Meet Joylyn | Human, Entrepreneur, Inspirer, & Joy Enthusiast

Currently, my work consists of growing and building myself, connections, relationships, and a brighter future for as many people as possible.

I have been joining groups and organizations in my community, networking at local events, connecting with other small business owners, and working together to create more opportunities to grow and connect.

As mentioned in my article in “Bold Journey” the first physical location for The Funk! was opened on September 1st in a tiny town called Tyro, NC, just outside of Lexington. I also teach Belly Dance Fitness Classes there on Monday evenings and offer private lessons.

I also teach Belly Dance Choreography Classes on Tuesday nights in Welcome, NC, on the other side of Lexington.

I am looking forward to adding more store and/or dance locations as soon as possible throughout Davidson County, NC and connecting with as many other small business owners in the area as possible to create more unity through diversity.

Based on the nature of The Funk!, it is a constantly evolving entity that will continue to grow product and service offerings!

Getting to where I am today professionally has been quite a journey since I started at six years old.

To briefly review some of the history shared in other articles, there were a lot of very extreme challenges and sometimes I wonder how I made it through. Other times, I still question whether I will survive, but that’s why it’s so important for me to show myself and others that it is possible.

I know there are people out there who have faced much more difficult circumstances than I have and I just want to provide some encouragement, if possible.

Like most humans, I am still overcoming challenges every day and that’s what makes me and my business successful.

I have learned countless lessons along the way, including the lesson that I may have misinterpreted previous lessons more often than I care to admit.

Therefore, my takeaway lesson every day is to do my best. Some days will be much harder than others, regardless of how much planning is done. Give yourself grace, be patient with yourself and others, and do your best to forgive when prevention fails.

Bottom line, treat yourself and others how you want to be treated.

My brand and my story are based on what is inside the cover, on understanding that the image on the front, the author bio & pic, the font, and all the marketing are only a glimpse of a tiny piece of what’s inside

The Funk! and the Creative Community are more than a story, we are a way of life! We are creating unity through diversity by educating, empowering, and growing creative communities!

If a friend came to visit and I wanted to show them the best time ever, we would probably do similar things to what we normally do.

However, Tyro, NC is less than 13 square miles and has a population under 4,000. Therefore, I would show her my store and stop by Sunny Creek Boutique, which is in the same shopping center. We would probably eat at Stamey’s BBQ and then head over to Boone’s Cave Park to take pictures.

On the other days, we would probably venture into the neighboring towns and cities including Reed, Lexington, Welcome, Arcadia, and possibly Salisbury. We would stop by Wanda’s Consignment on Hwy 150 and check out all of the vendor booths, visit Evenbrooke in Lexington off of Hwy 64, and then head into Uptown Lexington to visit all of the local small businesses including So Stoked Skate Shop, Open Market Collective, Lexington Souvenir Shoppe, Shoto Japanese Steakhouse, K-Wig Beauty Supply, and a few other places.

I also would take them to Growing Pains in Salisbury because it’s my favorite consignment store and the owners are really cool!

I would probably also take them to a few places I have wanted to visit and haven’t yet, like JJ’s Mama’s Soul Food!