In celebration of International Women's Day, Mastercard and Create & Cultivate are teaming up with prominent female leaders and business owners to share their #Priceless advice to inspire and elevate women entrepreneurs.

Morgan DeBaun, Founder & CEO, Blavity Inc.

Morgan DeBaun is the Founder & CEO of Blavity Inc., the leading media company for Black culture and Millennials. She is also the Founder of WorkSmart, her signature advising program and The WorkSmart Podcast, both designed to help small business owners scale their business.

Morgan founded Blavity Inc. with the intention to build a media company that is a reflection of the new majority of America, and to create a platform for Black thought leaders, creatives and storytellers. Blavity, Inc. began as one brand with 4 college friends in an apartment, and has grown to encompass 5 brands with a company full of employees dedicated to serving the multifaceted lives of Black millennials.

She is committed to small business owners and helping them scale up their business to employ more people, build their operations and take home more profits through her free WorkSmart Advisor Podcast and her mentoring program WorkSmart Advising Program.

Below, Morgan shares her #Priceless advice to inspire and elevate women in business.

What is one piece of advice you would give to women looking to turn their passion into purpose?

My advice to women looking to turn their passion into purpose is to focus on a core demographic and solve their problem.

What is the most important message you have for women advancing their career or growing their business?

People growing their small business should always keep learning new skills and studying great leaders so they can learn new ways of thinking. Entrepreneurship is a journey and successful business owners will constantly need to navigate changing customer and market environments.

What’s your perspective on the importance of mentorship? What advice do you have for women seeking mentorship or looking to become a mentor?

People looking to find mentors should narrow in on skills or areas of development they are looking to grow in and focus on finding advisors for that specific area.

What tips would you give women entrepreneurs to help them grow their businesses, especially in our digitally evolving world?

Entrepreneurs looking to grow their business in today’s digital environment should stay committed to exploring new technologies and tools but try not to spread themselves too thin. There are a lot of digital tools in the business that can help you automate or streamline your process internally in your company or reduce your overhead.

In celebration of women in business, what are (3) small businesses you want to highlight to encourage others to shop, share and support?

Books, wine, and self-care through health & beauty have been staples of my quarantine routine and I encourage others to shop the small businesses that I’ve used continuously throughout the last year. Shelves Bookstore is an incredible online and mobile pop-up bookstore that is committed to celebrating the joy of reading. McBride Sisters has a beautiful story, great-tasting wine and is the largest Black-owned wine company in the US. Golde’s mission is to make wellness accessible and fun through their superfood-filled smoothies and skincare products.

Priceless advice for women in business in two words, or less: