We spoke with Brittany Diego, the beloved founder of Fashion Mentor - a startup providing Black & Brown entrepreneurs with the resources to thrive in the fashion world.

Making space for Black and Brown entrepreneurs in the fashion industry is non-negotiable for Brittany Diego. Over the past 3 years, Brittany has single-handedly turned a successful fashion stylist blog into a startup. Fashion Mentor offers courses and conferences to aspiring fashion stylists. But what led her to this venture?

FROM BELIZE TO LOS ANGELES.

Originally from Belize, Brittany moved onto Tongva land (Los Angeles) in the early 2000s with a passion for the fashion world. To many, the fashion industry seems like an impenetrable industry if you don't have a foot in the door. But this didn't stop Brittany from making an action plan.

"When I was 10 years old, I essentially decided to reverse engineer my way into the fashion industry." Her plan involved attending an L.A. fashion high school and then college, where she pursued a degree in Design. 

While in college, she spent any free time she had on internships to get a feel for the various fashion opportunities.

After graduating, she was disappointed to only land internships (instead of full-time opportunities). But even more discouragingly, she realized there was a toxic mindset in the industry that needed to be corrected. There was no culture around professional mentorship. "I would encounter people who believed that since they struggled through the industry, everyone had to go through the gauntlet."

SHE WASN'T GIVEN THE TOOLS TO SUCCEED IN THE INDUSTRY. SO SHE CREATED THE TOOLKIT.

Eventually, she landed a job with an employer, who shortly thereafter laid her off. That's when Brittany had an epiphany.

"I think everything happens for a reason. The moment I got laid off, it allowed me to pivot my whole career trajectory and become my own boss. I decided to go for it. I thought - I don’t have kids, I don’t have a mortgage, what better time than now."

After that mindset change, she went full force on creating Fashion Mentor. 

EMPOWERMENT, THE ONLY WAY FORWARD.

She has now worked with over 500 aspiring stylists through her courses and teachings. “There is nothing more fulfilling than giving guidance and reminding people that their dream is attainable. For me, we’re stronger when we are empowering each other. If the girl from Belize can do this, you can, too."

And her one piece of advice to people on the fence? "Stop waiting for the perfect time. Your time is now."

START YOUR FASHION CAREER

If you have no resources or no connections yet in the industry, start with the Fashion Mentor:

Website: http://fashionmentor.co

Instagram: http://instagram.com/fashionmentor.co/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/fashion-mentor

Facebook: http://facebook.com/fashionmentorco

Fashion Mentor TV: https://www.youtube.com/c/FashionMentorTV/videos