PORTSMOUTH, Va. — Juanita Taylor is paving her own path.
"I am from Portsmouth, Prentiss Park area of Portsmouth," said Taylor. "I got my degree in business administration, so I've always [known] I wanted to be an entrepreneur."
Now, she's helping to pave the way for others.
"A lot of people [kind of] still have that crab-in-a-barrel mentality, and I was like, there is no need for that," said Taylor. "Like, there is enough room for all of us. Like, your gifts will make room for you."
The owner of The Powder Room Hair Salon in Portsmouth is hosting the 2nd Annual Don't Fumble The Bag conference to help other small business owners in the community.
"When I say, 'don't fumble the bag', I mean you. You are the bag," said Taylor. "You are your greatest asset. You are your greatest investment."
"We [have] a great lineup of speakers who are from this area, and they are entrepreneurs. They're very successful," said Taylor.
"I want people to understand that their mindset has to be changed. They have to be ready for what they're asking for," said Taylor. "And not only that, they have to know how to keep what it is that they're asking for."
"I want people to be able to say, 'You know what? What I see is really not even my reality. What I see in my mind is my reality. And I'm [going to] live from that perspective and keep going.'"
Taylor said Hampton Roads needs more events like this.
"We have some talented, skillful, smart, ambitious people that live here. And we're [going to] make a name for ourselves," said Taylor. "We don't have to go across the country or to another state to get, you know, what we need. We can get it here."
She is excited about the impact her conference has on the place she calls home.
"I want people to know, it's okay to step out on faith," said Taylor. "It's okay to invest in you."
"Let's get this information and this knowledge, so we can take it out there and, you know, build our empires as well as helping others build their empire," said Taylor.
The business conference will be held on August 5 and 6 at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. There will be networking opportunities, professional sessions, a hair and fashion show, and more.
Click here to register and learn more.