Grind On The Go's Brittany Yates Is Unapologetically All About The Hustle That Leads To Fulfillment
We all hear and see a lot about the "soft life," as the concept dominates social and news media. The prospect of grinding for success seems taboo, almost as if hard work is something to loathe or avoid. However, as many of us know, it still takes deliberate effort, experience, and a bit of grit to reach higher levels of success, especially in business. And for Brittany Yates, a serial entrepreneur who prides herself in always thinking about how she can apply her skills to win in launching new platforms and enterprises, it's something she finds joy in doing, within reason.
Yates balances a 9-to-5 in communications and working to expand her business, all while pursuing a Ph.D. "There's nothing wrong with the soft life, but that life can look different for different people," she tells xoNecole. She was able to land investors for Grind On The Go through her network, and it helped that— even after putting a pitch deck together to map out the concept and funds needed— she'd already started other businesses that showed she had a go-getter spark. "They were like, we're in," Yates says. "I plan to do this full-time and I plan for expansion."
With about $56,000, she said, she was able to get the ball rolling. She also contacted a lawyer, got an accountant and consultant, tapped into Facebook groups for support and information, and from there, the coffee-centered brand and community came to life. The brand now has its own online retail portal, offers wholesale opportunities, and has a growing community of supporters and customers after launching during the pandemic.
Arleshia McGirt/Authorized Shot Photography
xoNecole: What was the inspiration behind Grind On The Go?
Brittany Yates: It comes from my love for hard work and my love for coffee. When I was getting my undergrad education, I would always go to a French bakery and it was [open] 24 hours. As I was in there, I'd see all these people on their laptops. Just being in a room full of people working motivated me to keep going. It just made me feel like, 'We all have a common goal. We're all working toward something.'
I kept working from there doing my schoolwork, and I said, 'You know what? I want to create a collaborative space where people can come and do what I love most, which is hard work—grind—and then coffee, which is the coffee grind.' It just came about with me being in a room of people who were grinding and I just wanted to create a community out of that.
xoN: Everybody's talking about pursuing the "soft life," which seems to be the antithesis of the "grind." You mentioned "hard work," so, as an entrepreneur, what's your take on how people see "grinding" as the opposite of the soft life?
Yates: People who are into the soft life mentality, I feel like that's fine. I don't feel like you have to choose between the two. I like living the soft life in that I like living the soft life in terms of how I like being pampered, I like vacationing, but I do like hard work, too. Regardless of how much I like being pampered, how much I like chilling, it's something in me that won't let me just do nothing. And not that the soft life is doing nothing, but I don't think you have to choose. You can have a soft life and a life where you work hard. Just because you work hard, doesn't mean you're not working smart.
xoN: With so many coffee companies out here, how have you been able to gain a foothold and build a community along with your brand?
Yates: For me, it's a couple of things. I always tell people, we're a coffee company but we're not just a coffee company. We encourage you to pursue your grind, whatever that grind might be, whether it's a stay-at-home mom or a student, an entrepreneur, or [a] 9-to-5 professional. While other coffee companies might have a mission, I haven't [come] across a coffee company that simply promotes [that]. We're launching a community called Girl on the Grind, a community aspect.
When you talk about a business meeting, people always meet over a cup of coffee. A coffee shop is where there's that common ground between people, where people come to meet, to have conversations. You can people-watch. Coffee is like comfort.
xoN: You're a professional, entrepreneur and student, how do you balance it all?
Yates: My mindset is that if it's something I really want to do, I can do it. [Some people would say] that's over-simplified, but for me, if I want to do something, I'm doing it. Another thing is time management. I time block, in a sense, so I'll say I'm working a certain amount [of time] on this, and a certain amount of time on that. I live in Google, and so I use the Suites for meetings, emails, calendars, [and] tasks. And my third thing is to just stay organized. For example, I have my Tasks lists [and] my Google Drive with different folders for different tasks for school, work, and my business. Organization is definitely key.
xoN: How are you measuring success for your business?
Yates: For me, customer feedback is a really big thing. I pride myself on exceptional customer service. It can literally make or break your business. [So, it's] hearing customer reviews [and] customer stories, saying, 'This coffee is so good,' or 'I referred to this person and that person.'
Also, the revenue portion. We started at the start of the pandemic, so it was like 'Oh my goodness.' We had so much happen. We originally started with a food truck. The food truck was stolen. We had to rebrand because then there was an issue with the original name we had. It was just a lot of things that we had to through at the beginning. So aside from the revenue, was our resilience. We didn't quit. I think that's a good measure of success because some people quit and you don't even know if you could do it because you stopped.
Also, what you get out of it (as the entrepreneur). I don't [go] in doing things just to do it, so I would say, your health and wellness is a measure of success. Am I happy just doing this? Am I still getting something out of what I'm doing?
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Featured image by Arleshia McGirt/Authorized Shot Photography
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage