Today we’d like to introduce you to Alexia Armbrister.
Hi Alexia, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
In 2012, I shaved all of my hair off and decided that I wanted to “go natural”. I didn’t know it yet, but at that moment, I manifested a foundation for Grn Goods. As a natural hair enthusiast, I was met with the harsh reality that black women did not have much occupied digital space within the beauty and wellness community that could be utilized as an educational and motivational resource. During my natural hair journey, I found myself never really finding products that worked for my hair and if it did, it was filled with chemicals and ingredients that I didn’t care to botch the pronunciation of. My sister, Liz, was also a natural gal and she shared the same sentiment. We both not only wanted products that worked, but we could do without the chemicals. I mean, if you’re going to go natural, then… go natural. Ya know?
Fast forward about five years, my love for natural hair morphed into a love for all things natural – skincare, body care, hair care, beauty products, wellness, etc. I started to play with the idea of creating my own hair care recipes and eventually started to share them with my close friends. After a year or so of handcrafting products, researching ingredients, looking at other businesses, and asking God if this was for me – I launched my business! Grn Goods was launched in 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia at the Her Summer Market for women-owned businesses as one of the vendors. I flew from Ft. Lauderdale to Atlanta with Liz, who helped me pack, purchase and return material to stage and brand my vending space, sell products, and network with lots of wonderful people! It was an AMAZING experience and although I was already inundated with support from Liz, the people at the event also showered me with uplifting words and purchased my products! Needless to say, I was very proud of myself.
After a few months of selling my products and being a vendor at events, I chose to halt business efforts from November of 2019 – May of 2020. At that time, my mother was diagnosed with cancer and it was not practical to work a demanding 9-5, grow a small business, and take care of her. Right before I made the decision to halt business efforts, I signed a contract with TheIdeaGirl to rebrand my business and it was the best decision I made for my brand! It also made me feel like Grn Goods wasn’t entirely idle and the best was yet to come. In June of 2020 – I relaunched Grn Goods with a new website, a new look, and new products! I moved away from hair care and dived headfirst into the skin and body care. I did this because I never intended to be just a hair care company – I want Grn Goods to be a household name one day. In the remaining six months of 2020, Grn Goods was featured in major publications, such as Beyonce’s Black Parade, Vogue, and Elle Magazine. We’ve also had 500+ orders, over $10,000 in sales, and have been contacted for wholesale orders. 2020 was an exciting year for Grn Goods and in 2021 – I’m praying that God continues to bless my brand and connect me with more wonderful people that I can to shower with support and love.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Are you kidding me? Ha! Starting and operating a business on your own is not for the weak – especially if you already work a demanding day job. After work and on weekends, I was either home, in a coffee shop, or at my best friend Patricia’s house with my laptop, notepad, and samples for her to try! I got so wrapped up in trying to figure it all out that I spent money on things that I ended up not needing. I probably wasted at least $500-$1000 in labels, ingredients, bottles, graphics that I never used, consults, and samples that I never liked. Honestly, the struggles taught me a lot and I wouldn’t trade the experience, but I wouldn’t mind my money back! I’ve been asked for advice before on how to navigate a new business and I’d say to PRAY. Pray over the things in your life that you want to manifest and give glory to God in everything that you do.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Grn Goods was born out of a necessity for effective and sustainable personal care essentials catered to women of color. GG is an intentional, black-owned and lady-led wellness-inspired brand dedicated to providing organic, natural skincare essentials with the intention to grow into a household name in the black community. Our products are formulated with natural ingredients that boost the vitality of your well-being rather than working against it. From beauty to wellness and everything in between, our selection of essentials is curated with the integrity of your body in mind. It’s our mission to encourage people of color to consume consciously with the help of clean products, resource sharing, and community-powered by purpose.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
Hit my line! No, seriously, I’ve met SO MANY amazing people in the past two years and the level of support in the form of encouraging words, orders, and positive engagement… insane. I’d love to collaborate with other businesses, which I plan to focus more on this year. If you’re interested in working with Grn Goods, just send me an email or use the contact form on the website. I am a one-woman show so it can be overwhelming at times, but I really want to network much more.
Contact Info:
- Email: talktous@grngoods.co
- Website: grngoods.co
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grngoods/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/grngoods/
- Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/grngoods/
Image Credits
Joey Rosado @islandboiphotography
What to check out next:
Aleasha Bahr is a sales & marketing strategist known for showing introverts and ambiverts the Secret Art of Subtle Selling. She personally sold millions in revenue while discovering introverts are usually top sales people – as soon as they stop trying to act like extroverts. We’ve partnered with her to produce Introverted Entrepreneur Success Stories. Check out episode 1 below:
