We had the good fortune of connecting with Daye J and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Daye, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
A third of the almost 300,000 U.S. girls and women reported missing in 2020 were Black. Seeing families reach out for support and help to find loved ones via social media because the news wasn’t covering it just didn’t sit right with me (as a black woman myself.) Seeing the constant post of missing women made me start to buy individual self-defense pieces for friends and family just to know /have a piece of mind that if something happened I gave them a tool that might have helped.

After giving pieces to friends /family I thought what is something that every person carries all the time. Keys! If you keep your keys with you why not have them on a functional and affirmation reminder safety keychain that can alert someone of an attack or even free you from being trapped in a car with a Jammed Door. I combined my passion for self-defense and my love for chakra-based jewelry and stones. Changing your mindset from passive (relying on others for help when it comes to your security) to active (taking ownership of your self-defense) involves a spiritual journey. Protect Ur Peace offers products or tools to help the journey become more bearable.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I have a full-time, a part-time, and a business. BOSS! For my full time, I am a Team Support Supervisor with over 12 years in customer support. My customer support background makes me elite. I love speaking, listening, problem-solving, and uplifting and empowering others.

In any job I have held, I have been the one to speak up and uplift my team. I am honored to be the Head of the Diversity Equity and Inclusion community for my full-time, part-time job and business.

Hard work and dedication. Knowing I have a son to provide for motivated me to want better not only for myself but for him. I started from the bottom coming out of college with debt, a new baby, and then was out of work for 7 months. The first job offer I received was for $13 an hour. I pushed myself to be better than my other co-works so that I would jump the ranks, get promoted in under a year, switch jobs to make more money, and repeat the cycle of pushing myself and standing out from the rest. Here I am today promoted three times within my new company and now Support Supervisor of members that have been here longer. All to say that anyone can do it, you just have to put the work in.

For my brand, I established Protect Ur Peace with one intention: to make self-defense articles more accessible to anyone, especially women. Some of us have husbands, children, and other important people waiting for us at home, and we must protect ourselves so that we can go home to their embrace.

“Usually when people have a business, they pray that their customers will use their products and give them feedback. On my end, I’m praying my customers never have to use it.”

“Daye”

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Thank goodness my best friend knows I love the outdoors because we’re going to be outside! We’re going to river& tail – Shenandoah tubing, we pack food and drinks and float down the river. In the evening we would eat outside at Tequlia & Taco for food and vibes. Day two Fox Fire Farm md for horseback riding and wine tasting at Jane Mark Winery (Jane the ower is so sweet and amazing). Day three Dragon Distillery has an amazing Groupon for tasting and ax throwing. Day four kayaking at Key Bridge Dc, followed by Bowleros that evening for bowling. Day five hiking Great Falls Parks, followed by drinks and food at Blue Dyer Distillery (love the owner Ryan, and the crew . Then know my order when I walk in) Day six chase the thrill atv rides (with my girl Chase), followed by food from Blue Waters Caribbean & Seafood Grill. Day seven we would hit the beach and cook out with friends and family.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Myles Parker owner of TarotandTingz (https://www.tarotandtings.com/). My sister cousin that pushed me to create and follow through with my business. She is the redhead in my logo, which represents the spiritual protection side of my business because she introduced me to crystals and charkas. While I am on the left side the fighter, combat-ready to defend and protect the people I love. With that you get ProtecturPeace

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Website: protecturpeace.com

Instagram: peaceofprotection

Facebook: protecturpeace

Other: flow.page/protecturpeace has all shop links

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