reminds me of a movie i once saw:))
another great one:))
even more ideas:))
Monday, January 30, 2012
it's not what you think:))
Check it out! lots of great info!:))
I love the necklace in this video!
and they laugh at me when i want 2 wear different earrings!!:)) u got 2bu:))
I love the necklace in this video!
and they laugh at me when i want 2 wear different earrings!!:)) u got 2bu:))
Happy Birthday!!
Happy Birthday!1 to the one the ony Oprah Winfrey:)0 we share the same month which is so cool!! maybe i don't agree with her on everything hook line and sinker but I will say she's one of those who have impacted so many lives and has given so much to others .So celebrate your day with all the wonderful gifts that life has to offer! By the way what do you buy for someone like her????:))
Award Season!
It's Award season ladies! here are a few pictures from The Golden Globes,Stellars,Bet Honors,SAG awars etc 2102 awaeds season off 2 a busy start!! next up the grammys:))
Du Buh Du Designs! Thank you for sharing this:))
What and amazing Talent!! So blown away by his gift of making puppets! I love the way this is shot! love how all his gifts flow into another and the outcome becomes a treasure that will be past down for many generations 2 come!! just hope he has fire insurance:))
Process: Marionettes with Geahk Burchill from Etsy on Vimeo.
can't contain the creative process
When i stared creating my line of greeting cards it was all about one thing! now that i have been exposed to the world of utube i realize a whole new worls has opened up 2 me.So i'm also in the process of creating a home decor line as well!! for all you Fab art Lovers out there!!:))
more ideas for me:))
more ideas for me:))
Make it monday
In the middle of learning how to make my own earrings ! and came across a few utube channels.u may not like the styles but these videos are giving me some wonderful ideas!!!!
here's another utube video and someone who would inspire me to create another new line of gc:)
Another cool line of earrings as well!! You should check out the website as well !! it's a long video so i suggest move your mouse 2 the end unless you want 2 sit for 13 minutes which is up 2 u:) www.hausofswag.com
here's another utube video and someone who would inspire me to create another new line of gc:)
Another cool line of earrings as well!! You should check out the website as well !! it's a long video so i suggest move your mouse 2 the end unless you want 2 sit for 13 minutes which is up 2 u:) www.hausofswag.com
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Wisdom
Trust me this is the last video of the day! you know you have those days when you need a word 2 keep your head above ground cause you can feel bogged in by the day it's in those moments you find just the right thing that keeps you going after what it is you see in your head!I just really feel that 2012 will be a year unlike any other not because I say so but the daily choices that i'm choosing 2 make.2b honest it's all about confronting alot of fears and coming out of my long overdue comfort zones.Like Joyce Myers always says do it afraid!!!:) but just do it!!
Hair it is:)
I'm not one 2 tell you how you should wear your hair!Cause at the end of it all it should always change like the way you wear a different pair of earrings!! have fun life is 2 short 2 get caught up in hair drama!you maybe team fro! or team perm the napps away! no matter if you wig it weave it perm it etc!! just have fun!!! after all we are not our hair right??:))
In Our Heads About Our Hair - Trailer from Hemamset Angaza on Vimeo.
Saturday, January 21, 2012
Thursday, January 19, 2012
So many times me and my sisters have been told that our niece Kaia should be a model! well after seeing this story today I think somebody may be trying 2 tell us something:))
Cindy Crawford’s Daughter Makes Modeling Debut in Versace Campaign
Cindy Crawford's daughter, Kaia Gerber, is the new face of Young Versace
Cindy Crawford is arguably one of the best supermodels ever, and now her lookalike daughter is fast-tracked for a similar career. While the 45-year-old is retired from the runway, her 10-year-old offspring, Kaia Gerber, is picking up where her mom left off, posing for the new Young Versace campaign. In her modeling debut, Kaia (whose father is entrepreneur Rande Gerber) shows she's definitely inherited her mother's photogenic qualities.
Check out Cindy Crawford's still-fab bikini body
In the 1990s, Crawford took the fashion industry by storm and served as muse to the late Gianni Versace. It's only fitting that her daughter Kaia would now be the face of the Young Versace line, which outfits children up to age 12. The Daily Mail reports that Crawford couldn't be more proud of her stunning little girl.
"I'm so thrilled that Kaia was chosen to be part of the first Young Versace Campaign," Crawford said in a Versace press release. "I have so many fond memories of the times I spent with Gianni and Donatella. There is something so very special about the House of Versace." Crawford was on-set to watch her daughter pose for the campaign photos, shot by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. The supermodel called it a "fantastic experience."
Cindy Crawford with her son Presley Gerber (left) and daughter Kaia Gerber (right) at a fundraiser in 2010.
Donatella Versace, the label's creative director, is equally thrilled with the new campaign. "Like her mother, Kaia has a very special gift. The camera really, really loves her," Versace said in the press statement. "Having Cindy on-set for the shoot took me back to all the amazing [Richard] Avedon shoots we worked on together. It was such a special treat watching Kaia walk in her mother's footsteps!"
As the luxury children's market continues to grow, the first Young Versace standalone boutique opened last year in Milan, Italy next to Versace headquarters and the Versace Home boutique. "This is a high-end, glamorous and colorful collection in line with the brand's essence, with a touch of rock 'n' roll," Versace's Chief Executive Officer, Gian Giamcomo Ferraris, told Female First in 2011. "Donatella Versace strongly supports and is behind the project." Young Versace is also currently available in specialty boutiques and department stores worldwide.
Cindy Crawford’s Daughter Makes Modeling Debut in Versace Campaign
Cindy Crawford's daughter, Kaia Gerber, is the new face of Young Versace
Cindy Crawford is arguably one of the best supermodels ever, and now her lookalike daughter is fast-tracked for a similar career. While the 45-year-old is retired from the runway, her 10-year-old offspring, Kaia Gerber, is picking up where her mom left off, posing for the new Young Versace campaign. In her modeling debut, Kaia (whose father is entrepreneur Rande Gerber) shows she's definitely inherited her mother's photogenic qualities.
Check out Cindy Crawford's still-fab bikini body
In the 1990s, Crawford took the fashion industry by storm and served as muse to the late Gianni Versace. It's only fitting that her daughter Kaia would now be the face of the Young Versace line, which outfits children up to age 12. The Daily Mail reports that Crawford couldn't be more proud of her stunning little girl.
"I'm so thrilled that Kaia was chosen to be part of the first Young Versace Campaign," Crawford said in a Versace press release. "I have so many fond memories of the times I spent with Gianni and Donatella. There is something so very special about the House of Versace." Crawford was on-set to watch her daughter pose for the campaign photos, shot by fashion photographers Mert Alas and Marcus Piggott. The supermodel called it a "fantastic experience."
Cindy Crawford with her son Presley Gerber (left) and daughter Kaia Gerber (right) at a fundraiser in 2010.
Donatella Versace, the label's creative director, is equally thrilled with the new campaign. "Like her mother, Kaia has a very special gift. The camera really, really loves her," Versace said in the press statement. "Having Cindy on-set for the shoot took me back to all the amazing [Richard] Avedon shoots we worked on together. It was such a special treat watching Kaia walk in her mother's footsteps!"
As the luxury children's market continues to grow, the first Young Versace standalone boutique opened last year in Milan, Italy next to Versace headquarters and the Versace Home boutique. "This is a high-end, glamorous and colorful collection in line with the brand's essence, with a touch of rock 'n' roll," Versace's Chief Executive Officer, Gian Giamcomo Ferraris, told Female First in 2011. "Donatella Versace strongly supports and is behind the project." Young Versace is also currently available in specialty boutiques and department stores worldwide.
Real Talk: Do We Believe All 'Black Is Beautiful'
Do we as a collective really think Black is beautiful?
We all know the “right” response to that particular question…but there are so many other things we say that might be outing our honest feelings, our un-PC private thoughts.
