“It’s difficult to tell if people question me because I’m a woman or I’m black,” says Joyann Boyce thoughtfully before shrugging her shoulders.
“It’s probably both,” she adds with a wide smile.
The 28-year-old Bristol-based entrepreneur is the founder of a small but successful social media agency which she set up in 2017.
Joy - as she likes to be known - launched The Social Detail after taking part in an enterprise course run by the Prince’s Trust in Bristol.
But despite her success, the millennial has faced barriers to the business world, which she believes are to do with her gender and race.
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“I find it hard because when I walk into a networking event I am often either the only woman or the only person of colour, unless the event is about BAME people," she said.
“People question my knowledge and I have had mediocre white men ask me who I work for. I get asked questions that other people don’t.
“A guy once told me he was running a marketing company and he didn’t even know what LinkedIn was.
“It just shows me that I need to have an ego the size of a truck because I know a lot more than a lot of people out there, even though I am 28.”
Joy, who is based at the Natwest Accelerator Hub in the city, is now on a mission to help businesses be “more diverse” when it comes to creating content.
She explained: “Companies are putting out products and services but not targeting a diverse audience.
"So I am helping those businesses, particularly in the tech sector, diversify their marketing material.
"It can be as simple as using more diverse stock images for website posts.”
Joy believes there needs to be more female mentors in Bristol as well as more women mentors of colour who can offer guidance and advice to young start-ups.
“Having a mentor helps give you reassurance, especially as a solo entrepreneur.”
Looking to the future, Joy has plenty of projects in the pipeline. She is planning to expand her business in Bristol and launch a mentorship scheme in the city this year.
'Just do it'
Her advice to other women considering setting up a company?
“Just do it. Even if you think you only know 10 per cent of the information, you probably know more than a lot of people out there.”
“Try to find role models online and contact them on social media. I have messaged people and asked them for advice and it’s been invaluable.”
