It Wasn’t Just a Trophy. It Was a Testimony.
Standing on the FFIAs Award stage, accepting the award for Entrepreneur of the Year, was a surreal and deeply emotional moment for me. As I held that glass trophy in my hands, my thoughts drifted to the long road that brought me here, a journey marked by ambition, heartbreak, healing, and rebirth.
The FFIAs Awards: A Celebration of Excellence and Impact
The FFIA Awards were nothing short of magical. A vibrant, affirming space filled with innovators, change-makers, and culture shapers. It felt like a family reunion… with old friends, colleagues, and mentors all in one place.
From the red-carpet moments to the powerful conversations happening between cocktails and awards, it was a weekend of recognition and reconnection. The energy in the room was electric, and I felt honored just to be in that number.
When My Name Was Called
I knew I was being honored… it wasn’t a secret. But when it was time to actually walk up and receive the award, it was surreal. Not gonna lie, I felt a wave of imposter syndrome rush over me. Especially because I’m still very much in my rebuild era, a phoenix rising from the ashes.
But also? It was also overwhelming to be amongst some of those who I look up to- who were also honored! The 2025 FFIAs Awards Honorees were an esteemed bunch (Susan Moses, Liris Crosse, Suzanne Ujáque-Guzmán and Simone Gordon?!), and I was recognized right with them! Eek!
As I walked to the stage, flashes of the past few years rushed through me: the 10-month acquisition deal that collapsed and took my business with it. The silence. The stillness. The moment everything I thought I was building? Fell apart.
But I also remembered what came after. The rebuild. The reckoning. The resilience.
Sharing My Truth: My Acceptance Speech
The speech I shared that night wasn’t just for the room, it was for every entrepreneur who has faced the fog of uncertainty, the fear of starting over, or the shame of a so-called failure. Here is my FFIAs Award speech, in full:
“Standing here as Entrepreneur of the Year feels surreal, not because I didn’t believe in the work, but because there was a time not long ago when I wasn’t sure I’d still be in business.
Ten months. That’s how long I waited, paused, for an acquisition deal that ultimately fell through. And when it did, it took the foundation of my business with it. But what looked like failure turned out to be the beginning of my most powerful chapter yet.
The truth is, even before that deal, I had been growing The Curvy Fashionista, but I had no real idea what I was growing into. I searched for tools, mentors, resources… but it’s hard to find what you need when you don’t yet have the language for your vision. Still, I tried. I made mistakes. A lot of them. But what I’ve learned, especially through the many entrepreneurial podcasts and stories that kept me company, is that success isn’t about never falling. It’s about failing forward. Failing fast. And most importantly, learning and keeping it moving.
That mindset is why TCF will be celebrating 17 years this December.
I didn’t give up.
Sure, there were moments when I retreated into myself, to heal, to rest, to reflect. But I never stopped. And through the BOMESI accelerator for Black digital media publishers of color, I got a lifeline, and a mirror. I dove deep into the business of media, rebuilt from the ground up, and did the inner work to grow into the leader I am today.
This award isn’t just about bouncing back. It’s about building forward, with intention, with clarity, and with a commitment to center community over clicks. Through The Curvy Fashionista, I’ve created a platform where plus-size voices, stories, and style are celebrated, not sidelined.
To every entrepreneur who’s navigating the fog, the fear, or the failures, I see you. Keep going. And to my team, my community, and my readers… this honor is ours.
Thank you for seeing me. And thank you for seeing the vision.
We’re just getting started.
What This Award Means to Me
This FFIAs award isn’t only about recognition… but let’s be real, it is about that, too. To be recognized by my peers is such a humbling, affirming feeling, one I didn’t even realize I wanted or needed until it came. It cracked something open in me.
This moment was about learning how to be proud of myself. About giving myself permission to receive, to sit in it, to honor how far I’ve come. It was a mirror; not just reflecting growth, but showing me the peace I’ve found, the understanding of my purpose, and the grace I’ve given myself to walk tall in it.
It was about faith. How I’ve wrestled with it. Grown into it. And now, how I delight in it.
Yes, this award is about reflection, but it’s also about reclamation. And I’m claiming every bit of it.
Lessons for Fellow Entrepreneurs
If you take anything from my story, let it be this:
- Growth isn’t always clear in the moment, but it’s always happening.
- You don’t need to have all the answers to take the next step.
- Rest is a strategy. Healing is a strategy.
- Failure is part of the formula, not the opposite of success.
On Gratitude and Giving Thanks
Through this journey, I’ve truly learned what it means to be grateful. Picking up a gratitude journal became more than a habit, it became a healing practice. It shifted my mindset from one of scarcity to one of abundance. Instead of constantly focusing on what I’d lost or what wasn’t working, I found myself delighting in the smallest of things… the quiet blessings we often overlook when we’re too busy surviving.
Gratitude helped me reframe and redefine how I saw my life, my purpose, and my path forward. And in that spirit, I want to take a moment to thank those who’ve been a part of this journey:
To Tawanna and the team at TheFFIAs.com: thank you for this honor.
To BOMESI: thank you for the space to learn, stretch, and rebuild.
To my team, my community, and my TCF readers: this is ours. You held me when I couldn’t hold myself.
To my family. Thank you for your unwavering support in every facet of this journey: emotional, spiritual, financial, and practical.
To my mom and stepdad, Grace and Earl; my sister Krystee; my auntie Gretchen; our family matriarch, my Nanna; and to my close friends and chosen family who held me down, educated me, motivated me, and lovingly challenged me… thank you. I share this win with each of you.
What’s Next
We’re heading into The Curvy Fashionista’s 17th anniversary. With new events, community expansions, and content evolutions on the horizon, I’m leading with more purpose than ever.
There’s more to build. More to share. And I’m just getting started.
Let’s Stay Connected!
If this resonated with you, I’d love to hear from you. You are not alone in your walk and I’m happy to be a support if you need it. Let’s keep building, growing, and showing up… together.