Yesterday, I was reading “On Baby Blue Ivy Carter and the Alleged Ugliness of Blackness” on Colorlines. Writer Akiba Solomon also had picked up on a startling trend I noticed in comments about Jay-Z and Beyonce’s new addition: backhanded well-wishes to the couple, hoping that Baby Girl Carter looked more like her mother and less like her father. Solomon equated reading so many negative stories about Baby Blue as “walking among stunted souls who traffic in the idea that the full lips, large eyes, broad nose and dark brown skin of a Jay-Z is inherently ugly.”
Let’s admit it: A lot of us are bamboozled, led astray, and just plain brainwashed when it comes to what traits we find attractive on Black people. It’s no accident that the Black women whose beauty we fawn over — the Beyonces and Rihannas and Halle Berrys — all happen to be on the lighter end of the Black color spectrum. It’s no secret that we as a people equate lightness with beauty. Ask any woman who failed the brown paper bag test, who grew up hearing she was “pretty for a dark girl” – as if to be both is some sort of inherent contradiction, and she just happened to strike gold. But the color issue is just scratching the surface.
If some of us are very honest, we’ll acknowledge that there are only certain “Black” physical features that we as a collective find attractive. Curves? A blessing and curse. Full lips? Eh… depends on how full. Broad nose? On women, not at all. On men? Some get a pass, but not Jay-Z. Kinky hair? Not so much. There’s a reason most Black women “prefer” perms and even a lot of natural girls spend an inordinate amount of time and product trying to reconfigure their coils into curls.
Granted, there’s good reason for all this. We’ve heard negative messages about our looks since slavery, and we’ve passed down the destruction through generations. It comes from grandmothers who told us to “stay out of the sun!”, mothers who may have urged us to consider a man’s hair or complexion to assess his worth as a partner, aunties who discouraged us from wearing our hair naturally. And we live in a culture where we are bombarded with images that practically scream white is somehow more right, more beautiful, mo' better.
Our history is what it is, but where does the ignorance finally stop? Each time we repeat what’s been ingrained in us, we spread our self-hate just a little bit further, embed it deeper in ourselves, and guarantee it will be instilled in generations to come. We'll never do better if we don't actually, well, do better.
Do we as a collective really think Black is beautiful?
We all know the “right” response to that particular question…but there are so many other things we say that might be outing our honest feelings, our un-PC private thoughts.
Yesterday, I was reading “On Baby Blue Ivy Carter and the Alleged Ugliness of Blackness” on Colorlines. Writer Akiba Solomon also had picked up on a startling trend I noticed in comments about Jay-Z and Beyonce’s new addition: backhanded well-wishes to the couple, hoping that Baby Girl Carter looked more like her mother and less like her father. Solomon equated reading so many negative stories about Baby Blue as “walking among stunted souls who traffic in the idea that the full lips, large eyes, broad nose and dark brown skin of a Jay-Z is inherently ugly.”
Let’s admit it: A lot of us are bamboozled, led astray, and just plain brainwashed when it comes to what traits we find attractive on Black people. It’s no accident that the Black women whose beauty we fawn over — the Beyonces and Rihannas and Halle Berrys — all happen to be on the lighter end of the Black color spectrum. It’s no secret that we as a people equate lightness with beauty. Ask any woman who failed the brown paper bag test, who grew up hearing she was “pretty for a dark girl” – as if to be both is some sort of inherent contradiction, and she just happened to strike gold. But the color issue is just scratching the surface.
If some of us are very honest, we’ll acknowledge that there are only certain “Black” physical features that we as a collective find attractive. Curves? A blessing and curse. Full lips? Eh… depends on how full. Broad nose? On women, not at all. On men? Some get a pass, but not Jay-Z. Kinky hair? Not so much. There’s a reason most Black women “prefer” perms and even a lot of natural girls spend an inordinate amount of time and product trying to reconfigure their coils into curls.
