Beauty Behind The Brands: Meet The Ambassadors Of ElevateHER 2023
Spread. the good news: ElevateHer is back, and we're highlighting five incredible Black women-led companies to serve as the ambassadors of this year's marketplace!
xoNecole's ElevateHer is back to close 2022 out with a bang, giving you the scoop on the most incredible, well-made, and unique Black woman-owned products to shop for the holidays. We want you to be inspired, not only with the brand new slate of products, but the ambitious Black women behind these brands: Lisette Scott, founder of the Caribbean-inspired jewelry line Jam+Rico, Stefania Okolie of the sleek and sexy athleisure line Solely Fit, the Stirrup sisters who co-founded curl-enhancing comb brand Kazmaleje, Teri Johnson, founder of luxury candle brand Harlem Candle Company, and Savonne Anderson, graphic designer turned founder of stationery company Aya Paper Co. We're excited to delve into all five of these founders and their road to entrepreneurship while discovering their tips for Black women who want to be their own boss.
Every day, Black women are hustling to carve out their own legacy through entrepreneurship. Whether it's in the service industry, e-commerce, or local brick-and-mortar establishments, we're seeing more and more Black women make the decision to become their own bosses and serve their communities by leveraging their talents. And we're showing no signs of slowing down.
In fact, Black women are the fastest-growing group of entrepreneurs in America right now, with 17% currently in the process of starting or already running new businesses, according to research by Harvard Business Review. That number is only expected to increase, as millennial and Gen Z Black women seek flexibility and autonomy in their careers and personal lives.
Our ElevateHer 2022 ambassadors know a thing or two about creating a brand that's built to last. Read their inspiring stories below.
LISETTE SCOTT, FOUNDER OF JAM + RICO
What inspired you to start your brand?
I have always had the desire to start my own business, but it took some time to know what that business would be. Growing up my dad constantly drilled it in my head to become my own boss. So, when I was working within corporate fashion and no longer felt valued as an employee, I decided to think about what the next step would be. I was no longer excited about applying for new jobs within the industry, so I started planning what type of business I wanted to build to become that boss my Dad always pushed me to be. Jam + Rico was born to creatively express myself in the midst of feeling confined within a corporate space. For a few years, I worked full-time and grew the brand until I felt comfortable taking that leap of faith to run my business full-time.
If could pick a favorite product within your line, what would it be?
Our cowrie bangles will forever and always be my answer! I LOVE THEM and wear them every day. I designed this bangle in memory of my grandmother who wore bangles every day. The sweet sound of her bangles jingling as she cooked, danced, and entered a room will always be a fond memory for me. The song that bangles create translated to my customers and their memories of their family members. So many customers have written to me sharing these memories and how they too now wear their Cowrie bangles every day. We will be designing some new bangles in our next collection to add to your stack!
What is the most fulfilling part of being in your industry?
I absolutely love my customers and meeting new people who enjoy what I create. I started the brand by participating in street pop-ups every weekend. What helped shape my brand was the one-on-one feedback I was able to receive weekly. Also, the courage to sell my brand and share my story. This same customer connection will always be a priority within my business. We want our customers to smile and find joy with each piece we create.
What can other Black women entrepreneurs do to elevate their businesses?
I believe setting goals for your brand is essential for elevating your business. I am a strong believer in writing it down and finding out ways to make it happen. Daily, business owners are set with the challenge of managing the business and we can get lost in that process. Weekly if you can set a goal to take your business to the next step, It will only push you forward!
STEFANIA OKOLIE, FOUNDER OF SOLELY FIT
What inspired you to start your brand?
I was inspired to start Solely Fit because I wanted to use this type of platform to bring a community of like-minded women together. For this community, my goal was to design defining pieces in which women would feel powerful, bold, and confident. I was equally inspired to start this brand because I wanted to tell stories through design. I was moved by the idea of different collections telling various stories that women can relate to.
If could pick a favorite product within your line, what would it be?
I'd say the Kandake bodysuit. This bodysuit was a part of our first capsule collection, "The Black Collection." To me, this bodysuit speaks to everything I feel represents my brand: boldness, edge, confidence, sexy, multifunction, and power. In other words, it was designed for women who want to feel and look like a superhero.
What is the most fulfilling part of being in your industry?
