Inspiring Conversations with Lalaunie Maiden of Black EGO

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lalaunie Maiden.

Hi Lalaunie, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Hey! I’m Lalaunie, a quirky, awkward mom lol. I’ve always been pretty creative. As a teen, I had a very unique sense of fashion. I never followed the trends too closely and was known to put some unorthodox pieces together. I was often complimented on things like weird shoe styles that completed a look or for using random clothing items in creative ways. Like, I wore bowling shoes and neckties as a belts. Lol who does that? My friend’s still reminisce on how I had accessories to match every outfit perfectly, wore heels to high school, and was always overdressed. I knew then that styling clothes brought me joy and that I’d like to style others and create my own designs. I settled for picking out outfits for my friends and family. As I got older, life kind of carried me away from fashion and into a whirlwind of responsibility and routine. I became a student, parent, wife, and government employee, which took away a lot of my focus on creativity and put it all on responsibility. In 2018 and going into 2019, the federal government shut down for the longest amount of time ever.

During that time, I was stressed about how I would pay the mortgage and cover all of the expenses associated with day to day life. In those moments, I rediscovered my creativity to keep me sane and relieve some stress. I began painting for the first time because I heard it was relaxing and I love following black artists and their art style; I figured, why not create some? I ended up selling some originals, but I low key think people were supportive because they knew I was on furlough lol. Either way, I was extremely grateful. Anyway, I also began making waist beads, and finding random art’s and craft’s projects to do since I had so much free time. In the midst of that, I realized that my true love was fashion and that I needed to use my passion to create another source of income. Depending on my reliable government job wasn’t as reliable as I expected and I was terrified of being so unprepared again in the future. With my new motivation, I went to the drawing board and decided that I would finally open a clothing store. I did a ton of research and quickly planned out the steps I needed to take to open a legitimate business. I knew that I wanted to dedicate this business to people like me; confident, black, and proud. With that in mind, I needed a business name that would resonate with my people and let them know it’s for them. At the forefront of my mind was a poem called “Ego Tripping” by my favorite poet Nikki Giovanni. This poem is an anthem of Black pride and any Black woman who reads or hears it can’t help but be proud of their roots. This poem is where all my confidence comes from. Thus, Black EGO was born.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Marketing is definitely the toughest part of this business. I’ve never been a social butterfly, and most of this business relies on popularity or social ability. Fashion is extremely competitive and it is sometimes difficult to stand out among others doing the same thing as you. Additionally, social media plays a big role and socializing with strangers brings me heavy anxiety. Over the past few months, I’ve been trying my best to keep up and am making progress with my anxiety. This journey has been up and down. I had so much struggle during the first year of my business with visibility that I considered giving up. I felt that I offered value that no one recognized and I went on a hiatus to re-strategize and regain my motivation. When Covid-19 hit, it put things back into focus and I pressed play on the things I’ve learned through my experiences and knowledge gained during my time away from the business. Now, although the struggle is still real, I’ve maintained a positive attitude and am firm in my purpose. I have two kids schooling from home, I’m working my 9-5 from home, and running my business from home; it is STRESSFUL. Most days I absolutely wanna pull all of my hair out and I have a cry session at least twice a week. Still,I refuse to give up and will continue to acquire knowledge and improve as I go. In the past few months, my business has grown and my perspective has also. I am more clear than ever on where I am going and I appreciate every single supporter along the way. I am so filled with gratitude each time I get a new order, follow, re-post or compliment because it really reinforces my drive. I am also proud to show my kids what entrepreneurship looks like so that they will have aspirations to create their own legacies. I couldn’t imagine thinking about giving up ever again.

Appreciate you sharing that. What should we know about Black EGO?
Black Ego LLC is an online clothing store catered to women who display their confidence through style, with an emphasis on versatility. Women love being able to wear the same outfit from work to happy hour or from lounging to out and about, with little to no effort. So I mostly offer styles that are transitional, or that can be worn in multiple ways. Also, the prices are kept affordable without compromising quality. When shopping with me, I try to make it feel like a semi-luxurious experience without the price tag. There’s free shipping on all orders, fair prices, and installment payment options. However, I still give customers attention in a way that does not make it feel like a cheapy store. I directly chat with them and answer questions while they are shopping on the site through a chat feature, we communicate through email; it’s really a personal experience that you don’t get at big brand stores. I strive to make it a place that any woman would enjoy shopping, regardless of their relationship with online shopping.

How do you think about luck?
I don’t really believe in luck. I think we have experiences and things happen randomly, but our reactions to them make the difference.The Government shut down was really what planted the seed of this business. I was afraid to depend on my 9-5 for survival and decided to put effort behind my passion. That was a gift and curse in one. Along the way, I’ve hit very low lows with zero sales, but consistency has taught me to keep going because people are watching even if they aren’t taking action. I’ve learned that being present is most important. I don’t think any of that is luck.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://shopblackego.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shopblackego/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/shopblackego

Image Credits
Robin Yancey