Granted, there’s good reason for all this. We’ve heard negative messages about our looks since slavery, and we’ve passed down the destruction through generations. It comes from grandmothers who told us to “stay out of the sun!”, mothers who may have urged us to consider a man’s hair or complexion to assess his worth as a partner, aunties who discouraged us from wearing our hair naturally. And we live in a culture where we are bombarded with images that practically scream white is somehow more right, more beautiful, mo' better.
Our history is what it is, but where does the ignorance finally stop? Each time we repeat what’s been ingrained in us, we spread our self-hate just a little bit further, embed it deeper in ourselves, and guarantee it will be instilled in generations to come. We'll never do better if we don't actually, well, do better.
Friday, January 13, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
First lady Interview
Have to admit I enjoyed this interview!! Gayle King did a great job she seemed so relaxed and so did the first lady! I guess things are off too a great start for Mrs.King:)
Monday, January 9, 2012
this is worth a repeat!!:))
Just sending this out to Teabow & Tyler Keep your heads up! and never worry about those sitting still on the sidelines!! they just wish they were you:))
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Fashion Rocks Friday!!!!
Oh so fresh & Funky! I guess that's how you roll when you live in a big city!!! Having your own style! and not worry about what everyone else thinks about it! well that's called freedom!!:)) styles that inspire me!
New line!!
I'm all about the saying that what you make happen for others the same will happen for you! Well I came across this young ladies stationery line through a random google search! I fell in love with the style! it's fresh,modern and new and oh so funky!! I hope that you enjoy this interview that i also found through another seach courtesy of google:))
Morehead’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2003, when she unexpectedly became the belle of the ball. While serving as a board member for her local Urban League chapter, Morehead was tasked with coordinating the guest list and invitations for the organization’s annual gala. But when she discovered that funds for the event had already been allocated to other line items, rendering her unable to hire a graphic designer, she ended up creating the invitations herself.
Over the next few years, she would occasionally dabble in creating customized pieces for friends and family members, but it wasn’t until December 2010, during the holiday season, that she started seriously thinking about how to turn her hobby into a lucrative business.
“I’ve always been the hostess/event planner of the group, and when I would research invitations for people of color, I found the offerings were all the same, with outdated images or stereotypical expressions,” said Morehead. “And it wasn’t until I started getting repeat requests to create one-of-a-kind stationery that the light finally went off for me that this might actually work.”
It was this series of events that led Allyson to officially launch Sweet Potato Paper, a line of customized multicultural invitations for weddings, bridal showers, baptisms, parties and more this past summer.
“I wanted to create invitations that celebrated one’s culture—not image—and that were modern and unique in style,” said Morehead.
To that effect, Sweet Potato Paper gives clients the ability to create personalized packages based on the traits, trends, and experiences celebrated in their own backyard—such as hairstyles, skin tones and expressions.
Although the company, run from Morehead’s Upper Marlboro, MD home, with a satellite office in D.C. is still in its infancy, they’ve enjoyed a steadily increasing amount of sales success since the launch.
Allyson recently sat down with Madame Noire to talk about what it’s like to enter an established market, how she’s juggling a full-time job and a side-venture and what’s next for Sweet Potato Paper
Morehead’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2003, when she unexpectedly became the belle of the ball. While serving as a board member for her local Urban League chapter, Morehead was tasked with coordinating the guest list and invitations for the organization’s annual gala. But when she discovered that funds for the event had already been allocated to other line items, rendering her unable to hire a graphic designer, she ended up creating the invitations herself.
Over the next few years, she would occasionally dabble in creating customized pieces for friends and family members, but it wasn’t until December 2010, during the holiday season, that she started seriously thinking about how to turn her hobby into a lucrative business.
“I’ve always been the hostess/event planner of the group, and when I would research invitations for people of color, I found the offerings were all the same, with outdated images or stereotypical expressions,” said Morehead. “And it wasn’t until I started getting repeat requests to create one-of-a-kind stationery that the light finally went off for me that this might actually work.”
It was this series of events that led Allyson to officially launch Sweet Potato Paper, a line of customized multicultural invitations for weddings, bridal showers, baptisms, parties and more this past summer.
“I wanted to create invitations that celebrated one’s culture—not image—and that were modern and unique in style,” said Morehead.
To that effect, Sweet Potato Paper gives clients the ability to create personalized packages based on the traits, trends, and experiences celebrated in their own backyard—such as hairstyles, skin tones and expressions.
Although the company, run from Morehead’s Upper Marlboro, MD home, with a satellite office in D.C. is still in its infancy, they’ve enjoyed a steadily increasing amount of sales success since the launch.
Allyson recently sat down with Madame Noire to talk about what it’s like to enter an established market, how she’s juggling a full-time job and a side-venture and what’s next for Sweet Potato Paper
MN: Prior to launching Sweet Potato Paper where did you work, and did you have a background in graphic design and print making?
I do not come from a traditional design background. In fact, I was a sociology major in college. But, I was lucky enough to have a colleague, at the American Friends Service Committee where I worked in California, teach me everything about the fundamentals of graphic design and how to use various software programs in her spare time.
Everything I’ve learned since then, I’ve taught myself through trial and error.
And prior to launching my company, I worked as the Director of Marketing for the Maryland Institute College of Art, where I am currently still employed.
MN: What inspired you to name the company Sweet Potato Paper?
I wanted the name to be fun and cute but still be something that meant something to me on a personal level.
So the inspiration to name the company Sweet Potato Paper came from the fond memory of my grandmother’s signature Sweet Potato Pies and I used a historical homage to George Washington Carver who used sweet potatoes to make both ink and paper.
Fingerprint Stationary from Sweet Potato Paper
MN: Are you a solo entrepreneur or do you have an in-house team?
I currently employ a small team of 4 that includes myself, a business manager, and two interns.
All of our printing is done with a large commercial printer, and we use a union-run printing company in Maryland, for any special invitation requests, such as one we had recently that required that the invites be made of wood.
MN: You’re going up against giants like Hallmark and American Greetings, which could be seen as an impassable barrier to entry. Both of those companies have lines targeted toward multicultural audiences. Do you view them as competition?
Initially, it was a recurring thought but I believe Sweet Potato Paper is much better positioned for success with a [polyethnic] audience.
The product that larger companies are selling is racially relevant, but it isn’t culturally relevant. For instance, you’d be hard-pressed to find stationery for interracial couples.
I think these companies are charting unfamiliar territory when it comes to dealing with culture because they don’t understand it and haven’t done the research to make sure that their product is resonating. It’s gotten to the point that my white friends won’t buy me a celebratory card that has any cultural references because they are afraid that one of them may be offensive.
My goal with Sweet Potato Paper was to create something that everyone could embrace.
MN: What were some of the barriers or obstacles you faced before, during and after the launch of your company?
Capital. Capital. Capital. And Time.
People want to be successful, but they never anticipate how to deal with what comes with success. We launched a few months ago and we’ve experienced a tremendous amount of support right out of the gate. And because I didn’t have the capital to expand popular product lines or areas of the business, I had to prioritize more, while trying to increase sales and still hold down my full-time job.
Now that I’ve seen the positive response to what we’re doing and have some idea about how to position the company, I’m getting to the point where I’ll start a dialogue with investors to figure out how to bring in the capital we need to organically grow the company and build the brand.
MN: Has it been hard trying to convert an audience that is increasing looking to digital-only companies to create their stationery?
Everyone is saying that the paper business is dead, but I beg to differ. In fact, the stationery market is expected to increase by 6 percent over the next five years and that growth will be evenly distributed between print and digital.
You’d be surprised that even with great online alternatives, people still want to touch and feel something. It’s really all about the total experience for an event and having a physical invitation enhances that. It’s kind of like getting flowers. Nowadays, when you get flowers, it stands out as a memory in your mind because it’s not that common.
It’s the same way with paper stationery and invitations. It adds a personal touch.
MN: What advice would you give someone who wanted to get into the stationery business?
