Behind the Wings: Making Boss Moves

After struggling to grow her home-based business, Piedmont Ground Handling recruiter Twanita Dozier, learned that other minority-owned businesses were facing similar challenges. That gave her the idea to fill a need and start a different kind of business to promote and support minority-owned businesses. In 2017, she launched a multi-media platform called Boss Up Magazine.

“As an African American woman, it was difficult to launch and grow a business,” said Twanita. “Myself and other minority-owned business owners had to rely on each other and word of mouth for growth and exposure. I wanted to create a vehicle that caters to emerging business owners of color, help our businesses shine and provide resources for success.”

In the four years since she started her business, she has already featured and helped promote over 300 minority owned companies across the United States. Self-taught in media communications, Twanita hosts a website, podcast, networking events, a TV show on Roku and Amazon Fire Stick called The Boss Lounge and developed an app called The Boss Experience to help drive engagement and support for minority-owned businesses.

“My work with Piedmont and Boss Up Magazine is all about providing support and uplifting others, especially now in the midst of the COVID pandemic when people are losing their jobs or being furloughed,” said Twanita. “I take the skills I know and use as a recruiter and incorporate that into truly engaging with people; whether that’s being a champion and cheerleader for Piedmont while recruiting the best talent, or championing and bringing visibility to the numerous businesses I help support.”

In October 2020, Twanita hosted an annual networking event called The Boss Bash. The sold out socially distanced event featured vendors, a speaker panel, dynamic speakers, the opportunity for professional head shots and swag bags designed to help engage and support the minority-owned business community.

Twanita proudly self-funds and runs the business by herself. Her future vision is to continue to evolve her business, establish a work team and provide more print editions of the magazine.

“My advice to those starting their own business is to not let the opinions of others stop you and to keep going,” said Twanita. “Stay strong and stick to your convictions.” As a married mother who works full-time, she considers launching her business a big accomplishment. “If I can accomplish launching and operating my business by myself, I can accomplish anything.”

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Behind the Wings is a Piedmont feature that highlights the accomplishments of the aviation professionals who make us Piedmont Proud inside and outside of the airport. In honor of Black History Month, Piedmont is proud to recognize our team members and their contributions to the success of the airline and making a difference in their communities.