Meet Ta’Quana Whaley | Stylist & Entrepreneur

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ta’Quana Whaley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ta’Quana, the decisions we make often shape our story in profound ways. What was one of the most difficult decisions you’ve had to make?
Being a mother of two while running a business was difficult in the beginning. Earlier this year I found out I was pregnant with my third child and I had to rush to get new inventory out and take pictures of me in the product before I started showing. I was so overwhelmed because I knew once my belly start growing I wouldn’t be able to do as much as I would like to. So eventually I had to put a pause on my business and that was the hardest decision I had to make. Being a small black business, you do not trust many people so I knew I didn’t have anyone I could depend on to keep pushing inventory out and taking really good pictures. But I had my baby early November and I am feeling better and ready to get the ball rolling again. I know my customers miss shopping my brand and new merchandise will be coming soon early 2024! Stay tuned ladies:)

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I am the proud Owner of Tainted Beauty LLC. I sell clothing for women of all sizes and accessories. I chose the name Tainted because as black women we are not always confident in certain clothing we wear, we feel unattractive and sometimes down talk our appearance. I want women to feel beautiful, confident and inspired in whatever we wear. My slogan is “ Where Confidence Meets Fashion “ because ladies we have to be confident and not let others tear us down with what we wear and how we look. I want us to step out and feel/look beautiful. My brand is different from others because it’s unique and come from a place of CONFIDENCE!

When I started my business I was so excited and happy how many people supported and made multiple purchases. I had customers ordering from states all over, not just here in Georgia. I had two successful pop up shops after launching and that was my motivation to keep going. Being a business owner isn’t easy, you’ll have ups and downs and I definitely had a lot of downs but I stayed focused and didn’t let that discourage me. I had to realize that everyday isn’t going to be a good day. Some days I didn’t get any traffic to my business, even a few months I didn’t get any traffic then I had to find ways to get more engagement, I had to come up with different promotional ideas to win some customers back. You have to find what works for you, you can’t always do what others are doing. You have to step out on faith and try new things. I even went back and forth about getting a storefront but decided I’ll just stay online and keep my promotions going.

I want everyone to know about my brand and story, I want others to be motivated and push through any obstacles they’re dealing with. Don’t let anyone discourage you and don’t tell everyone your plan. Trust in God and definitely trust yourself to be the best you can be! You got this!

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
So I’m from New Orleans and love seafood! I would definitely take my friends to this Who Dat spot that’s off of Old National, I love supporting any New Orleans spot out here! Also there’s this spot called Spice House that has a really good lobster Mac n cheese dish and really good drinks. I don’t go out much, I like to chill and relax at home most of the time. I’m such a homebody lol. But we’ll definitely find a chill lounge and get drinks and smoke hookah.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’ve went back and forth about who deserves credit and recognition for years. I always was the little girl that was afraid to be in the spotlight, I feared getting attention and that I wouldn’t be liked but this person always encouraged me in anything I brought to them. Once this person passed away, my world was shattered. It took me a while to really push myself to start my business but I remembered this person always telling me to never give up no matter what people think or say about me. Back in 2014 I wanted to start a clothing brand but didn’t, I doubted myself so much back then. My mom encouraged me to go for it and I told her I wasn’t ready. Mom you deserve all the credit and recognition, and I wish you was her to witness all of this! I miss you so much my queen!

Website: www.taintedbeautyllc.com

Instagram: Fabulouslyt_ & TaintedBeautyLLC

Facebook: Tainted Beauty LLC

Image Credits
My oldest son, Jonathan Whaley Richardson