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

Hi Jamika, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My grandmother gave me a little nudge.  My grandmother Alberteen (Teena) Stredrick made her transition back in February 2009. She was very creative; a vibrant spirit who was always about her business, an accomplished seamstress and a self-taught interior decorator. She had this creative eye for fashion which resulted in her designing and modeling her unique clothes in fashion shows she personally hosted and coordinated in the basement of her home and different local venues (I had the pleasure to model some of her designs as a child.)  Her talents also expanded into restoring and reviving old furniture back to its original glory; her and her twin brother (Uncle Albert) both ran their business outside of their garages, uncle Albert his upholstery business and grandma an eclectic mix of clothes and home decor items.

The birth of Teena’s Legacy. One day I was walking home from the park with my daughter and a chaise lounge caught my eye across the street in the alley, where I lived in Chicago, ILL. Normally I would look; judge if it was nice or not and just walk away, but something was different that day, something in my spirit told me to go get the chaise lounge and reupholster it. I ignored the urge and went into the house. You see, dumpster diving and I were old enemies, as a child my grandmother use to make my brother and I dumpster dive for old furniture and we hated it! At that age we felt the idea of dumpster diving was nasty and embarrassing. I remembered one day some neighborhood friends witness my brother and I carrying an old dresser off the street into our house while they pointed and laughed at us the whole way, you could image how humiliating that could be for a 13 and 14 year old.  To my surprise 3 days later my grandmother transformed that dresser into a glamorous statement piece for my bedroom. Unfortunately I was not able to appreciate her God giving gifts until much later in life. The urge in my gut got stronger and stronger to the point I could not ignore the feeling, so my mother and I went across the street and carried that old worn down chaise lounge into the house. The next day we went to a hotel liquidation warehouse and came across a bundle of hotel draperies for only $10.00, I washed them and my mother and I started reupholstering the chaise lounge. It came out great; 8 years later my mother still has that chaise lounge in her bedroom.

To my surprise the process came so natural as if I had experience reupholstering furniture before, but I hadn’t. During that time I was a stay at home mom deep into seeking clarity, guidance and a sign from God that could leading me toward my next chapter in life and upholstering furniture was not on my radar.  I mean I have a Masters in Community Development and Nonprofit Management, my life before my daughter was about human and social development that employs participatory community-driven approaches, far from the upholstery trade. I remembered my grandma always said “never ignore a hunch.” While living she did not play, when she told you to do something, it would be in your best interest to stop what you were currently doing and do what she asked.  In spirit, she is just as strong; she gave me a nudge strong enough I had to act on it.  Two years later in 2013 Teena’s Legacy was born in honor of my grandmother Alberteen (Teena) Stredrick.

Teena’s Legacy today.  Today Teena’s Legacy is a 501 (c) 3 nonprofit organization whose mission is to create a safe space for women to explore their authentic self using upholstery as a conduit for self-reflection and economic transformation. Although our targeted population is young women ages 25-40, we’ve been blessed to creatively and holistically use upholstery to empowered and inspired well over 200 individuals, female and male, youngest starting a 4 years old and our oldest at 72. My grandma believed strongly in self-sufficiency and having your own (God bless the child that has its own, she use to say all the time.) She gracefully used her God giving gifts to provide for her family; her vision was for her grandchildren and great-grandchildren to tap into their natural gifts and use them to start their own business creating generation wealth.  Alberteen Stredrick legacy lives on through me!

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
Teena’s Legacy put a unique and innovative spin to its upholstery services, home décor, upholstery training/workshops and social activities for the public. In addition to offering local training at our own dedicated shop, located at 31 N. Rubie LN SW Cartersville, GA 30120, we also provide on-premises workshops to organizations, schools, churches and businesses in the greater Georgia area, Chicago, IL and Gary, IN. More recently, Teena’s Legacy has created an online version of its training that can be accessed from anywhere with an internet connection. What sets us apart from others? We are known for providing a holistic approach to the upholstery and the home décor industry, our products and services are customized to speak to the needs and spirits of the customer’s we engage and who engage us. We offer customize upholstery services, pillows, and foot stools; each piece representing the essences of each buyer we serve. We developed a 4-12 week workshop entitle “Re-Upholstery with a Purpose,” which is offered on-premises or online catered to anyone who has the desire to learn the basic trade of reupholstering furniture. In addition to our in house and online workshops, we also provide upholstery workshops to social, religious, educational and business institutions. our community initiatives “Re-Upholster Your Story” and “Bring Your Own Chair to the Table” was design to mend the voices of the community using upholstery as an conduit for creative expression, community building, and storytelling.

What am I most proud of? I am most proud of how we’ve taken the trade of upholstery and transformed its purpose as a metaphor for life, and a creative expression for healing. Professionally I still have some ways to go, I’m not where I want to be just yet, but I’m not where I use to be, so for I am truly grateful for the process. In my journey I’ve come across many barriers, some larger than others; to overcome those challenges I try to stay in a space of gratitude; I have a strong Faith in my purpose, so when adversity knocks on my door I stay focus and visualize myself in my big picture and begin to feel how it will be when I accomplish my goals. One important lesson I’ve learn along the way is understanding that my success is really not about me.  This is not a one woman show and if I want to grow Teena’s Legacy I need a Master Mind group to help me along the way. I would love the world to know that Teena’s Legacy foundation is built upon Love, the strength of our ancestors, and the idea that everyone has a story to tell and a purpose in life. Most importantly how we uniquely and innovatively share these ideas, and stories through the trade of upholstery.

Any great local spots you’d like to shoutout?
Awwww! To be honest I’ve only been in Georgia for 3 years and I’m still learning and exploring myself. My priorities has mainly been growing Teena’s Legacy and finding my rhythm, so to anyone reading this article, if you have any knowledge or resources to share I am open to learn, explore, network and grow.  I did fall in love with the Little Five Point neighborhood in Atlanta, to the point I do see Teena’s Legacy having its own presence in the neighborhood and sharing our gifts and services with the community.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I would like to send a shoutout to my husband Syron Smith and my daughter Mariah Smith. The two most important spirits in my life, they keep me grounded, mentally sharp, Spiritually sound and most importantly they make me feel Loved everyday.

Website: www.teenaslegacy.com
Instagram: teenas_legacy
Linkedin: Jamika Smith
Twitter: @Teenaslegacy
Facebook: Teena’s Legacy
Youtube: Teena’s Legacy