Waist Gang Winning: 5 Tips for Young Bosses to Turn Product into Profit

What does a go-getter do when their initial dream picks up moderate steam and needs a boost? They pivot and make another move that will lead to the winning shot in the end.

Nakeitha “PreMadonna” Felder, a budding recording artist who has made what some might call the latest Instagram beauty fad into a million-dollar product, did just that. The Miami native, millennial mother, and soon-to-be wife is founder of Waist Gang Society, a line of women’s shapewear.

Her waist trainers are the stars of the brand and quickly caught the eye and endorsement of celebrities including the Kardashian sisters, Kylie Jenner, Real Housewives of Atlanta cast members and more.

BlackEnterprise.com caught up with the savvy 20-something entrepreneur and author of Whatever You Think Is Right, on five tips for young bosses to take their businesses to the next level:

1. Incorporate what should be your biggest fan and endorser: You. Felder designed shapers with a comic character in her own likeness. “I was bored with the traditional black or classic nude,” she says. “Now, women can get up, dress for the gym, and have fun wearing the shapers.” She is also the face of the brand on her Website and social media pages. “People see me and say, ‘Hey that’s the woman from the Waist Gang! She’s curvy but look at her waist!'”

2. Start small and build on that investment. Felder says she couldn’t get a loan to start up, so she offered payment plans initially for customers and would use the deposit to reinvest in expanding the business. “It takes money to make money, but it doesn’t always take a lot of money,” she says. “If you have even $1 to start, just invest that wisely and build on that.”

3. Place your product in as many places as possible. From Myspace to Instagram to Facebook to TV appearances, Felder says she takes advantage of all platforms to sell her product. “The more people see you, the more they’ll associate you with what you offer” she says. “Khloe Kardashian actually saw me on Instagram and it went from there. She was the original trendspotter in that respect.”

4. Don’t be scatterbrained in what you’re offering and marketing. “Whatever you’re selling, put your all into one product first,” she advises. Master offering that product and capturing the audience for that product before branching off into others.

5. Get supporters from your own backyard. Felder is also a recording artist who has been performing since she was a teen. She’s built up a network in the entertainment industry and women in those circles have been wearing her products even before her recent fame. She adds, “Above all, trust God and just go for it.”