Today we’d like to introduce you to Jocoby Junious.
Jocoby, before we jump into specific questions about your work, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My name is Jocoby, and I was born and raised in Houston, TX. I grew up in a single-parent home. My mom raised my sister and I, and taught us the building blocks of great character: Hard-work. Honesty. Integrity. Kindness. Compassion.
Even though we didn’t have a lot of money, my mother never withheld me from any opportunity. I was a trained dancer at a renowned studio. Went on every school trip. Participated in every recital. Every school club.
Looking back, my mom couldn’t afford any of it! LOL But her message to me was always that “the world is my oyster.” She invested everything she had, including working 16 hr shifts back to back, to make sure that I felt that way.
All of these things nurtured my spirit of independence. I always thought I could do and be whatever I wanted because my mom made me believe that.
I went on to study & graduate from Howard University with a degree in marketing. By day I’m a fashion buyer who loves retail. By night, I am a journalist who hosts a lovely podcast called By Name Beauty.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Well, my mom raised two kids by herself and made less than $35k dollars when I graduated from high school. Nothing was easy for me. But when it comes to pursuing your passion… it’s honestly one of the hardest things I have ever done. Buying the materials. Getting the paperwork together. Starting a business plan. That’s the easy part.
The difficulty in pursuing your passion comes from overcoming your mind. For me, my passion is beauty and equality. My method is podcasting. Seems very simple, right? You buy a mic, you set up a website, and hit record to talk. Pretty basic stuff.
However, I would be completely dishonest if I didn’t admit that I was terrified in the beginning of starting my own business! Sharing your art with the world puts you in such a vulnerable space and overcoming the mental thought of what other people will think about you is extremely difficult.
The first few times I recorded, I was so scared, I was shaking. So many things kept going through my mind. What would people say? Would people even listen at all? What if no one cared about what I was talking about? What if people simply thought my ideas were dumb?
My biggest struggle by far was letting go of the fear that my opinion wasn’t valuable. Letting go of the fear of what others would think about my show. Combine all that with working a 9-5 and still trying to squeeze in self-care?! Whew!! Pursuing your passion is worth it, but it sure ain’t easy!
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the By Name Beauty Podcast story. Tell us more about your work.
Well you can’t quite know the By Name story, without knowing a little bit more about me. Although I am not an industry professional (I don’t do hair, makeup, or lashes), I grew up being surrounded by beauty and seeing the effects it had on the women around me. From before I could talk, I grew up watching my aunt own and run her own hair salon. As a kid I would go there almost every Saturday to hang out and be her “assistant”. I would sweep floors, fold towels, prep the ladies for the hair dryer, etc. Being encircled by so many powerful women with so many stories and characters was euphoric for me. “The beauty shop”, as we called it, was a safe-haven. Yes, it’s where we practiced literal self- care through the beautifying of our manes. But it was also mental self-care.Sharing things like your highs and lows, your laughter & your tears, with other women is incredibly powerful.
Because of this, beauty was deeply engrained in my rearing as a young woman. As I grew up, although I continued to love beauty in practice, I found myself always disappointed in how black and brown women were treated in the industry at large. Yes, we individually supported each other. But where was our coverage in the top blogs and magazines? Why were we never given credit for all of the “trends” we created? Why did it seem like those who didn’t share our skin tone just didn’t understand us? It was out of these questions that the By Name Beauty Podcast was born.
The first show of its kind, The BNB Pod is dedicated to women who have a love for beauty and for supporting their community. We place womenof color at the forefront of beauty dialogue by celebrating their unique and varied stories, endorsing their products and skills, and honoring the characteristics that have historically used to disempower them. The show covers everything from the stories of small business owners and creatives to how we can create safer spaces for kinky and curly hair.
I think what makes us stand out is our ability to approach these large, and sometimes heavy topics, in a way that is geared to people of all backgrounds and races. Yes, we are in fact here to celebrate and recognize the beauty of women of color but that’s only half of the mission. An equally important part of our assignment is to share these stories with those who are not minorities. By Name recognizes that if our society at large doesn’t begin to comprehend and appreciate those who do not look like themselves, then true change will never be achieved.
Honestly, it’s one of the best podcasts out & I promise I’m not just saying that because it’s mine. Check it out if you don’t believe me!
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I don’t believe in luck. For me, everything good is a gift from God. And when you combine your hard-work with faith in Him… you’re unstoppable!
Contact Info:
- Website: http://bynamebeauty.com/
- Email: contactbynamebeauty@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bynamebeauty/?hl=en
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/ByNameBeauty
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-by-name-beauty-podcast/id1456327088
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