Figure out what your brand aesthetic will be. And find mentors that can help you and give you business advice. When I knew that I was going to launch this company, I remember reaching out to people of color in the industry, but some of them were very protective of trade secrets and weren’t very supportive. So finding someone who has your best interests in mind and can guide you along the way is super important.
And know whether or not you want to do this as a hobby or a business. Because you need to think of everything you create as a tangible product and be open to criticism and collaboration to succeed.
MN: What’s the most important business lessons you’ve learned since launching Sweet Potato Paper?
Be realistic. And pace yourself.
You may have grand ideas about what you want your baby to become, and how you’re going to open up a storefront on the busiest street in your city, but then once the orders come in you realize just how much work it’s all going to be.
So the key is to set really good milestones, so that you can plan for the inevitable highs and lows. And so that you won’t be disappointed when things don’t happen immediately.
MN: You said earlier that you work from home. How do you manage to stay focused and motivated after coming home from your day job?
I don’t have a bed or a television.
When I first moved into my apartment, I was thinking about how everything was going to be set up and what type of bed I was going to get. But then I made the commitment to this company and I knew that if I got a comfortable bed, then I’d most likely want to sleep in it too.
So instead, I invested in a slightly uncomfortable futon and the rest of the space is set up like an office with a huge desk and several computers and printers. So essentially, I live in my office versus having an office in my house.
These were all deliberate choices that I made, because I want to be successful and eventually open a store. So I knew there’d be a sacrifice.
MN: How do you decompress when you’re not working your full-time job or your growing side-venture?
When I’m not working, which is rare, I try and focus entirely on doing things that I enjoy. This could mean pampering myself at the hair salon or the spa, spending time with my beau or traveling which is something that I absolutely love to do.
And once a month I host a brunch at a restaurant in DC with other women entrepreneurs. Most of them are artisans and creatives so we trade stories and tips and it becomes just another day on the town with your girlfriends.
MN: What’s next for Sweet Potato Paper?
We’re gearing up for the launch of our 2011 holiday collection and preparing to enter the digital invitation market in early 2012.
We are also beginning to film our new web series entitled, Sweet Life, which will serve as our outlet to answer frequently asked questions and provide stationery etiquette tips and tricks.
To purchase, visit www.sweetpotatopaper.com. Sweet Potato Paper can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/sweetpotatopaper and on Twitter @taterpaper.
Sakita Holley is the founder and CEO of House of Success, where she advises lifestyle brands on social media best practices, branding and traditional public relations strategies. Follow her on Twitter @MissSuccess.
Morehead’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2003, when she unexpectedly became the belle of the ball. While serving as a board member for her local Urban League chapter, Morehead was tasked with coordinating the guest list and invitations for the organization’s annual gala. But when she discovered that funds for the event had already been allocated to other line items, rendering her unable to hire a graphic designer, she ended up creating the invitations herself.
Over the next few years, she would occasionally dabble in creating customized pieces for friends and family members, but it wasn’t until December 2010, during the holiday season, that she started seriously thinking about how to turn her hobby into a lucrative business.
“I’ve always been the hostess/event planner of the group, and when I would research invitations for people of color, I found the offerings were all the same, with outdated images or stereotypical expressions,” said Morehead. “And it wasn’t until I started getting repeat requests to create one-of-a-kind stationery that the light finally went off for me that this might actually work.”
It was this series of events that led Allyson to officially launch Sweet Potato Paper, a line of customized multicultural invitations for weddings, bridal showers, baptisms, parties and more this past summer.
“I wanted to create invitations that celebrated one’s culture—not image—and that were modern and unique in style,” said Morehead.
To that effect, Sweet Potato Paper gives clients the ability to create personalized packages based on the traits, trends, and experiences celebrated in their own backyard—such as hairstyles, skin tones and expressions.
Although the company, run from Morehead’s Upper Marlboro, MD home, with a satellite office in D.C. is still in its infancy, they’ve enjoyed a steadily increasing amount of sales success since the launch.
