By 
MEET Ebony & Ivory.
WAIT… I told you HALF of the TRUTH….
This my PEEPS is Dara & Ivory. They are courageous mothers tackling the everyday life of motherhood. And the best part about it?? They get to share the BRUTAL HONEST TRUTH about MOTHERING in their blog entitled ebonyandivoryblog!
All the mothers out there, ya’ll know what I’m talking about. Those late nights of pure CHALLENGES that take patience & GRIT to get through. The ones you dare not share with anyone. Yep ..those days.
This blog is a safe haven space that aims to SUPPORT & encourage Moms everywhere to embrace their GLORIOUS days of motherhood!
YOLANDA J: So Dara, tell us how Ebony & Ivory started.
DARA: My journey to motherhood was a rocky one to say the least lol. Though my pregnancy went well as far as my physical health, I struggled with the emotional and mental transition from single woman to mom.
Once I had my daughter, I struggled with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. It felt like I lost who I was and I was suddenly drowning in motherhood. No one prepared me for the hard parts of motherhood or even the transition.
My cousin experienced her own ups and downs as well, so we came together and decided to create a blog. Ebony & Ivory encourages and inspires women; especially the IMPERFECT moms and ensures them they are not alone.
YOLANDA J: Ivory, how about you?
IVORY: One day Dara and I were sitting in my living room talking about our experiences adapting to motherhood. We were sharing how we were stressed, depressed, anxious and honestly just having a hard time adjusting to the whole process. Dara then shares with me how she would love to create a safe space for women who look like us to share their motherhood experiences. She told me about how she researched and looked for women who looked like us who were experiencing the same things we were going through in Motherhood, but couldn’t.
So BOOM, Ebony & Ivory was born! Sometimes, you have to be the very thing you’re looking for and that’s what we’re doing.
YOLANDA J: Absolutely, that is so TRUE!
Sometimes, you have to BE the very thing you’re looking for and that’s what we’re doing.
-Ivory
YOLANDA J: Ladies, how did you all handle adversity and doubt? Tell us about some challenging times you faced when starting?
DARA: We struggled with finding BEST schedule and products to meet our needs. We didn’t really know what we were doing, so there was tons of research and figuring it out involved. ONE thing that helped us was our dedication to consistency. We decided that we would post once a week and we were adamant about sticking to it.
YOLANDA J: Right! Finding the time to start a NEW THING can be CHALLENGING.
IVORY: For me personally, getting pregnant a SECOND time was really hard. I still work full-time. I had a then, 1 year old and I’m a wife, so my plate is pretty full.
Not to say other mothers and wives plates aren’t just as full, but for me it was just hard handling the changes of my body along with all of my other responsibilities.
YOLANDA J: So what were some events that occurred that motivated you to keep going?
DARA: It was so important to us to tell our story because we knew there were some woman out there that needed to hear it. And once we started, women started sharing their experiences with us. They also thanked us for telling our stories and being transparent. That gave us more CONFIDENCE and validated the need for what we were doing.
Seeing the impact was so amazing! Once we realized that we really were helping people there was no way we were stopping!
IVORY: There were so MANY TIMES I wanted to throw in the towel and give up. I felt guilty not carrying my share of the workload, feeling sick and tired all the time, and I just wanted to give up. However, one day Dara told me, “It won’t always be like this. You won’t always be pregnant or tired.” Basically, she was telling me, “This too shall pass.” So that advice in itself has helped me anytime I’ve wanted to give up, knowing that tough times won’t always last FOREVER.
So that advice in itself has helped me anytime I’ve wanted to give up, knowing that tough times won’t ALWAYS last FOREVER.
-Ivory
YOLANDA J: We would like to know where your blog ideas came from & if you all have any mentors or special people in your life that help or give you any advice?
DARA: I have to say that Google was my #1 special person lol. But I have a best friend and sister-in-love who are BOTH very knowledgeable about the online world, so I definitely leaned on them when needed.
YOLANDA J: LOL! Google is the go to place for everything you’re looking for! So ladies, what do you typically tell people when they ask you what you do?
DARA: I usually tell them my title and what I offer. I’m the co-creator of Ebony & Ivory, a blog where we share uplifting content to inspire, encourage, & bring our readers closer to their FAITH.
IVORY: I usually tell them that I work full time and I’m a blogger, focusing on Motherhood, Lifestyle and Beauty.
YOLANDA J: What do you do on a daily basis to continue your growth as an entrepreneur & what are some PRACTICES you have put in to place that help you grow as a individual?
DARA: I think research and personal development are probably the biggest things for me. I’m CONSTANTLY on YouTube figuring out how to do something or reading a new book to make my life & time more efficient. I also don’t shy away from making investments in our business; books, courses, etc.
YOLANDA J: Those are DEFINITELY great ways to invest in yourself. Knowing what you know now, what would be one piece of advice you would give yourself?
DARA: There’s someone waiting to hear your story. STOP STALLING and just START. Don’t compare your day 1 to someone else’s day 100. Just start, be consistent and stay the course.
Don’t compare your DAY 1 to someone else’s Day 100. Just START, be consistent, and stay the course.
-Dara
IVORY: The best advice I could give is to just keep going! Figure out what works best for your brand/business, keep adjusting or readjusting as necessary, don’t let fear hold you hostage and most importantly BE YOURSELF. Don’t try to fit into someone else’s mold or what you think other’s want you to be, just be who God created you to be and there will ALWAYS be a space open to you.
YOLANDA J: How would you like people to remember you and Ebony & Ivory and what will be the legacy you all want to leave behind?
DARA: I’d like people to remember me as someone who was dedicated to helping those in need. Even if we just impacted ONE life, that’s enough of a legacy for me.
IVORY: The legacy I would like to leave behind with our brand is that we were able to make a difference in the lives of other women who look like us.
ONE: I want them to be able to see themselves in our experiences.
TWO: I want them to BE COMFORTED by our prayers.
THREE: I want them to have a safe space to be vulnerable and be okay with that vulnerability when the rest of the world is telling them that they have to always be a strong woman of color who everyone relies on for their STRENGTH.
FOUR: I want them to know it’s okay to take off the superwoman cape and just be whoever she is in that moment and know she’s not weak but is stronger than ever for just being vulnerable!
If you would like to CONNECT with Dara & Ivory, please CLICK BELOW to follow them on Instagram & Facebook. Also, if you are looking for ONE STOP SHOP styling ideas, visit their Like To Know page for different looks for the SPRING & SUMMER!