The most fulfilling part of this industry is having the power to make a woman feel confident and strong through design and storytelling. Every collection carries a certain energy and a storyline, considering these aspects is how I create designs. When I create, I have a strong woman in mind. It is challenging because you can't make everyone happy, but it is fulfilling because when you do realize who you are making happy. That's all the fulfillment you need.
What can other Black women entrepreneurs do to Elevate their businesses?
Stay the course and be patient. It is frustrating, we are overlooked, we are left out of funding conversations, and we are not taken seriously. But when you stay the course and show others what your creativity and production and drive looks like, not only does it help you scale your business, but it makes others a believer as well.
THE STIRRUP SISTERS, FOUNDERS OF KAZMALEJE
What inspired you to start your brand?
"I was inspired by my own wash day experience," says LaToya Stirrup, co-founder, and CEO of Kazmaleje. "I was tired of having excessive breakage when detangling my hair and seeing more hair in the comb than I was comfortable with. Instead of waiting for a larger brand to provide a solution, I started Kazmaleje (cos-mol-o-gy) with my two sisters to bring game-changing solutions to market - like our patent-pending, 5-star customer-rated, KurlsPlus Detanglers. These are hair tools that we designed to minimize breakage and reduce detangling time, all while being gentle on your hair and scalp."
If you could pick a favorite product within your line, what would it be?
"My personal favorite is our KurlsPlus Pick! It works as a great detangler for my short hair. It can add volume to my curls. And the best part of all, it fits in all of my bags so I can take it with me on-the-go. It’s great for my son’s hair too."
What is the most fulfilling part of being in your industry?
"The most fulfilling part of being in the beauty industry is being able to reimagine how women, men, and kids care for and experience their hair. To some, they may look at our brand and just see a line of combs. But to us, these are tools that we designed with specific features to address certain pain points and make caring for textured hair easier. Knowing that our hair tools have improved someone’s hair care routine truly makes it all worthwhile."
What can other Black women entrepreneurs do to Elevate their business?
"Connect, build and leverage their community. Many of the opportunities that have come our way were passed to us by someone we knew. Whether it was another founder sharing a resource or a customer sharing an Instagram post to alert us of a new grant opportunity, it all came by way of our connection to that person. Oftentimes, we as founders tend to feel like lone wolves, but we don’t have to be. Great things happen when we connect and share with those we meet on our journey."
TERI JOHNSON, FOUNDER OF HARLEM CANDLE COMPANY
What inspired you to start your brand?:
I've always been very fascinated and obsessed with beautiful fragrances. I used to buy beautiful and luxurious candles, and that was sort of my affordable luxury back in the day. Candles really enhanced my mood and my space ,and I just felt at peace when I always had a beautiful candle lit. So it really started from just being my own customer and thinking about what I would love to buy. I'd love to buy a scented candle that was very inspired, a candle that told a story. I decided to create Harlem Candle Co because I felt like we could do better in terms of the scented candles that were available. I felt like it was missing something that was evocative, especially of a time period that left such a mark in history.
If could pick a favorite product within your line, what would it be?
It's a scent called "After Dark." We just released it. It is really very sensual. There's something very sensual about this scent and you light this candle that makes you really want to curl up next to your significant other and just have a good time. You know? It's the kind of candle that I would tell people to light with intention. I think it's the perfect candle of the season when it's getting colder outside, so you're having more of those nights laying on the couch, listening to music, and having your favorite beverage... It's that kind of scent.
What is the most fulfilling part of being in your industry?
The most fulfilling part of me being an entrepreneur in home fragrances is my ability to be able to inspire other people. It makes me really happy knowing that I've influenced other people who have dreams of creating their own brands. And there was really no one else doing it before me, who looked like me. If my presence can open up the doors for other people and open up the windows of possibilities for people to see that it can be done, that makes me happy. That makes me very, very satisfied.
What can other Black women entrepreneurs do to Elevate their businesses?
You might have something that is just so beautifully created with so much intention, but if you don't have good product photography that can really capture the essence of the beautiful thing you made, then people are not going to see it in an elevated way. So if you have [a product] really invest in good product photography. Also, have a really solid bio. Hire a writer if you aren't great at writing. If there are certain things that you are deficient in, such as If you would get a B in that subject, then you need to find someone who would get an A and have that person do it. Everything needs to be tight because when they look at us, they already want to think that what we have is not good enough. They think that what we have is lesser than because of the color of our skin. So we have to be better than everyone.
