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What does being a female, minority-owned business mean to you?
It means celebrating diversity while inspiring other women of color that anything is possible!
Why do you think it’s important for people to research the company that they are buying from prior to making a purchase? Do you think many people do this already and does it influence their decision?
Personally, I research all brands I purchase from because I believe in karma and paying forward. People don’t realize how they directly impact the world through the decisions they make. We can help a community through one purchase or pollute the ocean with another. It’s important to choose companies that resonate with your core values. For me, it’s particularly important that a brand not only impacts their local communities but also considers how their products/services affect the earth.
Why do you think it is important for people to support smaller businesses, especially those that are female and/or minority-owned?
I think it’s incredibly important to support small businesses. If it happens to be women and/or minority owned, that’s a bonus. Our family makes an effort to support local small businesses whenever possible, especially restaurants during this pandemic.
How does it make you feel when people mention that they chose to purchase from the company because it is a sustainable, female and minority-owned business?
We feel incredibly humbled and blessed! This reaffirms that if you keep working hard and continue refining your skills, the sky's the limit.
What do you want people to take away from our business?
That just because we are in a high fashion industry, it doesn’t mean we can’t try our best to be sustainable + ethical. It’s pretty clear that consumers agree with our mantra. Mindful consumerism is 100% possible!
What advice do you have for all the women out there that are just starting a business or hope to in the future?
Never give up, especially when you are told “women” don’t excel in this industry or business. As a matter of fact, the more people questioned my passion, the harder I worked. We’re living proof that working hard and creating honest quality products leads to success, regardless of gender or the color of your skin!
As we discussed in a previous blog post about getting to know the both of you and the company, your mom Nancy was the one who started the business from humble beginnings. When asked about continuing the business after she retired, you (Shirley) mentioned, “It has always been a mission of my mother to support smaller businesses, especially women, whenever possible because it’s all the “small” parts that make a whole!”. Could you explain that a little more?
Happy to embellish! Our mom always believed that each person contributes a piece to our society. You may think that purchasing just a cup of coffee isn’t going to impact someone, you are wrong. From where the bean is sourced to the community picks it + processes it, to the mom and pop shop that pours it. Your purchase directly impacts every step of the journey. For us, where we source and who we source are material is extremely important because we believe in karma and our community as a whole. We never purchase from questionable sources and always offer fair prices to ensure everyone gets a fair cut. Our team of artisans are locally sourced and/or in house with fair market wages with a safe working environment. In addition, we work with partners to support this same mission as well. Every little bit helps make this world a better place.
Special thanks to Shirley for answering these questions! We hope this post gave a little more insight to our company, as well as provide a little inspiration to anyone out there to follow your dreams. As always, be sure to follow us on our socials, check out our website, and subscribe to our newsletter to see what’s new here at Love & Promise. Catch you next time, friends!
