Dominiece Clifton, 34, was working to get her business off the ground when she almost abandoned the idea. She had so many difficulties that she could no longer cope with them. The Baltimore mother of two was working three part-time jobs while raising her two young girls with her entrepreneurial husband. It got to a point Clifton wondered if she could pay her mortgage because she was not making enough.
She decided to quit her entrepreneurial journey in search of a 9 to 5 job when she got a call that changed her life, according to the Baltimore Sun. Clifton was awarded a no-strings-attached grant for $2,000 a month for one year.
“I was spending a lot of time helping other people build their dreams,” Clifton told Baltimore Sun. “But the grant has made it so I can be present because the basics are covered, and it has allowed me to invest in things for the program. I haven’t felt this much peace in so long.”
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At the height of the pandemic in 2020, Clifton launched as a health and wellness coach for women. Her business model was influenced by the stress the pandemic caused in the lives of people. In a bid to help people de-stress, she also moved towards stress management last August. Receiving the grant last December has helped her grow her business, Move and Still.
She was also able to get her yoga certification and buy enough equipment. She now plans to start her meditation training followed by breathwork. Clifton is also working with PIVOT, a non-profit that helps former women inmates, and the Baltimore Design School to host sessions for students and families.
Clifton is now famous for being the first winner of the “We Got Your Back” Award initiated by Jamye Wooten, founder of CLLCTIVLY, which is based in Baltimore and mobilizes resources for Black-led organizations and businesses. According to Baltimore Sun, Wooten was approached by a donor who wanted to support women in need with $600. That inspired the “We Got Your Back” campaign to help women entrepreneurs.
At the end of the day, the duo raised the $600 figure to $2,000 a month following a fundraiser. The good news is there are no strings attached to the $2,000 a month grant. This means that Clifton can use the money for any other thing instead of her new business.
Clifton wants to be a household name in the next five to 10 years across the United States with a team of wellness instructors in every state and major city.
