A Love Letter to black founders
“I just want to be a great skincare line for everyone, I don’t want to be put in a box just for Black people”
“Without even knowing who I was, they could tell that I was a Black Owned Business and I knew that I had to redo my branding altogether”
“This is why it’s so hard to support us… when are Black Owned businesses going to genuinely be the best option”
These are just a few of the sentiments that I heard from clients, friends, co-workers, and of course, the undefeated, internet.
Black people want to circulate our very powerful dollar within our community, but Black founders fear that they won’t reach Mark Zuckerberg’s potential if they aren’t relatable to the “mainstream” also known as white people.
Before I continue, you’re right about me… I do talk, think, write, and post about race more often than the average person, but less often than a diversity and inclusion expert. As a Black Woman, I’ve faced a small, but a mighty dose of racism in my personal life and career.
Now, being the co-founder of a product photography agency, the topic has a whole new meaning. It’s not uncommon that potential clients are excited to see my business partner and husband on a Zoom call with our brown skin, big smiles, and earnest humility. However, with all of that excitement, they still fear visibility. We’ve been taught that showing up as ourselves, as Black people, will hold us back from reaching our fullest potential. It’s as if all we’ll ever be is Black and the only people we could reluctantly sell to are Black people.
So, as a business owner and photographer working in the creative industry, I have a lot to say on this topic.
This is my love letter to Black Brands from the perspective of a product photographer, a Black woman, an entrepreneur, and a casual LinkedIn lurker.
The mindset of a Black Founder
The first thing that comes to mind is that our fears of entrepreneurship can distract us from reality.
I want to step away from the idea that bad branding is synonymous with Blackness. Read that one more time. Comic sans, clashing colors, misaligned design, ineffective messaging, etc. are not synonymous with Black audiences.
To break this thought down even further, there are a lot of successful businesses that have terrible branding. Most of us know of that iPhone repair shop that is flowing with clients and operating off of tacky flyers and neon signs.
Some of our favorite restaurants are still serving food from the first iteration of the laminated menu that they wipe off each day before opening their doors.
That being said, having effective branding can take any business far and create a legacy bigger than its products or services. What I sense is that Black founders are afraid of having bad branding. That makes total sense given what a lot of us are exposed to. Sometimes, the only Black-owned businesses we know of are working with their middle school-aged niece's best work on Illustrator.
I want us to think more expansively and realize that there are stunning ways to tell our stories and effective ways to deliver our products and services. Let’s evaluate where our limiting beliefs come from and remember that what we grew up seeing is just a small representation of what is really possible.
Inspiration for Black-Owned Brands
Here are a few amazing Black founders that have incredible branding:
Beatrice Dixon of The Honey Pot
Robyn Rihanna Fenty of Fenty Beauty
All of these brands are staples in their industry and have changed the way we approach how we care for ourselves, build confidence, operate our businesses, and experience joy.
They all communicate that value through impeccable branding. Another thing these brands all have in common is that their founders are very visible. They aren’t hiding who they are and their passion for the people they serve.
I also want to unpack the limiting belief that Black-owned brands have a look and feel to them that people can pick up on. That would mean that Black culture is a monolith and I don’t subscribe to that belief. There are an endless amount of stories, travels, histories, and perspectives intertwined into our diaspora. Although many of our lineages parallel in key ways it would be inaccurate to say that we approach business and branding the same way.
Niching down as a Black Owned Brand
The next thing I want to explore is the fear of niching down to serve Black people. A lot of brands want to serve the Black community but are afraid of what it would look like to focus on a particular group of people. Can I scale a brand to 7 and 8 figures only serving Black people? Am I being exclusionary by doing so?
Niching down is one of the most profitable decisions a brand can make. If you want to serve Black people, that’s actually not specific enough. Thinking about the problem that you’re solving for the people you want to serve is where the magic is.
For example, serve Black women who are busy moms that want to slay their hair quickly in the morning… Or Black women who just opened up their first online business and need a set of resources to get off the ground.
As your platform grows, your audience will grow and diversify organically, but the reality is that you can’t be everything to everyone. If you don’t take a stance, it can read as if you don’t have anything to offer.
Closing remarks
If you’re a Black-owned business, no matter how you choose to show up in the world, it is your choice. Just like our personal experience, there are infinite intersections that inform the culture. I’m rooting for you and I would love to see more of us using our platforms to grow, share, and support each other.
Love,
Neysa
Neysa is the Co-Founder of Ginger and Carrot Productions and Co-Host of the Picture Your Authenticity podcast. She writes about small business, self-development, and food culture.