What inspired you to start your brand?
I founded Aya Paper Co. in 2019 while working as a graphic designer at a New York City art museum and looking to pivot into entrepreneurship. As a lifelong lover of greeting cards and stationery, I was too familiar with the feeling of walking down the greeting card aisle and not finding anything that looks or sounds like me. And as an advocate of environmental justice, I was also aware of how much waste product-based businesses create. Aya was how I would meet a need for folks like me and make an impact on the world.
If could pick a favorite product within your line, what would it be?
The Kinfolk collection is definitely my favorite part of our line. These greeting cards feature bold illustrations of Black family life: a mother styling her child’s hair, a father holding his children, lovers cuddling on a sofa. The series was inspired by my own family photo archives in an effort to showcase the beauty and love in our everyday experiences.
What is the most fulfilling part of being in your industry?
Being in the greeting card industry is fulfilling because I get to see the impact our designs are having on people’s lives. Black people don’t really get to see ourselves, our culture, and our relationships represented in the greeting card aisles. So when they see a card from Aya, the joy is tangible! It feels great to create products that help Black folks celebrate authentically.
What can other Black women entrepreneurs do to Elevate their businesses?
My biggest piece of advice is to never be ashamed to ask for help for your business. Sometimes it can be hard to admit that you don’t know what you’re doing, but the faster you set your ego aside, the faster you can get the support you need. Whether it’s help with financial forecasting, advice for retail placement, or how to trademark your brand, there are people who have the resources and information you need to level up. So make that call, send that email, and give that elevator pitch whenever you are feeling stuck.
RELATED
At the top of 2022, I started diving deeper into human design and used it to harness my energy, avoid burnout, and attract aligned opportunities to my life. And, honestly, it has been life-changing! So let’s get into it!
While other self-discovery tools may help us understand how we are, human design can help us understand our core energy power and how we can optimize it to be who we are meant to be. The practice combines aspects of Astrology, numerology, Kabbalah, chakras, and I Ching to create a blueprint unique to each individual.
At its core, human design is based on the understanding that individuals are composed of nine energy centers or chakras, which are all interconnected. These centers influence various aspects of our lives, including relationships, career choices, health, and emotions. By understanding our personal energy centers, we can begin to recognize patterns within our lives that may no longer serve us and make informed decisions about changes we would like to make to create more balance and harmony. What’s not to love?
Well, while all of that sounds great, let’s get back to my main point: I really didn’t understand what any of that meant when I first looked up human design. If that’s you right now, I’ll break it down for you below.
Finding Your Human Design Type
Human design is based on five distinct energy types: Generators, Manifestors, Projectors, Reflectors, and Manifesting Generators. Each type brings a unique set of gifts and challenges, but all require a conscious approach to channeling one’s power to be successful.
You can quickly search human design calculator to find your type. All you’ll need is your date, time, and place of birth.
Now I will need you to get that time of birth precisely right because I fumbled mine by a few minutes and got a completely different type. (If you’re not sure when you were born, it’s time to call your mama!)
When you get your chart, it will say several things, but today, we will focus on each type’s strategy (how to align with your type’s unique power) and not-self theme (how you’ll know you’re not in alignment with your strategy).
The Five Human Design Types
hip hop squares intuition GIF by VH1Giphy1. Generators
We’re kicking it off with Generators because it’s likely that you are one. They make up about 70% of the planet (including manifesting generators); as the name implies, these folks have undeniable energy. They are the busy bees of the world and were made to build.
If you’re a Generator, your strategy is to respond, not to initiate! That can feel confusing because we usually hear we should go out and chase what we want. But you have a unique way you should go about it.
When looking at a human design chart, Generators will always have a defined sacral center. This gives you the capacity to generate energy for life and work. Your strategy to respond also means that you need to trust your intuition. Instead of chasing after any and everything because you can, you need to use your intuition and your endless supply of energy “to respond” to those opportunities that light you up.
Check your chart for your “authority,” which will give you deeper insight into your decision-making process.
And trust me, opportunities will come left and right because being a Generator means you have an open and enveloping aura constantly pulling life towards you.
When you ignore the above by initiating or chasing opportunities instead of responding, not checking in with your authority, and choosing opportunities that are just “okay,” you will activate your not-self theme of frustration, feeling “stuck,” and you can even end up quitting.
