\For many, the month of October is a time to raise awareness and educate others on something that affects almost 300,000 people each year. Numerous individuals either know someone who has been affected by breast cancer or have been affected by it personally. It can be an experience that can completely change a person’s life, sometimes in ways they never expected. For this month’s blog we want to spotlight a local business that was able to take inspiration from a loss and turn it into an idea.
Kayla Laird is a Flushing-based entrepreneur who owns and operates her own jewelry brand named, Queen Netzo. When talking to Kayla, she said, “Queen Netzo is actually a name referring to my mother, Kennette. Her nickname was ‘Net-Net’ and/or ‘Netzo.’ When I began to get into jewelry at the age of 7, my mother was battling breast cancer. With the help of my Aunt Myra, I started a new hobby making all sorts of jewelry. She taught me all of the basic techniques I needed to know in order to make creations with integrity. I made jewelry for my mother to wear as well as everyone who helped around the house during that time of need. With my dad being a pillar of support for my passion, the name ‘Queen Netzo Jewelry’ has stuck ever since 2007. I felt the need to keep the name because it reminds me that she will always be the QUEEN in my heart.”
Amazing businesses like Kayla’s show the power of difficult situations and experiences and how they can be the motivation to create something that not only you benefit from but also your community. Entrepreneurs and innovators can use these experiences as a way to network and connect with individuals, showing they are more than simply a business, but a business with a cause. The basis of an idea is to be a solution, and through your own personal ideas you may be able to create the change/support for your cause or movement in ways you never imagined.
Take Away: Don’t let difficult situations or experiences set you back, but instead use them as opportunities to grow your ideas and use them as the motivation to help your business and community.