Allyson recently sat down with Madame Noire to talk about what it’s like to enter an established market, how she’s juggling a full-time job and a side-venture and what’s next for Sweet Potato Paper
Morehead’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2003, when she unexpectedly became the belle of the ball. While serving as a board member for her local Urban League chapter, Morehead was tasked with coordinating the guest list and invitations for the organization’s annual gala. But when she discovered that funds for the event had already been allocated to other line items, rendering her unable to hire a graphic designer, she ended up creating the invitations herself.
Over the next few years, she would occasionally dabble in creating customized pieces for friends and family members, but it wasn’t until December 2010, during the holiday season, that she started seriously thinking about how to turn her hobby into a lucrative business.
“I’ve always been the hostess/event planner of the group, and when I would research invitations for people of color, I found the offerings were all the same, with outdated images or stereotypical expressions,” said Morehead. “And it wasn’t until I started getting repeat requests to create one-of-a-kind stationery that the light finally went off for me that this might actually work.”
It was this series of events that led Allyson to officially launch Sweet Potato Paper, a line of customized multicultural invitations for weddings, bridal showers, baptisms, parties and more this past summer.
“I wanted to create invitations that celebrated one’s culture—not image—and that were modern and unique in style,” said Morehead.
To that effect, Sweet Potato Paper gives clients the ability to create personalized packages based on the traits, trends, and experiences celebrated in their own backyard—such as hairstyles, skin tones and expressions.
Although the company, run from Morehead’s Upper Marlboro, MD home, with a satellite office in D.C. is still in its infancy, they’ve enjoyed a steadily increasing amount of sales success since the launch.
Allyson recently sat down with Madame Noire to talk about what it’s like to enter an established market, how she’s juggling a full-time job and a side-venture and what’s next for Sweet Potato Paper
MN: Prior to launching Sweet Potato Paper where did you work, and did you have a background in graphic design and print making?
I do not come from a traditional design background. In fact, I was a sociology major in college. But, I was lucky enough to have a colleague, at the American Friends Service Committee where I worked in California, teach me everything about the fundamentals of graphic design and how to use various software programs in her spare time.
Everything I’ve learned since then, I’ve taught myself through trial and error.
And prior to launching my company, I worked as the Director of Marketing for the Maryland Institute College of Art, where I am currently still employed.
MN: What inspired you to name the company Sweet Potato Paper?
I wanted the name to be fun and cute but still be something that meant something to me on a personal level.
So the inspiration to name the company Sweet Potato Paper came from the fond memory of my grandmother’s signature Sweet Potato Pies and I used a historical homage to George Washington Carver who used sweet potatoes to make both ink and paper.
Fingerprint Stationary from Sweet Potato Paper
MN: Are you a solo entrepreneur or do you have an in-house team?
I currently employ a small team of 4 that includes myself, a business manager, and two interns.
All of our printing is done with a large commercial printer, and we use a union-run printing company in Maryland, for any special invitation requests, such as one we had recently that required that the invites be made of wood.
MN: You’re going up against giants like Hallmark and American Greetings, which could be seen as an impassable barrier to entry. Both of those companies have lines targeted toward multicultural audiences. Do you view them as competition?
Initially, it was a recurring thought but I believe Sweet Potato Paper is much better positioned for success with a [polyethnic] audience.
The product that larger companies are selling is racially relevant, but it isn’t culturally relevant. For instance, you’d be hard-pressed to find stationery for interracial couples.
I think these companies are charting unfamiliar territory when it comes to dealing with culture because they don’t understand it and haven’t done the research to make sure that their product is resonating. It’s gotten to the point that my white friends won’t buy me a celebratory card that has any cultural references because they are afraid that one of them may be offensive.
My goal with Sweet Potato Paper was to create something that everyone could embrace.
MN: What were some of the barriers or obstacles you faced before, during and after the launch of your company?
Capital. Capital. Capital. And Time.