When a Generator lives in alignment with their human design, they will experience their signature: satisfaction.
2. Manifesting Generators
Manifesting Generators are part of that 70% of generators in the world. And much of what is true for a Generator is true for a Manifesting Generator. Similar to pure Generators, Manifesting Generators respond to life through their defined sacral center before initiating and they utilize a strategy of waiting to respond before initiating energy.
The difference between Generators and Manifesting Generators is that Manifesting Generators are designed to move from responding to initiating quickly—basically, they go in hot! For this reason, you can sometimes seem restless or impatient as your human design type is coupled with the desire to act even though there is an intrinsic need to wait.
But just like that spark can burst into a flame that will get you going on your next project, it can quickly burn out when it’s not the right project. So once again, tune in to your authority and respond to the right opportunities.
When a Manifesting Generator lives in alignment with their human design, they will experience their signature: freedom.
Snl Season 47 GIF by Saturday Night LiveGiphy3. Manifestors
Don’t shoot the messenger, but, Manifestors are the only ones that should be initiating. These folks make up about 9% of the world and are here to get things started! They are innovative, thriving off freedom and autonomy.
The unique Manifestor magic is in their strategy to inform. Not everyone's ready to handle a Manifestor's powerful impact. Your aura is naturally closed-off and repelling, which can be intimidating for some. Some folks may feel energetically off around a Manifestor and not even understand why. Others may perceive a Manifestor as arrogant.
But because you have a defined throat center in your chart, you are very influential when you speak. Opening up and informing other types about your big plans can relax the energy around you, allowing you to initiate in peace. While you may be tempted to move in silence, you’re not a sacral being like the Generators and may not have the energy to carry out your big plans.
Manifestors are among the types that are recommended to work less than 6 hours a day. Not only may you need to get buy-in for your plans, but not informing can set off your not-self theme anger which will only increase the resistance to your plans.
When Manifestor lives in alignment with their human design, they will experience their signature: peace.
4. Projectors
Now, remember how I told you to make sure you got the time right when calculating your type? Well, I first got a Manifestor, which is so dope, right? I’m the ONLY type that gets to initiate? Heck yes! Welp, I ended up being a Projector, and it turns out that instead of being able to initiate, my strategy was to…wait for an invitation? I was confused and lowkey disappointed, but now I get it!
To all my Projectors, we make up about 20% of the world. We are the seers and guides of society. We have an absorbing and penetrating aura that allows us to see deeply into people and things in a way that no other type can, so it’s easy for us to bring ideas to life by directing energy and helping others reach their potential. That’s why we make such fantastic leaders, guides, and advisors.
Our strategy is to wait for the invitation. While we may so easily see the inefficiencies at work or the incompatibility of our friend’s relationship, when we are not recognized and invited in to offer our two cents, we can quickly be hit with a “who asked you?” or worse, we are ignored.
Especially regarding careers, relationships, and big moves, we need to be recognized for our strengths and invited in to share more of them. That means we do not go out chasing opportunities, but instead, we work on embodying the kind of person invited to the opportunities we want and placing ourselves to be seen and recognized. Start tuning in. What are folks always telling you you’re good at, thanking you for, or telling you you should do? Those are already invitations for you from life.
This is hard because every message about success tells us to do the opposite. But what happens when you don’t do this? When you try to force things, and they inevitably don’t go as planned? We activate our not-self theme of bitterness.
But here’s the good news, when a Projector lives in alignment with their human design, they will experience their signature: success.
Serenity Now Meditation GIF by MOODMANGiphy5. Reflectors
Finally, we have the rarest of them all! Reflectors comprise just one percent of the population and are the ultimate chameleons. Reflectors have a unique ability to observe and discern their environment in profound ways, deeply understanding the people, places, and energy around them.
They don’t have defined centers, so they can both accurately reflect their observations and easily become influenced by outside energy sources. Because of this, their strategy is to wait a lunar cycle before making decisions.
Reflectors must use this innate sensitivity to carefully choose who they spend time with, investing in those who feel elevating and expansive while avoiding anything toxic or draining.
Additionally, solo time is fundamental for Reflectors so they can take the necessary breaks from absorbing others’ energies and reset.
When a reflector lives in alignment with their human design, they will experience their signature: harmony.
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Featured image by Diana Simumpande on Unsplash
Originally published on February 6, 2023