Meet Jamera Forbes | Marketing Hub & Community Service Director

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

Hi Jamera, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I started my business in response to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2020, I was a Sophomore college student attending Morgan State University. My weekly norm was volunteering at Community Services and creating flyers for the organizations I was involved in on top of classes.

During the Pandemic, many Community Services came to a halt, and schools closed down. Thus leaving a gap in support for students who relied on volunteering and the need to create flyers for on-campus organizations.

In May 2022, I graduated from college but felt that there was more for me to accomplish. From 2020-2022, I knew there was something I could do to bring back Community Services and my creative thoughts for flyers. After waiting for God to show me the path he had in store for me, the idea for THE MERA EXPERIENCE appeared.

By establishing my business, I aimed to provide a platform that not only offered Community Services catered to college students and alumni in the DMV area but also served as a Marketing Hub to create flyers, logos, websites, and many more!

Through my business, I am committed to positively impacting students’ lives, contributing to our community’s resilience, and assisting businesses in their Marketing needs.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My art is creative graphics and events. What sets me apart from other companies is my pricing. I take pride in offering affordable pricing for all clients with top-of-the-line customer service. I am proud of how far my business has grown in 9 months. I did not expect to have offered over nine community service opportunities to nearly 100 people along with having over 50 clients before hitting one year in my business. I am also extremely proud of the amount of returning customers I have.

I had to trust in God to get to where I am today. I always felt that I wanted to do more in life and that I had the qualities to create my own business, but I never thought I had a “skill” that I could sell or offer. The main challenge to get to where I am now was trusting in the process and believing in myself. If I could offer one tip of advice to anyone reading this, it is that EVERYONE has a talent; you have to reflect on what makes you happy or what you do in your free time and market yourself. Starting a business is only challenging in the process it takes to get it up and running. If you’re doing what you love, it won’t feel like a job but a hobby.

The lessons I have learned along the way are practicing your craft frequently and not comparing yourself to similar businesses. You have to invest time into growing your business. Also, there could be 20 businesses that offer the same service as you. All that should matter is how you will market your business to stand out and be different.

I want the world to know that The Mera Experience prides itself on customer service, creativity, and product delivery. We can take any vision and bring it to life. From graphics, events, and community services, we are open to taking any challenge and will make it an unforgettable experience.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a friend visiting the DMV for the weekend, I would spend Sunday going to brunch at Park on 14th, then going to Rose Bar for their Day Party, and end the night at Surf Side on N ST in DC. On a Saturday, I would take them to get breakfast at Kitchen Cray’s in Lanham, MD then spa at MGM in Oxon Hill, go visit museums in DC, grab dinner at Kitchen and Kocktails, and end the night at U St. For Friday night, I would take her to Society in Silver Spring for the night, Lastly, during the week, I would recommend having Taco Tuesday after work at Pink Taco and Thirsty Thursday at Cru in DC.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to thank God for always showing me that my wildest dreams can come to life with patience. I want to also thank my co-workers for helping me create my business name. Lastly, I want to thank all my family, friends, and customers who have supported me since the birth of my business. I truly wouldn’t have made it this far in my journey without them.

Website: https://www.themeraexperience.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themeraexperience/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamera-forbes/