Voyage Article

Had the opportunity to interview with Voyage Miami. Click here to read entire article.

Mardi, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today? The Aura Lounge platform was designed to channel my creative expression and many goals that I aspire to manifest. Usually, I am extremely reserved and operating in the background, which is why I have always been hesitant about being the face of an entity.

There was a pivotal point in my life where I experienced one of my most unfathomable battles. My grandfather had unexpectedly transitioned two weeks prior to my college graduation. Thereafter, he would appear in my dreams and advise encouragement as to how I was supposed to grow from this pain. One dream in particular, I recall him vividly lecturing me and posing the question: “How are you going to show people you are a developer if you never start the project?” This later translated into the vision for the Melanin Aura brand.

At the time, I was not exceptionally aware of my niche or purpose in life but these words always resonated with me. I’d lost my passion and motivation for almost everything. In return, I passed on many favorable opportunities in my career path. Initially, I co-owned a hair business with one of my friends. In this market, we learned so many valuable lessons about running a business, utilizing spreadsheets, allocating funds, and continuing a successful work ethic. After a few years, we made the decision to separate our two worlds, which is now her hair care company and my Aura Lash Lounge company. This was not a personal issue or a falling out. We still remain best friends and seek each other’s advice for business tips or just life in general. I also currently own a lifestyle brand, Aura Loungewar. Depending on the day, I wear one hat and on other days, I’m wearing many hats.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome? The journey does not get easier, but the tough moments will definitely make you stronger. Building myself brick by brick demanded an abundant amount of unwavering strength. This entailed fear, doubt, frustration, anxiety, sleepless nights, coffee-filled mornings, a lot of trying times, and a lot of crying times. I’ve had to cut ties with some people who didn’t have the same vision as me. I’ve had to restart some projects from scratch and learn how to create my own business needs such as websites, labels, cards, etc. because waiting on others would hold up my process. I am always rebranding and innovating, even with the most subtle idea so that I am ten steps ahead of myself.

While in the midst of the madness, I loss my good friend who was also a key person in my life. Not only did this sudden passing devastate me, but in return motivated me to “Keep it Going” as he would say. Venturing onward and stepping out on faith will always be a grand test for me. In the end, patience, perseverance, and progression always prevails.

Please tell us about Melanin Aura. Melanin Aura was thoughtfully curated to promote peace, growth, and prosperity.

Crystal healing, meditating, and burning natural herbs has been an important part of my daily routine for quite some time. I am vastly passionate about protecting my peace. Once I learned how to transform my energy, my creative spirit began to flow and my gift made room for me.

Witnessing how my ancestral family tree would constantly work and rarely practice any self-care, inspired the Smudge Spray as an alternative to burning sage. The Prosperity Oil and Herbal Bath were created out of self-preservation due to the type of work environment I am surrounded by each day. These elements are beneficial for aura cleansing.

Along with the product vision, a picture that I captured of my sister inspired the logo for the aura brand. The primary colors of purple and gold represent royalty and wealth. Crystals, which are derived from The Motherland, are embedded in the crown of a naturally melanated young woman to exemplify our beauty and true worth.

When I initially introduced my brand, I had someone to tell me that the visuals were “too black” and that the nature of products aren’t significant in the African American community. This was the exact push that I needed to proceed forward and ensure that humankind gained knowledge pertaining to their opulent roots. I was also asked by someone did I steal this idea from someone, which made me snicker because I will never promote or sell a product that I do not personally use. I’ve always vowed to do business with integrity. As a conscious decision, I refrain from following similar entities so that I am not unintentionally forming ideas based on someone else’s work. I prefer to keep my ideas pure and original. By that same token, I anticipate that Melanin Aura impacts the people who truly need it as an essential element to self-care.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood? Growing up, I was such a Tom-Boy! Always on the go, running, playing and engaging in activities. Every scar on my body tells an eventful story. I was fortunate enough to be raised in a two-parent household and experience traveling at a young age. I remember missing days of school because my parents randomly wanted to drive somewhere. I would say this is what triggered my free-spirit energy. I became interested in the wonders of the world, such as cathedrals, museums and bookstores.

As a child, I recall reading a story about a Healer of Herbs, which detailed the ancient times of how individuals utilized natural herbs for healing purposes. From that story, I aspired to be an “Auric Apothecary” in my own right. However, Pharmaceutical School was not in my prospective interest. I would also create various mixtures all the time while playing with my toys. In hindsight, I believe that creating herbal remedies and sharing them with the universe is my way of fulfilling that childhood dream.