👀✨ It’s finally here… the cover for Shorts by Semaj Vol. 1!
This project has been years in the making, and I can’t wait to share these stories with you. Bold. Vulnerable. Black. Queer. Ours.
📖 Official release: November 29th
💫 Cover reveal today.
#CoverReveal #ShortsBySemaj #BlackQueerStories
This project has been years in the making, and I can’t wait to share these stories with you. Bold. Vulnerable. Black. Queer. Ours.
📖 Official release: November 29th
💫 Cover reveal today.
#CoverReveal #ShortsBySemaj #BlackQueerStories
September 12, 2025 at 6:26 PM
👀✨ It’s finally here… the cover for Shorts by Semaj Vol. 1!
This project has been years in the making, and I can’t wait to share these stories with you. Bold. Vulnerable. Black. Queer. Ours.
📖 Official release: November 29th
💫 Cover reveal today.
#CoverReveal #ShortsBySemaj #BlackQueerStories
This project has been years in the making, and I can’t wait to share these stories with you. Bold. Vulnerable. Black. Queer. Ours.
📖 Official release: November 29th
💫 Cover reveal today.
#CoverReveal #ShortsBySemaj #BlackQueerStories
I placed my order for the bottles in mid-January, thinking production would move quickly. But first came delays with Chinese New Year, and then there were equipment issues… #StartupStories #BuyBlack #BuildingLegacy #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
December 19, 2024 at 3:10 PM
I placed my order for the bottles in mid-January, thinking production would move quickly. But first came delays with Chinese New Year, and then there were equipment issues… #StartupStories #BuyBlack #BuildingLegacy #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
Story time — Week 5, Day 1: Starting a business isn’t just about creativity—it’s about patience. And let me tell you, the waiting game is *real* when you’re working with overseas manufacturers… #StartupStories #BuyBlack #BuildingLegacy #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
December 19, 2024 at 3:10 PM
Story time — Week 5, Day 1: Starting a business isn’t just about creativity—it’s about patience. And let me tell you, the waiting game is *real* when you’re working with overseas manufacturers… #StartupStories #BuyBlack #BuildingLegacy #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
I’d spent 26 years in tech—designing software, managing products, and leading teams. But now I was in food manufacturing, an industry I knew nothing about. It felt like starting over. #StartupStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
December 10, 2024 at 1:22 PM
I’d spent 26 years in tech—designing software, managing products, and leading teams. But now I was in food manufacturing, an industry I knew nothing about. It felt like starting over. #StartupStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
I sketched, experimented, and played with textures and typography. I wanted every detail to feel intentional and premium—something that spoke to the elegance of the tea inside. #StartupStories #BuyBlack #BuildingLegacy #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
December 10, 2024 at 12:48 PM
I sketched, experimented, and played with textures and typography. I wanted every detail to feel intentional and premium—something that spoke to the elegance of the tea inside. #StartupStories #BuyBlack #BuildingLegacy #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
I started researching bottles online, scrolling through designs for hours. But nothing felt *right*. They were too basic, too expensive, or just not *me*. That’s when it was suggested: I needed to design my own. #StartupStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
December 6, 2024 at 4:09 AM
I started researching bottles online, scrolling through designs for hours. But nothing felt *right*. They were too basic, too expensive, or just not *me*. That’s when it was suggested: I needed to design my own. #StartupStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
I started breaking everything down: What would the cost per unit be? What would my pricing need to look like? Could I hit the margins I needed to make this work? #StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
December 4, 2024 at 12:59 AM
I started breaking everything down: What would the cost per unit be? What would my pricing need to look like? Could I hit the margins I needed to make this work? #StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
I placed my order for the bottles in mid-January, thinking production would move quickly, but you’re in a queue. First came delays with Chinese New Year, and then there were equipment breakdowns.
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
December 2, 2024 at 2:18 PM
I placed my order for the bottles in mid-January, thinking production would move quickly, but you’re in a queue. First came delays with Chinese New Year, and then there were equipment breakdowns.
