How Marquis and Janelle are challenging stagnant business development through community building.
What if I said Community Advocacy is dying? Would you argue with me about how it's thriving more than ever, or would you agree? How would you respond? In his book The Wealth of Nations, Adam Smith said that the invisible hand of economics feeds the community around it - long as the people are buying.
For context, for those of you who don't know, Adam Smith is known as "the father of economics" - he also introduced capitalism into the world. While his book does serve as a "big business" bible, it's also shown to have prevalent flaws that ripple into our time. One weakness is that the same community of people who feed the "invisible hand of economics" can also be manipulated by faulty practices that put them at the mercy of established businesses.
In contrast, some business organizations claim they do community advancement for lucrative gain; over time, you'll see them pivot and shift directions in ways that skew away from the values of what companies should stand for - the people. From 2020 until now, "grassroots" feels like it has been the proper theme of what entrepreneurship means. Though Sacramento is home to various locals building their businesses off the sweat of their brows, in my adventures, The Night Market Series of Sacramento was something that I've heard about through many locals but never truly experienced until my relocation.
Now, I know what you're thinking "what is The Night Market Series?" The Night Market Series was founded by the multifaceted black business duo of Marquis and Janelle. These two ladies came together to combat a plaguing issue within Sacramento's entrepreneurial society - they sought to make an economic impact for black and brown business owners by creating an intimate shopping experience tied through community and culture for all walks of life.
KB: Thank you, Marquis, for bringing me out - this is my first event as a vendor. Also, thank you, Janelle, for supplying a canopy. How do you guys feel about the event?
Marquis: This wind is no joke, but I'm not going to stress about it. But I feel good, and you're welcome! There are a lot of great vendors out here, and it's super community-focused - it's out here in Oak Park and at SAC high. We aim to put our vendors first.
Janelle: You're welcome! We just looked at event attendance, and 500 families came through. We can't control the wind, but I feel really good despite that. I know we will get great feedback from St. Hope.
Marquis: For those who don't know what St. Hope Schools is, St. Hope Schools is a family of nonprofits committed to revitalizing Oak Park through education and economic development.
Personally, this wasn't the first Night Market Series function that I've attended; this particular event, the Night Market Series, partnered with the well-known nonprofit network St. Hope Schools for a celebration that showcased their love for the youth of Sacramento. Moreover, many local vendors came from all over to support the Night Market Series' efforts within the Oak Park neighborhood. So while Janelle and Marquis were busy fixing issues and making sure guests and vendors were comfortable, I used my newfound break in my interview to look into why they chose the Sacramento Highschool football field as their event location.
Within my research, I found that Sacramento Highschool bolstered noted alumni like Michael James Adams, Alva Johnston, and even mayor Kevin Johnson. I was shocked at the talent produced by this school - from Rock n' roll hall of Famers, Politzer Prize-winners, and notable Hip-hop artists. I can see why The Night Market and St. Hope Schools chose this place because it holds value to the community through their alumnus.
KB: What have been your highlights of this event, and did The Night Market Series partner with St. Hope?
Janelle: Watching the teachers interact with kids is my highlight right now. This event is a beautiful learning experience; because I highly recommend this school district, and my kids will be going there in two weeks.
Marquis: The vendors are my highlight. Their goal (St. Hope) is to help enroll children into their schools. Understanding other business owners and pushing them out of their comfort zone promotes a bigger purpose.
It's always execution - we are a collective tribe of doers and aim to be about your voice - Farouq
At this point, I got a chance to sit with two local business owners, 27-year-old Farouq Gidado, who has a passion for helping others pursue their goals and inspiring people to reach their full potential through his lifestyle brand ABAS Clothing, and an 8-year-old founder and CEO Achazia, who created Sipppin Pretti, one of the most delicious sugar-free lemonade.
KB: What would you say this biggest lesson learned in your journey is?
Farouq: The biggest thing is transparency. Many people are quick to show you the good times and how many sales they have, but it's like, you're not showing the majority of times you ended up making no sales - because I've had those moments.
KB: Most companies want to make tailored streetwear to appeal to that market. What sets ABAS apart?
Farouq: With ABAS Clothing. I instill that this is a lifestyle brand meant to be in every part of your life because you should Always Be About Something. Some people might have the idea or the goal, but it's always execution - we are a collective tribe of doers and aim to be about your voice: our brand is about you.
KB: What was the signature idea behind having the "ALWAYS" branded on your apparel?
Farouq: "ALWAYS" is the essential part. Always for me, it's like, you could be about something today and tomorrow always be about it AND to get up consistently.
KB: I know you're here at this event, but what do you have going on in the future?
Farouq: I'm planning to modify this house. I want it. So I've had a fashion show. I've had two already. I want to be involved more in the community, so you can see that the things we do are real. I want to do another fashion show later in the fall.
Additionally, I had the honored privilege to speak with 8-year-old founder and CEO Achazia, who created Sipppin Pretti, LLC. This interview, in particular, was a first for both of us because I've never had to interview someone so young, and I could tell she was nervous. Yet, with superb coaching from her mom -she handled each question like a true boss.
In my exchange of questions with the very poised CEO, we discussed her favorite lemonade flavor (which is peach), how she enjoyed the festivities, and her goals as a business owner. I think this interview made a great impression on Achazia and showed her that being covered by the media isn't that bad - the growth of her business is on the cusp of achieving many milestones as she progresses in age.
While I wanted to capture more of Achazia's thoughts, I had to pivot my concept because of technical difficulties due to wind noises throughout audio recordings. While it wasn't something I was super keen on, it's like what Farouq says, "it's about the execution," and it made me a better journalist because of it. Moreover, it kept my focus on the bigger picture of why I was at the event, which was to showcase business growth at all different levels. Whether it's the young mogul Achazia or the veteran entrepreneur Farouq Gidado, they display their community's love for their businesses and how they fit within the bigger picture of black and brown business.
Understanding other business owners and pushing them out of their comfort zone promotes a bigger purpose. - Marquis
I think that's the beauty of what Marquis and Janelle do; though they came into their business separately - they were able to come together for a more significant cause. While we can agree that some enterprises do lose their way in the pursuit of something grand, The Night Market Series fills a gap that connects many grassroots businesses to an untapped network of unprecedented growth. For me, this event was a learning experience of how to properly show up for an unrepresented community by finding your place and creating a foothold for the next one coming up.
Usually, I always like to end my interviews by asking the interviewee, "Do you have any final thoughts to share with the readers?" Instead, I was to share my final thought, even if you don't support me - support the efforts of black and brown businesses; we make up 92% of consumers within the United States and only 9% of economic business development. We should better be supporting each other, and the sad truth is that we're not - but we should aim to change that.
While it is easy to be on the "hamster wheel" of not trying, it was through this event and the many people that showed up that gave me an immense hope that we can take power into our own hands and do something significant for ourselves. Please support the endeavors of The Night Market Series and the other business you read in this article that show the same community support - let's create the rungs in the ladder that can get us to a better tomorrow. Because the "invisible hand of economics" was never extended to us in the first place.
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