Meet Leslie White: Co-Founder| BEKA Beauty

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

Hi Leslie, how do you think about risk?
Risk or risk taking is a necessary part of life. You can use it as something you are afraid of and take no risks, or take action and do something for yourself. My personal approach to all things risk related has been to think it out – map it – and take the risk because you know there is some form of growth to be had. From 2014 – 2016, I took risks relocating from Washington D.C. to Atlanta, Atlanta to California, California to Miami for the company I was working for – each time I was up for a promotion I had to move, and leave the support system I had built. I had to get comfortable being uncomfortable – which is a risk within itself – to grow in my career. Academically, I took a chance on myself by applying to an MBA program, resigning from the company I had moved with so much, and relocating to Madrid to attend the university full time. During the move I had to challenge myself to get to know new people and clients as I developed my business model, abroad. Most recently, prior to successfully launching Beka Beauty in Atlanta, I took another large risk moving back to the US from Madrid in the middle of a pandemic – each time I have taken a risk, it has benefited me. 

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
This all started when my friend and I were dealing with our own pain points (no easy access massages, salons, etc.) when in Madrid. While enrolled in the MBA program, we were able to validate that we were not the only ones experiencing this, and that is where the idea came from. This all began in an incubator program, and has grown into so much more. Beka Beauty is a platform created to connect the African American community to health and wellness services from highly trained professionals, on-demand and in the location of their choice. We are creating an ecosystem that supports traditional health and wellness services in spaces that are comfortable for the customer – this is important given the impact the pandemic has had on this industry. This hasn’t been easy – I am excited that given the pivots the business has made over the past six months – we are able to provide folks the services they need to destress, and we have been received well both in Madrid and Atlanta. My business partner and I are two women from inner city Chicago, we both went to Howard University, entered into corporate America, decided we needed to take a risk and chance on ourselves and get MBAs, and that we could really help people like us, who prioritize self-care. If I circle back to the first question, one of the best learned lessons is that taking risks are necessary; to be successful, you have to take risks even if the result is not what you want. You will learn and you will take a more calculated approach the next time.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Most of my friends are pretty familiar with Atlanta, but here is what I would do: Thursday- open bar & live band @Arum (midtown), Friday – Buckhead for drinks: Garden Room, St. Regis, or Red Pepper Saturday – Brunch: Breakfast at Barney’s, Negril, or South City Kitchen Sunday – Funday: belt-line, cru lounge peter st. (hookah lounge)

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I definitely want to shout out God, he has made everything possible. My friends and family have really been there throughout all of these changes, both my successes and the less than successful moments. They help to make up the support system I have needed as I started this journey as an entrepreneur. Whether it was telling me it was okay to quit my job, keeping in touch when I moved to Madrid or showing up [in-person, but Covid Precaution] to the launch of my company, my friends and family have been there.

Website: www.bekabeautyus.com
Instagram: @bekabeautybrand
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leslieswhite/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BEKABEAUTYBRAND

Image Credits
Photos ownerd by BEKA Beauty