Meet the Founder of Become All—An Online Publication Dedicated to the Transformative Power of Inclusion
How I Got Started are Q&A’s with women founders where they share their experience emerging as a brand. The aim is that in sharing these conversations, they may impart motivation, guidance and validation to women who are considering starting their own venture and/or in the process of getting going.
“What’s helped me is knowing that we live in a transformative time that really needs positivity in order for us all to feel like we not only will make it out of all of this alive, but also that better days are coming.” -Cynthia Betubiza, Founder of Become All
With her online publication and weekly newsletter, Become All, founder Cynthia Betubiza is creating a platform to celebrate storytelling’s unique power to unite seemingly disparate groups of people through the arts and journalism.
Having, for a while, had an idea to start her own publication and with her experience in journalism working at NPR, WBUR, Vox, and more—it was in the summer of 2020 that Cynthia finally started Become All. In the midst of the pandemic, the death of George Floyd and the beginning of our country’s renewed racial reckoning, Cynthia realized that there was no time like the present to begin talking about ideas for how we could rethink public safety and policing, to start—knowing she wanted to expand from there.
Below Cynthia shares the first step she took to start, the hardest part about getting going so far, how she stays motivated and more.
Founder:
Cynthia Betubiza
The business:
Become All
First started:
2020
Impact you seek to make with your business:
I’d like Become All to eventually become a collaborative space where people from different backgrounds can share their unique experiences, ideas, and potential solutions so that together, we can both celebrate life and build a better future for ourselves.
Short background about you:
My name is Cynthia Betubiza. I am a 29-year-old artist, writer, and journalist from Maryland, the daughter of Ugandan immigrants. I have loved storytelling, in all its forms, since I was a little girl, whether through music, acting, writing, reading history….pretty much everything! As I got older and studied journalism, I realized that I wanted to create a platform to celebrate storytelling’s unique power to unite seemingly disparate groups of people through the arts and journalism.
What led you to starting your business?
For years, I always knew that I wanted to create my own platform/publication of some sort, especially one that combined creativity and journalism. But this dream was something I kept putting off, as I struggled to navigate the world that is the corporate media landscape.
But in the summer of 2020, in the midst of the pandemic, the death of George Floyd and the beginning of our country’s renewed racial reckoning, I realized that there was no time like the present to begin talking about ideas for how we could rethink public safety and policing, to start—knowing I wanted to expand from there.
After a few articles that stuck to a very traditional journalism format, I took a step back, a hiatus, to really think about the direction I wanted to take Become All, seeing that I was losing sight of the creative aspect of the publication.
I recently relaunched Become All, and have since written stories that reflect both my creative and journalistic passions.
What was the moment you knew you had to take the leap and start your company (aka your Big Whisper moment)?
Back in the summer of 2020, everything felt so urgent and I knew that I had to put my gifts to good use.
What were the first steps you took to get started?
Practically, ideating what my mission statement would be and from there, zero-ing in on a name that really encapsulated my values and the values for my website.
Hint: The website name is partially inspired by this quote from the play Fifth of July by Landford Wilson:
“And after they had explored all of the stars in the universe and all of the planets around each sun they realized they were alone, and they were glad, for they now realized they would have to become all of the things they had hoped to find.”
What has been the hardest part about getting going so far?
The pacing. I have so many ideas that I want to bring to life and to work with other people on. But for now, I can only work on my website part-time, as I have a part-time job to pay my bills. I try to push myself to create quality work each week, but also want to take care of myself and not burn out.
What’s been helpful to stay motivated and inspired?
What’s helped me is knowing that we live in a transformative time that really needs positivity in order for us all to feel like we not only will make it out of all of this alive, but also that better days are coming. Also, knowing that my ideas deserve to be out in the world, and that I was given my gifts and passions for a reason.
What’s a milestone you’re most proud of so far?
I am proud of the feedback I’ve received thus far! I write each piece from the heart (and also feature some of my original photography), so each piece is an authentic reflection of who I am. To get positive feedback on that feels great.
How have you grown and/or what have you learned about yourself so far on this journey?
I’ve learned that I have a greater capacity for self-compassion in the face of self-doubt and self-criticism than I had previously thought.
What’s something you want other new women entrepreneurs to know?
That regardless of what your business is, your ideas deserve to be out there and that your voice deserves to be heard. Lean on that whenever times get tough.