June Smith with her 2016 Business Woman of the Year Award at the Woman on Fire Awards.
I am so happy to introduce you to June Smith, mom, entrepreneur, and proud Jamaican. The is the CEO and founder of TAJJ Cosmetics, which launched nearly seven years ago, in order to address the lack of cosmetic products specifically for women of color. You can find June working on promoting TAJJ Cosmetics at trade shows. If you will be in Atlanta for Bronner Brothers, look out for her! In the meantime, get to know June in this interview.
SocaMom: Tell us about yourself, June.
June Smith: I am a mother to three wonderful, talented, and promising young sons, and currently reside in Toronto, Canada. I was born and raised in Kingston, Jamaica, and I am the CEO and Founder of TAJJ Cosmetics. TAJJ is an acronym of the first letters of my children’s names. I watched my grandfather, father and brother operate their businesses, and decided to follow in their entrepreneurial footsteps.
June Smith and her three sons.
SocaMom: What is it about being a Caribbean mom that makes you different from parents?
June Smith: I used the same discipline my parents used, which is completely different from the way kids are discipline in North America.
SocaMom: Tell us about a time that your children realized that their mom was different from other moms.
June Smith: When they realize their friends at school did things differently from them. A few of their friends had different responses from their parents when communicating. Their languages and tones were completely different.
SocaMom: Is there something about being from the Caribbean that has shaped who you are personally and or professionally? What is it?
June Smith: For sure. I understand how it is to live on little. I knew that hard work is something we all need to do in order to achieve. We did not have anything handed to us. We had to work hard. Food on the table meant going out to get the firewood, carrying water to do the cooking, and helping in the kitchen. We may not have had the luxury of macaroni and cheese, yet, we had fruits, vegetables in abundance.
SocaMom: How do others (co-workers, friends, family) benefit from you being of Caribbean descent?
June Smith: Definitely from my strength and the way I see things from the other side. I was always asked, “why are you always so happy?” Growing up in church and attending Sunday school, I do understand how to worry over nothing, and in everything and situation to always give God thanks.
SocaMom: How do you keep your children connected to Caribbean culture?
June Smith: The food, and the way we communicate.
SocaMom: What is your favorite Caribbean Mom Quote?
June Smith: “Show me your company, and I will tell you who you are.”
SocaMom: What are your favorite 3 Caribbean dishes?
June Smith: Oxtail, ackee and saltfish, and stew peas.
SocaMom: If you could move to any Caribbean country, which one would you move to and why?
June Smith: Jamaica for sure. That’s where I was born. I will never change that.
June Smith wearing products her cosmetics line, TAJJ Cosmetics.
About TAJJ Cosmetics
As a young lady, June was constantly consulted for beauty tips and ideas, and always enjoyed enhancing the looks of others around her. She attended Camperdown High School in Kingston Jamaica, and later pursued a Diploma in Business Administration & Computer Application at the Toronto School of Business, Canada. June turned her love and passion for beauty and fashion into a business and resigned from the banking industry to fully focus on entrepreneurship.
You can visit TAJJ Cosmetics on Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/TAJJ-Cosmetics-205652769455544/
Follow TAJJ Cosmetics on Twitter https://twitter.com/TAJJCOSMETIC, Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tajjcosmetics/, and Pinterest https://au.pinterest.com/tajjgirl/.
