
Home Field: Dr. Martez Prince
Dr. Martez Prince started his independent pharmacy, Premiere Pharmacy and Wellness Center at 29-years-old after seeing first-hand how important healthcare and wellness is to a community. While, Prince’s business is embraced by the Charlotte community, it garnered national attention from a viral tweet celebrating a black-owned business. Prince spoke about his journey as a small business owner and his reaction to social media virality.
When did you start your small business?
We opened Premier Pharmacy and Wellness Center in October of 2015. We opened our doors to the public so that we could provide a more personalized experience for our customers and increase wellness through education and medication utilization. I worked for a big chain drug store for five years after graduating from Florida A&M University in 2010. After working there for five years I felt that the education component was missing from the community pharmacy aspect. I feel that education is important to the community driven experience.

Why do you feel like that is such a critical component to what you do as a pharmacist?
I truly believe that being a pharmacist is being directly involved in patient care. In some big-box stores, that component might get lost and it becomes a relationship based on transactions. In this setting, we are able to spend more time with patients, properly educate them on their medication and why they’re using it. The world is so busy and so fast paced these days, but here, things slow down a little bit and we’re truly able to help our patients.
Was there a defining moment where you thought this was going to be your career?
I’ve been working in the pharmacy arena since I was 16. My mother connected me with [her] friend who owned an independent pharmacy. I worked there as a cashier, and I watched how the patients came in and out of the pharmacy and how they respected the pharmacist. At that moment, that’s when I said, ‘I want to do this. I want to be a pharmacist.’
You’re from Fort Pierce Florida and attend college at FAMU. What made you decide to open your business in Charlotte?
I did an internship in Boston for a company that I worked for five years, and I put Charlotte on my list of places where I could potentially move. I had been in Florida all of my life; I grew up there; I went to school there; I felt like I needed a change. Once I came here, I saw that Charlotte was a city that was sort of a blank canvas. A lot of people are open to ideas here and the support here is amazing. When I decided to move from the corporate life to independent pharmacy, it was well received by the community. Charlotte is definitely a place where people will support you. You get that instant family here.

What challenges did you face while starting your business?
I think there’s a lack of clarity as to what you’ll need to start a business, and sometimes that lack of clarity can extend the time it takes for you to get up and running. Other potential road blocks could be zoning or marketing when you you’re trying to access the community. I wish Charlotte had a way to connect the city. It almost feels sometimes like we live in four different cities; north, south, east and west.
You came on our radar because of a tweet that went viral back in April. Tell us about that moment and your reaction?
I really couldn't believe that it had gone viral. When I started the pharmacy, I felt that it was necessary and realized it wasn’t something that happens often. I think my age had a lot to do with it, being that I was only 29 at the time I started the pharmacy. I also think that because this was a positive story about a black-owned business, it kind of resonates. The black community tends to hold on to those stories. We’re a pharmacy, but to our community, we’re a black-owned pharmacy and the community is proud of that.
When it happened, the phones rang off the hook. People I know who have been in the pharmaceutical industry for years were calling, wondering how we got that kind of exposure. We had people wanting to come by to take pictures. It felt really good to have that connection and that support from the community. It really allowed us to grow and connect with people who we might not have connected with otherwise.
What’s your take on the entrepreneurial in scene in Charlotte?
It was definitely new for me. I didn’t know of a lot of black entrepreneurs in Charlotte. I walked into this blind, not knowing a lot, but learning a lot very quickly. I think social media is one of the biggest ways to connect and bring individuals together. As far as black entrepreneurs in Charlotte, Charlotte is a great place to start business. But in Charlotte we have a of the same things being started, so I think that being creative and thinking outside of the box is important for longevity.

What advice would you offer to someone starting a small business?
Pick your team carefully. Make sure everyone on your team has the same vision and mission. When you’re a small business, every single person who is a part of your team represents you. You have to pick people who will help your business grow and who will represent your brand well when you’re not present.
It’s also important to network, network, and network. And network in different circles. If you go to four different networking events and you see the same people at each one, it’s time to expand your reach so you can be exposed to a more diverse group of people.
What are you plans for the future?
Healthcare is becoming something that people feel is out of reach. Here our motto is ‘passion over profit’. I think a model like this where you have a clinic and a pharmacy all I one space is important. Here we can see a patient’s overall wellness and provide options that cater to that persons budget. I hope that our business can become a model for the industry.
Article edited for brevity and clarity.
Related Resources
OpenCounter (a guide of permits to start or grow your small business)
Marketing Tips for your Business (CharlotteBusinessResources.com)
Charlotte Business Inclusion ( The Charlotte Business INClusion (CBI) Program seeks to enhance competition and participation of small, minority and women owned firms in City contracting and to promote economic growth and development in the City of Charlotte.)