People want to be successful, but they never anticipate how to deal with what comes with success. We launched a few months ago and we’ve experienced a tremendous amount of support right out of the gate. And because I didn’t have the capital to expand popular product lines or areas of the business, I had to prioritize more, while trying to increase sales and still hold down my full-time job.
Now that I’ve seen the positive response to what we’re doing and have some idea about how to position the company, I’m getting to the point where I’ll start a dialogue with investors to figure out how to bring in the capital we need to organically grow the company and build the brand.
MN: Has it been hard trying to convert an audience that is increasing looking to digital-only companies to create their stationery?
Everyone is saying that the paper business is dead, but I beg to differ. In fact, the stationery market is expected to increase by 6 percent over the next five years and that growth will be evenly distributed between print and digital.
You’d be surprised that even with great online alternatives, people still want to touch and feel something. It’s really all about the total experience for an event and having a physical invitation enhances that. It’s kind of like getting flowers. Nowadays, when you get flowers, it stands out as a memory in your mind because it’s not that common.
It’s the same way with paper stationery and invitations. It adds a personal touch.
MN: What advice would you give someone who wanted to get into the stationery business?
Figure out what your brand aesthetic will be. And find mentors that can help you and give you business advice. When I knew that I was going to launch this company, I remember reaching out to people of color in the industry, but some of them were very protective of trade secrets and weren’t very supportive. So finding someone who has your best interests in mind and can guide you along the way is super important.
And know whether or not you want to do this as a hobby or a business. Because you need to think of everything you create as a tangible product and be open to criticism and collaboration to succeed.
MN: What’s the most important business lessons you’ve learned since launching Sweet Potato Paper?
Be realistic. And pace yourself.
You may have grand ideas about what you want your baby to become, and how you’re going to open up a storefront on the busiest street in your city, but then once the orders come in you realize just how much work it’s all going to be.
So the key is to set really good milestones, so that you can plan for the inevitable highs and lows. And so that you won’t be disappointed when things don’t happen immediately.
MN: You said earlier that you work from home. How do you manage to stay focused and motivated after coming home from your day job?
I don’t have a bed or a television.
When I first moved into my apartment, I was thinking about how everything was going to be set up and what type of bed I was going to get. But then I made the commitment to this company and I knew that if I got a comfortable bed, then I’d most likely want to sleep in it too.
So instead, I invested in a slightly uncomfortable futon and the rest of the space is set up like an office with a huge desk and several computers and printers. So essentially, I live in my office versus having an office in my house.
These were all deliberate choices that I made, because I want to be successful and eventually open a store. So I knew there’d be a sacrifice.
MN: How do you decompress when you’re not working your full-time job or your growing side-venture?
When I’m not working, which is rare, I try and focus entirely on doing things that I enjoy. This could mean pampering myself at the hair salon or the spa, spending time with my beau or traveling which is something that I absolutely love to do.
And once a month I host a brunch at a restaurant in DC with other women entrepreneurs. Most of them are artisans and creatives so we trade stories and tips and it becomes just another day on the town with your girlfriends.
MN: What’s next for Sweet Potato Paper?
We’re gearing up for the launch of our 2011 holiday collection and preparing to enter the digital invitation market in early 2012.
We are also beginning to film our new web series entitled, Sweet Life, which will serve as our outlet to answer frequently asked questions and provide stationery etiquette tips and tricks.
To purchase, visit www.sweetpotatopaper.com. Sweet Potato Paper can be found on Facebook at facebook.com/sweetpotatopaper and on Twitter @taterpaper.
Sakita Holley is the founder and CEO of House of Success, where she advises lifestyle brands on social media best practices, branding and traditional public relations strategies. Follow her on Twitter @MissSuccess.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Happy New Year!!
Happy New Year!! from My Girls Studios!1 Great things are in store this year! it's been a long time! but good things comes to those who wait!1 And God knows it's been that:)) Stay tuned and keep checking back!!
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movie night
Just watched one of my favorite classic films with my dad. I don't recall seeing many films like this growing up
