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Mr. Bake Kareem Queeman has been baking since the age of eight and has found fame from the oven to the camera. Now, he has become a rising voice advocating for the LGBTQ+ community.
Kareem Queeman found his purpose by answering a difficult question: “If I was to leave this Earth tomorrow, would I be happy with the life that I’ve lived?”
After acknowledging that his answer to the question posed above was “no”, Queeman took action to change the narrative and became a strong advocate for the “unseen” LGBTQ+ community.
“I started to really start changing with that and start speaking out more about that change, about going to therapy. And then that’s when I found that passion,” says Kareem Queeman to Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef of CaliBBQ Media.
One of the most important qualities an entrepreneur must possess is courage. Kareem Queeman didn’t always possess that in spades.
After a meeting with a fellow black entrepreneur who made wine, Queeman realized the importance of telling his story with media, which helped him progress and become the powerful voice he is today.
“He said, they will get into your story more than they will buy into your product. And I sat on that for a little while,” Queeman says of the encounter. “And then it hit me six or seven months later.”
Running a business is not an easy feat, and there will be plenty of obstacles to overcome, and Queeman has faced his fair share of adversity. But he has done the internal work necessary to persevere and advises other entrepreneurs to do the same.
“When you are faced with another adversity or when you are faced with another opportunity or you want to go for something and you start to doubt yourself, I want everybody to remind themselves, how did they get to where they are today?” asks Queeman. “Do not forget your power.”
Kareem Queeman’s story is an inspiring one. His journey to find and intentionally pursue his passion of becoming a voice for the LGBTQ+ community is one that reminds us that we have the power to achieve our dreams, and find our own voice, as well.
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This story originally appeared on Entrepreneur
