Masi Chukwuemeka's Businesses Are All About Social Media Management and Storytelling

Hi, Masi! Please share a brief introduction about yourself and your business:

My name is Nmasichi Chinenye Chukwuemeka, but I go by Masi. I am the founder of Masi Brands and TribesAndHistory. Masi Brands is a digital branding agency located in Atlanta and our services include web design, social media management, and graphics design. Our clients are our top priority and we service business owners who have challenges in managing the complex world of maintaining a social media or an online presence for their businesses. On the other hand, TribesAndHistory is a digital African storytelling platform. Our company is dedicated to bringing African history, folklore, and legends to life through books, comics and animation. Our mission is to bridge the gap in the historical narrative, reviving forgotten folklore and shining a light on the diverse traditions across Africa. At TribesAndHistory, we are bridging the gap in the underrepresented and misrepresented stories of Africa in the media. We are also countering the single story narrative which dangerously fuels the negative perception about Africa.

Who are your customers?

Our customers for Masi Brands are business owners who are overwhelmed and unsure about how to handle their online presence. Our goal is to support our clients and provide relief in this area. At TribesAndHistory, our customers are all lovers of stories and people interested in reading books and comics.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I hold a double major in Computer Science and Technology and Applied Design from Berea College, located in Kentucky. After graduating from college, I began my career as an Application Developer at a Fortune 500 company. I worked as an application developer for two and half years before becoming a full time entrepreneur.

What made you take the leap to start your own business?

There are a few reasons why I started my business. The first is that I have always been an entrepreneur at heart and have always been driven to starting businesses. I started my first venture at age eight in Nigeria and later co-founded a business with my sister at ten. By the age of 15/16, my friend and I had a pastry business. Even after moving to the United States, I constantly sought ways to earn money. The traditional 9-5 job structure never appealed to me, which fueled my determination to establish my own businesses. In addition, I was unhappy at my job. Although I was earning a substantial income and held a position that many aspire to, I knew I wasn’t at the right place. The challenges of being a Black woman in corporate America, coupled with work-related anxieties, significantly impacted my health. Recognizing the negative effects of my job, I decided to transition into full-time entrepreneurship which required meticulous financial planning.

Take us back to when you first launched your business; what was your marketing strategy to get the word out and did it go as planned?

Although I have been working on my businesses as passion projects over the years, they were all officially incorporated this year, so I am still new to full-time entrepreneurship. My marketing tactics have been social media promotion, aggressive networking, partnering with local businesses and of course word of mouth. The strategies are a hit or miss. I have met incredible people interested in investing in TribesAndHistory and I have also met people who have aggressively referred Masi Brands to others. I am slowly learning what works and what doesn’t.

What is the biggest challenge you have encountered along the way so far and what have you learned from it?

The most significant challenge I have encountered is loneliness. As an entrepreneur, my life differs from that of my friends, and I face unique challenges that are often difficult for family and friends to understand. This experience has underscored the importance of community in entrepreneurship. Personally, I have found solace and strength within a community of fellow entrepreneurs and through extensive networking. This realization led me to create a referral-only community of female founders, designed to provide a space where female entrepreneurs can be open and vulnerable.

What accomplishment are the most proud of to date in your business?

One of the most affirming experiences for Masi Brands occurred recently when we completed a client's website. This client, who had previously worked with three other web designers without success, was moved to tears upon seeing her new website. She had paid each past designer a substantial amount yet never saw results. We worked with her for 3 weeks, ensuring we maintained clear communication and asking for clarification when it was needed. The Wednesday that I presented her website to her, she gasped and I saw a tear fall out of her eye. I did not realize how impactful our work was until then. According to her, "because of web builders, everyone claims to be a web designer without knowing the intricate details of building a website." She told me how the first web designer had claimed she was a pro, yet did not know how to use Wix. I felt sorry when I heard her story, but was also proud of what we achieved. Our clear communication and attention to detail over three weeks ensured that her vision was accurately captured, something the previous designers had failed to achieve. This positive impact led to multiple referrals and inquiries, underscoring the value of our work. Her website can be found at https://www.rediscovermewi.org/. For TribesAndHistory, we have a trilogy book coming out which although still incomplete, I am very proud of.

Do you have any recent wins from the last year that you'd like to celebrate with our community?

Yes, the first is that I started my newsletter where I talk about my entrepreneurial journey, and it is going great! I love it because it feels like writing in my diary. I express my thoughts and I am very open to my readers about what I face. The second is that I got featured in PenHaus media about a week ago!

What's next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

You can expect to see more of my businesses in the news. At Masi Brands we plan to keep satisfying our customers' needs, and for TribesAndHistory we have our website under construction and a trilogy coming out at the same time which is exciting.

What is your top productivity tip? 

Have a 'to do' list and block out time to do things on the list. Avoid procrastinating. Read books. Some of the ones I love include ‘the defining decade’, ‘feel the fear and do it anyway’ and ‘grit’. These books make me get up daily and work on my goals.

On the flip side, how do you avoid burnout?

Resting when I need to. I also try not to work during weekends and schedule things to help accomplish this. It works only about 65% of the time because we know as entrepreneurs our businesses are our babies and it can be hard to unplug.

What is your favorite business tool or solution and why?

Honeybook. It streamlines your business needs and is relatively affordable.

What advice do you have for aspiring Entreprenistas?

Join the community if you are on the fence. It is a great community and you will get lots of advice. However, you have to be willing to put in the work.

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!