest to that last statement. I own a few pieces with my favorite being my pineapple earrings. I always feel top tier when I put on my Dripping N Diamonds jewelry. That’s a perfect segue to my next question. What made you want to start a business? What was your mission at the start of your journey?

CiCi: I started my business in August of 2020. The strange thing is that I never wanted a business. The vision was from God. I was just being obedient. Sometimes, when he tells you to do something you just do it. Even if you can't SEE why he gave you the vision. That's where faith comes in because he leads by faith and not by sight. After 3 almost 4 years I still don't know why he told me to start the business, but my faith in him lets me know it wasn't for nothing. He will show me in due time.

Me: Girl, yes! That’s what I am talking about. You are about to have me in here ready to cut a step! Lol You are absolutely right when you say that when He speaks, we must listen. Ok CiCi. So what makes Dripping N Diamonds special? 

Cici: What makes my business special is that I offer affordable, high quality jewelry that comes with great customer service & fast shipping. 

 

Me: Great customer service is so hard to come by these days, so I am sure that your customers appreciate that from you. In your opinion, how do you define success? 

CiCi: The way I define success is how someone handles themselves when they feel the weight of the world on their shoulders. Are you able to keep it moving & thrive because you know greater is coming or are you going to be defeated and make excuses on why you can't move forward.

Me: In other words, are you going to sink or swim? I love that! What would you say are the three most important habits to be a successful entrepreneur?

CiCi: Prayer, routine, money management, & remaining a student (Ha! I gave you 4 lol)

Me: *laughs* People don’t know how to follow directions. lol Let’s shake things up a bit. How did you get involved with content creation and what would you say the pros and cons are, if any?

CiCi: Everything we do in life is content. We just didn't have a name for it lol But, I do have an amazing business coach named Matt Naylor. He goes by BeatLife Matt on social media.  The man is a beast at content creation. He gives me the ideas & I just run with them. Pros are that when content creation is done right, you can get paid generously. Cons are you have to do it consistently even when you don't feel like it.

Me: I felt that in my spirit about still having to create content, even when you don’t feel like it. So, how do you determine what type of content will work best for your target audience?

CiCi: Alot of trial and error. I study my target audience to see what their interests are, the type of music they listen to, how they talk to their friends, etc. 

Me: Nice! Let’s lighten it up a little bit. If you knew you were going to be stranded on a deserted island, what three items would you bring with you?

CiCi: Do they have phone towers on the island? lol ... My mom, water, food (God would already be there)

Me: What is your favorite thing about yourself?

CiCi:My personality.

ME: I love your confidence. We made it to the last question of the day. What is a goal that you have set for not only you, but also for your business for the year 2024?

CiCi: The goal for myself is to strengthen my relationship with God so I can become the best version of me that I can be! The goal for my business is to gain more exposure so my business can grow.

Me: Ciara, thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk with me. I have said many times before that I admire your tenacity and perseverance. Today we celebrate you!