Rolling out‘s Sisters With Superpowers platform recognizes women who are making an impact in their communities and in the world. Mercedes C. Young is one of our honorees as she is a serial entrepreneur in every sense of the word. She is an actress, a TV writer and producer, a real estate investor and developer, a children’s book author, and an owner of a million-dollar cannabis company, Earth’s Dew.
Tell us about Earth’s Dew. What made you choose a career in cannabis?
I didn’t choose my career in cannabis, my career chose me. My father was diagnosed with glioblastoma which is a malignant brain cancer. As he was going through chemo and radiation, I wanted to find a more natural and holistic remedy. That’s when I stumbled upon articles suggesting that the properties found in cannabis can actually kill cancer cells. I began giving him the THC & CBD oils and it actually started shrinking his tumor. After he passed away, I started the business in his honor.
As a Black woman, what do you consider your superpowers to be?
As a Black woman, I consider my superpowers to be faith and perseverance. My grandmother instilled in me at a very young age the power of faith. She would tell me that faith is the substance of things hoped for and the evidence of things not seen. She told me that faith never gives up and never takes no for an answer and I genuinely believed her. She is the reason why I don’t believe in limitations. She is the reason why I’m willing to step out and exercise blind faith. She is the reason that I pray as if it all depends on God and work as if it all depends on me. She is the reason why I know that my faith can move mountains. That is my very special superpower that was gifted to me by a super Black woman.
What key skills or qualities make you unique as an African American female leader?
The key skills and qualities that make me unique as an African American female leader is my ability to take risks and do it scared. Even if I don’t have all of the answers, even if I can’t see the end from the beginning, I serve a God that does. I also have a passion for pouring into people, especially children. I love sharing knowledge. I’m a big believer in “each one, teach one.” There’s so much room for everyone to be successful and I don’t hoard that information.
What thoughtful or encouraging piece of advice would you give to your younger self?
The thoughtful or encouraging piece of advice that I would give to my younger self is that everything will be OK. You’re going to go through some really dark times where you feel like all hope is lost and that you’ll never make it out but God will always make a way of escape and provide a place of refuge.
If you could thank any Black woman for her contributions to history and society, who would it be and why?
If I could thank any Black woman for her contributions to history and society, I would thank Harriet Tubman. Due to her popularity, I think that we’ve become desensitized to what she really did. … She is an icon and the epitome of a strong Black woman.
As a successful woman in business, what is your greatest or proudest achievement?
As a successful woman in business, my proudest achievement is being a good person. My proudest achievement is being a godly person. … Nothing makes me prouder than bringing others up with me on my way to the top. This is what I’m most proud of.
