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

Hi Brianna, have there been any changes in how you think about work-life balance?
I use to feel like work was the end all be all to achieving your goals and that you have to have tunnel vision with no distractions, even healthy distractions, but I realized quick from my own experiences and also from a few loved ones, that’s not it for me.

You either get burnt out quick, lose valuable relationships, or what you use to love doing is no longer fun anymore.

Balance in life for me looks like consistent morning meditations prayer and journaling, working out, reading, speaking to loved ones even if its just to check in, taking care of business and then shutting it down when you feel it’s time to call it a night.

Personal care is so important because it carries over into your work life. So finding the little things that bring peace to my daily life/work routine is a must in my life. Balance is key!

What should our readers know about your business?
My name is Brianna Wise and I am the Co-Founder and CEO of The Black Apothecary Office Inc. which is a new concept model accelerator for Black & Brown creators, collaborators, and disruptors in the beauty and wellness space (www.bao.community). We are also an omni-channel e-commerce to those brands (www.baouniverse.shop).

Our mission is to transform the way consumers interact with black-owned and latinx- owned beauty and wellness brands. This means establishing lasting connections with beauty & tech startups. Together we want to create a new generation of innovative consumer products, devices, and virtual wellness services.

I am super excited that we are launching our e-commerce and that we will be using our own product line as a case study for the brands that go through our cohort for the accelerator.

BAO Program & Seed Funding Description

Our remote 3-month educational program consists of weekly sessions and insights panels.
Each session focuses on early-stage companies to help them develop strategies and create products designed for these specific industries. The panel is made up of industry professionals and allows startup companies to test their products directly with them.

BAO is committed to on-going mentorship for black entrepreneurs. Through our vast network of industry professionals we have developed a hybrid service BAO – By Appointment Only. We mentor creatives, start-ups, and entrepreneurs in the process of building and maintaining your brand through one-on-one sessions with seasoned professionals.

We aim to get mentors across the core functions of any business e.g. a founder/CEO mentor (worn all the hats and started from literally nothing), operations mentor who has grown with the company and knows what a good team looks like, and product/technology mentor that has built and launched a real product having customers use it and love it.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
This would all depend on where I am NY, LA, or MIA, but let’s say we are in MIA and we are still in a pandemic. If my friend were to come in to town I would take them to Miami Beach Edition for a vibe and relaxation. After checking in and winding down we’d go to Nicki Beach. Throughout the trip we’d check out a few art galleries, Kiki on the beach, and rent a stay cation the second to last day inviting a few friends over.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I love love love the book Millionaire Mindset by T. Harve Ecker and The Secret movie. I’ve also been heavily into reading Vibrate Higher by Lalah Delia and The Abundance Book by John Randolph Price. They are energy and vibration heighteners for me.

As for people and mentors my grandmother who has been an entrepreneur for decades and my best friend and brother Jae Joseph who is also my business partner at The Black Apothecary office.

Website: www.bao.community; www.briwisestyle.com

Instagram: @briwisestyle; @bao.community; @bao.universe

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-wise-3a89b214b/

Image Credits
The T Creative Photographer tlaniece.com @tlaniece Rep by Moja Management Agency @mojamanagement

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