Meet Marissa Kearney

Bio:

My name is Marissa Kearney. I am a former teacher-turned influencer. In my free time, I love watching Marvel movies, going to theme parks, Harry Potter, reading, and traveling. My social media platform, TargetWhileBlack, is my way of contributing to my community through awareness of Black brands in Target. I have been able to change my followers into mindful buyers that know they have power in their pocketbooks
 
Q+A:
 
What about being a black creator/entrepreneur is special to you? I

The most special thing about being a Black creator is the sense of community. My followers are like my family. We take long walks through virtual Target together and joke like we have known each other our entire lives. It feels good knowing that you can see yourself in them and they see themselves in you.

What does being rooted mean to you?

For me being rooted is the ability to practice gratitude and give yourself grace at every point in your journey. Having a plan for your life is important and necessary but flexibility is key. I have had several plans that did not work out but I am extremely grateful for that. My failures have taught me I never actually failed--I learned. As a result, I give myself grace, take mistakes in stride, and focus on growth.

How have you stayed motivated to overcome challenges?

Journaling! I write down everything now. When something is challenging, I brain dump it.

 I do not use the lines in the journal or complete sentences. I just write what comes to mind and leave it there. Then I will come back and read it 10 minutes later or maybe even the next day. Seeing it on paper allows me to disconnect and physically see WHY I feel challenged. 

 Then, I reflect on how I handled each challenge. If it went great, I write it down. If it didn't go so great, I write it down.

Again, I give myself grace and stay rooted.

 
Where do you find inspiration?

Reading or crafting. I like the silence! I am the person driving an hour with no music. The silence feels incredibly peaceful and allows my mind to wander into creativity. 

Why do you feel it is important to support Black youth?

Supporting Black youth is important because they are affected by so many things outside of their control in the classroom and out of it. Black youth deserve to have an equitable start to their lives and that starts with giving back. Give back time, money, and most importantly give back knowledge. We don't know, what we don't know.
 
Instagram handle: @targetwhileblack
Website: targetwhileblack.com

To support Black students, Be Rooted will be giving 10% of our sales during the week 1/30-2/5 to the Ron Brown Scholarship.