Making Stars Shine Bright: I Am Blair’s Closet & Noelle Model & Talent Group
Blair Noelle may only be seven-years-old, but thanks to the wisdom and growth mindset of her mother, Dr. Cryshaunda Rorie, she also happens to be one of the youngest entrepreneurs in High Point, NC. As the founder of I Am Blair’s Closet and Noelle Model & Talent Group, High Point-native, Cryshaunda, says that each aspect of her business endeavors come back to their namesake and her daughter.
The motivation – to create something that would outlive her, teach her daughter the tenants of good business, and provide her daughter with sustainable, generational wealth – came through a tragic diagnosis, just six months after Cryshaunda gave birth to her baby girl. A cancer diagnosis for the young, single mom could have left Cryshaunda defeated and discouraged, but instead, she let the diagnosis fuel her to create something great for her daughter and the High Point community.
“It just inspired me to want to be an entrepreneur of some... I wanted to have a business that she could be proud of if for whatever reason I was not here because of my sickness,” Cryshaunda says.
As she began cancer treatments that would eventually save her life, Cryshaunda spent time thinking about what kind of business she’d like to start; what kind of business would baby Blair want to be part of someday?
The idea for I Am Blair’s Closet, an online children’s clothing boutique, took hold as Cryshaunda and her family laughed at how “opinionated” baby Blair was when it came to her clothes.
“When Blair was a baby, we could put her on certain things, and she would automatically throw up or spit up on it. After a while, we were like, ‘I think she does that on purpose!’” Cryshaunda laughs. "I think this one is going to be a little fashionista!”
And her mother’s intuition was absolutely right. Today, at seven-years-old, Blair still has a keen eye and love for fashion, and now is part of helping her mom manage and operate her boutique. After recognizing they could keep costs down and prices more affordable for their customers by operating online, Cryshaunda began the endeavor to launch her online boutique. The business has grown to accompany a variety of branded items, including a line of lip glosses that Blair and Cryshaunda make themselves, known as “Boss Gloss.”
But from the very beginning, Cryshaunda wanted to make sure Blair was “in the loop” of the business, and often spent time teaching her young daughter basic facets of the business – from choosing and tagging clothes, to making products.
“Because I've been a single parent pretty much since Blair was born, she has been in the meeting rooms with me,” Cryshaunda notes. “She has been to conferences with me, she has been to things that you aren’t supposed to bring your kids to. But if I don't have a babysitter – guess what? She’s coming!”
Cryshaunda notes that business ownership was never something she learned about as a child, and she wants that to be something Blair holds onto so she can have her own business one day.
“Those are things she will never forget as she grows in business,” she notes of the skills Blair is eager to learn now.
But along with I Am Blair’s Closet, Cryshaunda soon felt the nudge to open a second business, even as she faced a second cancer diagnosis. After three years of I Am Blair’s Closet, Blair was getting noticed for her ability to model the clothes in the I Am Blair’s Closet line. As she became more interested in modeling, Cryshaunda helped her daughter secure contracts modeling for brands like Adidas, H&M, Family Dollar, and more. And it was only a matter of time before other parents in the community started asking Cryshaunda for advice on how to help their kids pursue talents in modeling, acting, and more.
“I would answer their questions, but what I realized is a lot of people really needed me to hold their hand,” Cryshaunda says of the process. “I think the best thing that I can do for our community and to bridge the gap for our minority kids is to teach their parents and to teach them the ways to break into the modeling industry.”
“When Blair started to get modeling jobs... what I realized is that no one looked like us,” Cryshaunda reflects. “And it wasn't because people didn't want their kids to do this; they just didn't have the knowledge or they didn't have the funding to put their kids in high dollar agencies.”
That’s why Cryshaunda worked to create a sustainable, affordable system for parents to participate in. And so that was my one thing, making sure that parents, it could fit in their budget.
“Number two, I can bridge the gap for minority kids to get the same experience that any other race is getting," she adds.
So in October of 2022, Noelle Model & Talent Group (NMTG) was launched, the first child modeling agency in High Point and the first Black-owned child modeling agency in the Triad. Thirty children were signed on their opening day.
Today, their team is composed of modeling coaches, acting coaches, pageant coaches, interview and voice over coaches, make up artists, hair stylists, and star parents (parents who serve as liaisons between the staff and the other parents). They’ve traveled to let their kids walk in New York Fashion Week, Orlando Fashion Week, and more. And NMTG operates under their five points of promise: finance, marketing, development, networking, and execution.
Within each of those points of promise, both the kids and their parents are taught to think about their worth when it comes to their talent, as well as how to find jobs that are fitting and comfortable for the child.
“Our kids are still kids at the end of the day,” Cryshaunda always reminds parents.
“We have parent classes just as much as we have classes for the kids,” Cryshaunda says, noting how important it is for every parent at NMTG to feel confident in caring for and advocating for their child.
“The parents feel comfortable with being a ‘mom-ager’ or ‘dad-ager.’ They feel comfortable doing this and not feeling afraid like someone could possibly take advantage of their kids.”
Because NMTG has a larger purpose than helping kids to start a career in talent or even to secure and save for future college or career opportunities.
“It is something that definitely your kids can enjoy, but it helps them with discipline and self-esteem.”
Their purpose, “to make stars shine brighter,” is based on the founding belief that every person has inherent worth and value. Time and again, parents will come to her and tell her that their child is not the same child that they originally enrolled. Their self-esteem soars as they practice affirmations to increase their own confidence.
“It's really because of what we're instilling in them: no matter what your skin color is, no matter how dark the light you are, no matter how tall or short you are,” she says. “We have kids of all shapes and sizes and we treat them all the same and make sure that they all know that they're worthy.”
Because even through the fears that Cryshaunda faced around parenting, her cancer diagnosis, launching two businesses, and more, she always believed in the original motivation: the daughter who inspired each business and instilling within her a sense of worthiness and love.
“Having a daughter was the motivation,” Cryshaunda says. “I wanted to start something for her. So if I wasn’t here, she would know I was thinking about her.”
“Starting with I Am Blair's Closet – it was a passion, but everything from Blair's Closet leading into cultivating NMTG, it's definitely my purpose,” she says. “It's my purpose to be here to serve our youth.”
“We have kids of all shapes and sizes and we treat them all the same and make sure that they all know that they're worthy.”
Dr. Cryshaunda Rorie, Owner of NMTG & I Am Blair's Closet
Want to see the kind of talent NMTG boasts or see how your child can get involved? NMTG will be hosting a free fashion museum through their “Deeper Than Fashion” program. The event, sponsored by Thrive High Point, will be hosted at The Lofts at Congdon Yards on July 13 at 6PM. Learn more here!
Discover our High Points,
The HPD Team
Photography by Katie Bardou Photography
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