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
Teaching others became a way to refine my own skills. Mentorship works both ways. During the pandemic, when the world slowed down, I finally had the chance to reconnect with that creative energy. #Storytime #tea #EpicStories #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories #GrowthJourney
November 30, 2024 at 3:30 PM
Teaching others became a way to refine my own skills. Mentorship works both ways. During the pandemic, when the world slowed down, I finally had the chance to reconnect with that creative energy. #Storytime #tea #EpicStories #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories #GrowthJourney
Working with the manufacturer, I refined every detail—from the shape to the feel to how it would look on a shelf. This bottle wasn’t just packaging. It was part of the story. #Storytime #tea #EpicStories #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
November 29, 2024 at 3:49 PM
Working with the manufacturer, I refined every detail—from the shape to the feel to how it would look on a shelf. This bottle wasn’t just packaging. It was part of the story. #Storytime #tea #EpicStories #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
I also reached out to my network, talking to friends and mentors who had started their own businesses. Their advice was invaluable. They reminded me that success isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence. #StartupStories #BlackQueerStories #BuyBlack #BuildingLegacy
November 28, 2024 at 2:33 PM
I also reached out to my network, talking to friends and mentors who had started their own businesses. Their advice was invaluable. They reminded me that success isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence. #StartupStories #BlackQueerStories #BuyBlack #BuildingLegacy
And once I made the decision to go all in, I realized something: the fear doesn’t go away, but the belief in yourself? It drowns it out. #StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs #inspiration #resilience #epic
November 27, 2024 at 5:29 PM
And once I made the decision to go all in, I realized something: the fear doesn’t go away, but the belief in yourself? It drowns it out. #StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs #inspiration #resilience #epic
I didn’t just want to sell tea. I wanted to create a luxury experience—a brand that was elegant, thoughtful, and unforgettable. I wanted every detail to feel intentional. #StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
November 26, 2024 at 8:26 PM
I didn’t just want to sell tea. I wanted to create a luxury experience—a brand that was elegant, thoughtful, and unforgettable. I wanted every detail to feel intentional. #StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
Cooking, baking, juicing, and making teas became my therapy. There was something healing about creating something with my hands—something tangible, something beautiful.
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
November 25, 2024 at 2:51 PM
Cooking, baking, juicing, and making teas became my therapy. There was something healing about creating something with my hands—something tangible, something beautiful.
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
It’s not just burnout —it’s the mental and emotional weight of constantly being undervalued. And that weight adds up. #StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
November 24, 2024 at 4:04 PM
It’s not just burnout —it’s the mental and emotional weight of constantly being undervalued. And that weight adds up. #StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
One of those recipes stood out. A tea blend that was comforting, elegant, and full of flavor. It felt like me in a cup—calm, sophisticated, and a little bold…
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
November 23, 2024 at 5:11 PM
One of those recipes stood out. A tea blend that was comforting, elegant, and full of flavor. It felt like me in a cup—calm, sophisticated, and a little bold…
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
#StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community #BlackEntrepreneurs
I knew my layoff wasn’t random. These things are planned weeks, even months in advance. My name was probably on the list before that CEO meeting even happened. And that stung. #StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community
November 22, 2024 at 2:57 PM
I knew my layoff wasn’t random. These things are planned weeks, even months in advance. My name was probably on the list before that CEO meeting even happened. And that stung. #StartupStories #QueerStories #BlackQueerStories #blackexcellence #community
Then came the meeting. The CEO gathered all the senior Black and brown employees to ask, ‘Why are we struggling to retain Black talent?’ The irony was almost too much.
#Storytime #tea #EpicStories #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
#Storytime #tea #EpicStories #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
November 21, 2024 at 2:20 PM
Then came the meeting. The CEO gathered all the senior Black and brown employees to ask, ‘Why are we struggling to retain Black talent?’ The irony was almost too much.
#Storytime #tea #EpicStories #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
#Storytime #tea #EpicStories #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories
On top of that, there was so much death around me—friends, family, coworkers. The pandemic didn’t just take lives; it drained my spirit. I felt like I was losing my empathy, my compassion—parts of myself I never thought could fade… #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories #tea
November 20, 2024 at 1:58 PM
On top of that, there was so much death around me—friends, family, coworkers. The pandemic didn’t just take lives; it drained my spirit. I felt like I was losing my empathy, my compassion—parts of myself I never thought could fade… #BlackQueerStories #QueerStories #tea