When Zina Holifield set out to open The Damage Zone in Detroit in 2021, she ran into an unexpected obstacle. Detroit’s first rage room, which provides “damage therapy” – via three spaces where adults and kids can relieve stress by smashing items with sledge hammers and baseball bats – did not fit into the existing business categories.
So, Zina and her team went door to door for signatures from 500 residents to help secure approval for the project and the subsequent change of use for the building.
“Because I am the first and only rage room in the city of Detroit, they didn’t have a reference point to compare me to other businesses as they decided what regulations they should be putting in place,” said Zina.
A former corrections officer, mental health therapist, and child abuse investigator, Zina set out to create the business to help offer a safe place for people to express and process their anger and relieve stress without running afoul of the law, something she saw too often throughout her career.
Once that initial usage hurdle was cleared, Detroit’s support network, stepped up to help the first-time business owner navigate the nuances of launching a business with assistance coming through the Retail Boot Camp – put on by TechTown, a NEI grantee.
“I’m two and a half years after graduation from Retail Boot Camp, and they’re still with me in support of what I’m doing,” said Zina, who called support from the small business ecosystem in Detroit “phenomenal.”
Throughout her journey as other obstacles have emerged, she has leaned on the network of business support organizations, some of which are NEI grantees, for business knowledge, financial guidance and support, marketing, and networking.
She took second place in Michigan Women Forward’s WomanUP and Pitch Competition in March 2024, while also being selected to participate in the inaugural EntrepreneuHERS Pitch Competition by Black Leaders Detroit, received a loan from ProsperUs Detroit in October 2024, and was a client of the Detroit Neighborhood Entrepreneurs Project – all are NEI grantees. She also secured a $85,000 grant from Motor City Match to update the building’s heating and air-conditioning, renovate the facility, and buy inventory.
Her advice to other entrepreneurs looking to launch a business: “Stick with it.”
“These small business support organizations are backing you because they believe in you. If you really believe in it, it will come to pass, but you have to persevere. You cannot get deterred by the obstacles that you will face.”
Zina Holifield, Owner and Founder, The Damage Zone
To learn more, visit thedamagezone.org.