Meet T’keyah Smith | Mother & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with T’keyah Smith and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi T’keyah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Dope Kraftz came into fruition in 2021; however, I didn’t execute it until this year in May 2022. Last year, I was going through a bit of a rough patch with trying to navigate through the pandemic with a new baby and suffering with PPD (postpartum depression). I was looking for a new hobby and a way to make extra money. I was thinking to myself “what do I enjoy the most?” Because, in my opinion you have to really enjoy/love what you’re doing in order for your business to grow and be successful! One of my favorite holidays is 420, so that’s when I came up with the idea of making custom ashtrays. Most ashtrays I’ve seen are boring,so I wanted to create custom ashtrays. I wanted smokers to ash in style! I looked up how to create them, ordered the materials I needed and instantly got to work. My idea of solely making ashtrays quickly turned into me making coaster sets, rolling trays, photo molds, pretty much anything you can think of. I hesitated so long to present Dope Kraftz to the public, because I wanted to be really ready meaning I wanted everything to be “perfect”, but nothing’s ever perfect no matter how much planning we do, we run into some small bumps in the road. God spoke to me and said “why wait?” Just do it! I decided to step out on a leap of faith to put it out there, and I’m so glad that I did because the public has really been enjoying my work! I wasn’t expecting to receive the amount of attention Dope Kraftz has been getting. I’ve serviced over 20 customers within a month of operating and that to me is pretty DOPE

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?
What sets me apart from others is my ability to be unapologetically me and authentic. I don’t try to be anyone else but T’keyah. I don’t try to fit in, I’m not following all of the trends, I’m not trying to create a life that I know I’m not living, and I always keep it REAL. I’m honest and always open minded to new things and exploring them. I’m the person that’s pretty much hard to forget, because when you’re around me the energy is great! I’ve noticed that most people will naturally tell me anything about them, even personal things that I may not have needed to know, because I create that space for them. I like to let people know that I really hear them when they speak, and I’m really easy to talk to. I will start a conversation with anyone about anything! The one thing that I’m most proud of is me starting Dope Kraftz! I’m only 25, but for a long time maybe since the age of 21 I’ve really been searching for my purpose in life, a talent, or something that I enjoy doing. I’ve never felt like I really fit in with certain friend groups or just in certain spaces in general.I used to be a cheerleader in high school (I loved it) but it didn’t really fit me or I still felt like it wasn’t “me”. The friends I had back then, I guess you could say we were “popular” or apart of the “cool kids”, but yet I still didn’t feel like I belonged. I said all of that to say that when I got into resin art and created Dope Kraftz, it seemed like I had finally found my purpose and that I belonged in the creative world which is funny because I never was good at art in grade school. I loved taking art classes, but I wasn’t that creative; I guess as you get older you start to find out new things about yourself that you never knew before and discover hidden talents. I’m most of proud myself for stepping outside of the ordinary and trying something new and I’m excited to see how far Dope Kraftz go and where God leads us to next!
I got to where I am today through God himself and through the experiences I’ve had throughout my life. These 20 something’s haven’t been the easiest at all, it’s not all glamour and fun as it’s depeicted in movies. You will go through things you never would’ve imagined as a teenager. You will experience hurt and some failures, you will make mistakes sometimes more than once, but the biggest takeaway from it all is that you’re LEARNING. There’s no guide to life, we’re all trying to find what works for us and we’re all working to achieve the goal of having balance in life. A balance of our social life, romantic relationships, friendships, work life, being parents etc. Becoming a mother at age 23 has been the biggest challenge, 23 is still young and you’re still trying to figure out who you are as an adult, so imagine having to do that while raising a child of your own. It can get pretty hectic, overwhelming, and frustrating sometimes because you’re forever trying to find a balance between being a mother and still trying to find you as an individual , outside of being a mom. You have an urge of wanting to be who you were before having a child, but the hard truth is, is that you’ll never be that person again. Your mindset and outlook on life completely changes once you’re a parent, you won’t take those risks that you once did before and some of the things you liked to do at one point has to go on the back burner just for a little while and that’s okay! You want to be the best version of yourself that you can be to raise your child, because it’s not about just you anymore it’s about them too. I won’t say that I’ve completely overcome my challenge just yet, because I’m still learning and growing but I’m in a much better place than I was a year ago.
What I want the world to know about me and is that I’m hardworking & always dedicated to what I do! If I say that I’m going to do something then believe me when I say it. I don’t care how long it takes me to get where I’m going, just as long as I get there so don’t count me out just yet!
Dope Kraftz is my 2nd baby, when I’m in my creative zone I feel the best. I’m always excited when I get a new order, because my mind starts to run a mile minute thinking of all the different ways I plan to design their item. It gives me rush, feels like I’m on natural high! I can’t wait for the world to see what more Dope Kraftz has in store.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My best friend and I would have a ball in the city! I’m super adventurous, so I’m always down to try new things and explore. We both like to drink occasionally, especially wine so we’d go wine tasting somewhere in Atlanta followed by lunch at Caribbean Delight on the west end, they have the best Caribbean food in the city in my opinion! Tuesday we’d go visit the MLK museum because it’s FREE and who doesn’t enjoy a free outing?? And it’s also a great learning experience to learn more about Martin Luther king jr. And black history, then we’re eating lunch at JJS fish and chicken on Pryor rd they’re the only JJs that matters in city.
Wednesday we’d go for a stroll at piedmont park and enjoy some ice cream from any cold stone ice cream shop. And just walk around downtown Atlanta to explore the city more because there’s still a lot of places I haven’t been yet!
Thursday is rest day, you need at least one day of rest because the city will definitely wear you out. We’ll go get our nails & feet done at Lush Nail Bar located in Kennesaw GA. And just relax at the crib, binge watch some shows like P-Valley, Stranger Things, etc.
Friday we’re outsideeeeee we’re going to the Gold Room or Cirque because I love the energy and vibes in there. Cirque also has the best frozen daiquiris
Saturday we’re outside again, eating brunch at Roses getting lit off mimosas followed by an outing at VVS lounge on Old Nat, because it goes down at the V!
Sunday you’re going home sis, you’ve spent alllllll of my money lol.
When you come to Atlanta you have to try slutty vegan!! Even if you don’t like Vegan food, I promise you’d enjoy theirs.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I would love to dedicate this shout out to my mother Tammy Murrell. Throughout this whole process, my mother has been my biggest motivator. She always pushes me to go harder and to always go after whatever it is that I desire. She’s there when I need her for advice about my business, always suggesting new things for me to try, and constantly promotes Dope Kraftz any chance she gets. She’s my biggest fan/supporter. She truly inspires me and the epitome of the woman I desire to be as I get older! I can’t wait to retire her from working one day soon, she deserves it and so much more.

Instagram: @Dopekraftz

Twitter: @dopekraftz

Facebook: T’keyah Smith