Arynetta Floyzelle Northcutt founded Girl Team Mobile just this year and has a story that many can relate to. Do you have a great idea… an idea that you are in love with and can’t let go? YFE loves Arynetta’s story, because she didn’t let a lack of know how stop her in bringing her dream to life. Read more about her journey in young, female entrepreneurship…
Website: www.girlteammobile.com Twitter: @bighairbook Facebook: Big Hair
What is your business all about?
I own Girl Team Mobile, an app development studio specializing in the creation of empowering, entertaining and educational interactive children’s e-books with female protagonist. We create a customized reading experience packed with fascinating characters, delightful plots, and interactive design. Our goal is to encourage positive values, explore diversity and inspire confidence.
What does your background look like?
I graduated from Hampton University with a B.A. in Mass Communication, Public Relations. Though public relations is an excellent skill to have – everyone uses it daily whether they realize it or not – I never officially worked in the field. After graduation I starting acting and modeling. I traveled with Ebony Fashion Fair, which was a traveling fashion show produced by Johnson Publishing Company (Ebony and Jet Magazine). The entire time I wrote freelance, contributing to online publications and writing short stories and scripts for myself knowing that I wanted to eventually make a stronger career out of it.
I was at the Barnes and Noble Cafe perusing books when the poem came to me of a little girl who is not comfortable with her hair because it’s different than her friends. In less than an hour the girl’s entire journey to loving that which makes her different flowed through me, and that’s how my main character ‘Effie’ and our first app ‘Big Hair’ was born.
Why did you start your business, launch your first product, or build that community in the first place? What was your motivation?
Girl Team Mobile started as an answer to my journey to being published. When I finished the poem I knew I had a children’s book. There was an artist whose work I admired, Shawnte Hicks. I knew she would bring Effie to life in a special way. As I was researching submitting to publishing houses I learned that for picture books it is preferred that writers submit only the story and be matched with an illustrator. I trusted my gut and contacted Shawnte anyway and went forward with illustrating the book.
I submitted to publishing houses and pursued self-publishing at the same time, and a friend of mine who had success in both arenas suggested that I also pursue e-publishing. The printing house I was considering had a e-publishing department so I decided to try it out. That led to Big Hair being developed into an iPhone/ iPad app. The customized storytelling experience that the iOS technology could deliver inspired additional stories and characters and Girl Team Mobile was born.
What are your favorite things about being young, female and entrepreneurial?
Being excited and inspired by the unknown is thought to be a privilege of youth, but I believe it is what it means to keep a ‘child like enthusiasm toward life’, and that form of inspiration can increase with age.
I am a girlie girl. I enjoy the surface-level stereotypical traits of being female like make-up and slumber parties and clothes and shoes and girlfriend time. Then I also love the deeper powers, the intuition and soft nurturing nature that women possess. And the strength. Women are very emotionally resilient.
When you’re an entrepreneur you are taking control of your destiny. You’re taking ownership of your ideas. It’s work and a learning process, but it’s worth it all the way.
Do you have mentors or people you admire that you think of when making business decisions?
I admire the careers of passionate women who have proven themselves to be tenacious outliers throughout the years. I have a laundry list of ‘mentors in my head’ which include: Oprah, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tina Fey, Bethenny Frankel, Lucille Ball, Coco Chanel and Diane Von Furstenburg.
I learned about work ethic and sticktuitiveness from my parents. They ran a successful Ophthalmology private practice for twenty years. Their work day often started before I woke up and ended as I prepared to go to sleep. Seeing the time, energy and effort it took day in and day out to build a business and watching them work as a team dedicated toward a common goal taught me that owning a business and realizing a vision takes good ol’ fashion discipline and work.
What have been the advantages of being young and female while building your business?
Because I write children’s books with predominately female protagonists I identify with my characters and am able to pour every bit of life experience into Girl Team Mobile. Our mantra ‘Girl Power on the Move’ both means taking the stories of individuality produced by Girl Team Mobile with you on your mobile device, and taking your own brand of personal power with you wherever you go.
What are the disadvantages you’ve faced, if any?
My disadvantages didn’t come from being young or female, but rather from working in the unknown.
In the beginning I didn’t own an iPhone or iPad or Mac. I knew nothing about programming apps, or working with Apple and didn’t even know what an iOS was (it’s Apple’s mobile operating system). But I was inspired by the platform.
I was certainly challenged by the fact that I was not very technologically savvy. My programmers have both been programming my app and holding my hand along the development process.
As all challenges go, it became an amazing opportunity to learn. I went ahead and jumped in head first and learned that much of fear is in the unknown. By taking it step by step (sometimes having to take a step or two back and come around correctly in another direction) I have solved problems and developed skills that will cause the next project to be better and progress smoother.
What is your advice for a young, female entrepreneur just starting out or in the research stage?
Learn all you can ahead of time, but don’t be afraid to learn as you go. And always trust your instinct.
What is your drink of choice?
Depending on the hour or occasion: A smooth red wine, a spicy Margarita, or a calming cup of tea.
What can we find you doing when you are not working on and in your business?
Enjoying any of the above with my fabulous friends and family, or watching Mad Men, Bridesmaids or Reality TV!
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Wow! It is so awesome to see young people doing so well and building their own business.
Especiallly when you’ve seen them grow up. Congratulations and best wishes in all of
your endeavors. Your story was quite interesting. I remember the family at St. Paul in
San Antonio. We are so proud of you.
I am a former member of St. Paul and former patient of Arynetta’s parents. I also saw Arynetta model in Hampton, VA with the Ebony models. Arynetta, you have inspired me to complete projects I have packed away including some children’s books. Follow your heart and intuition. God bless.
Congratulations Arynetta! Big Hair is such a cute and inspiring book for people of all ages.
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