This week’s Featured Business is Sistahwavy,
a Black-owned shop that celebrates and promotes our Blackness through custom hats and mugs
1) Tell us a little bit about your company.
Sistahwavy Shop is a Black-owned online store that exclusively sells coffee mugs and hats. We specialize in products that are meant to uplift the Black community, but also just speak to an individual’s uniqueness in today’s society. If you like it, we love it! We want people to feel proud of their uniqueness and the quirks that make them stand out.
Our society regularly forces us into boxes that define who we are, how we should look, what we should say and what we represent. At Sistahwavy Shop, we’re saying good riddance to all of that! We want you to see our products and feel SEEN. We want you to relate to a product and feel motivated, comforted, heard and appreciated. We’re always coming out with new products and hope to continue our expansion with new products daily!
2) When did you start your business and how did you come with the idea?
I started Sistahwavy Shop back in 2018 and was originally selling exclusively on Etsy. I have since expanded to my own online store at
Sistahwavy.com. I came up with the idea when I was trying to find for a friend a coffee mug that really spoke to her vibe, but couldn’t find anything unique. There were so many phrases that I felt embodied her personality, but nothing was out there.
At that point, I decided to look into sites that would allow me to create a mug easily and from there, my curiosity was sparked. The mug got so many compliments and I realized that there could be a market for my items. From there, I started creating more mugs and eventually branched into hats as well. The hats were born out of the same idea - looking for a product that spoke to a specific vibe but still looked cute! The rest is history… :)
3) Where are you located?
I’m located in Houston, Texas but fully operate virtually. I use different dropshippers to fulfill my products and they have warehouses in different states/countries.
4) What makes your business special or unique?
Although we’ve branched out, my business is unique because it’s by a Black woman, for Black women! I really wanted to reach Black women and let them know that it’s okay to be different and still be a boss. It doesn’t matter if you’re the only person that likes something - we support you!
When I first started out, I did not find many, if any at all, shops that catered specifically to Black women or the Black population with coffee mugs and hats. I think I’ve been able to create a niche market for my products and encourage people to hone in on their uniqueness and love up on themselves.
5) What are your 3 favorite products/services?
My faves change all the time lol! But right now, my three favorite products would have to be the
Lowkey Thriving Mug, the
Trust The Journey Mug and the
Black Women Mug. I love how all of the phrases are short and sweet, but deliver powerful messages.
My
Lowkey Thriving Mug has been motivating me with every sip through this new year, and the
Trust the Journey Mug reminds me to believe in my own path because no two are exactly alike. The
Black Women Mug speaks for itself, but I really feel like Black women don’t get the love they deserve so why not show it to ourselves?!
6) What has been your biggest challenge as a business owner and how did you address it?
As a business owner, my biggest challenge has been visibility. Online retailing is very saturated so it has been a struggle to get noticed and stay noticed. Sometimes it seems like no one is visiting the shop or staying long enough to purchase something. Although it can be discouraging, I’ve found that it’s best to just power through. I’ve ramped up my marketing (using Google ads, Facebook, blogs, outreach to influencers) to build traffic and also relied on organic interactions with customers. By building rapport with my customers, I’m able to maintain communication and send them information when we have new products.
Happy customers are also more inclined to leave positive reviews or return to the shop and buy again. I think all of these things have tied into addressing the visibility issue and building my customer base.
7) What have you learned about yourself since you started your business?
Since starting my business, I’ve learned that anything is truly possible! I know that may sound typical, but I really mean it. I never thought I’d be able to start a business and make the sales I’ve made. I would doubt myself and my creativity, thinking my products wouldn’t sell because they didn’t “look” a certain way.
This entire process has taught me that beauty really is in the eye of the beholder and you never know who your product will resonate with. I’ve also learned that persistence is key! There were many months where I did not make one sale and even now, when sales are slow, I remind myself that tomorrow is a new day and anything can happen.
8) Would you do it again?
Absolutely! I’ve learned so much about running an online business and the knowledge I’ve gained has helped me venture into other platforms. I use the same skills I learned from my online shop to build my other businesses and I’m really grateful for that insight.
9) What are you working on now?
Right now I’m working on revamping my site and introducing more products. I’m working on more specific coffee mug lines like my Black Hair mugs and Boss mugs. I’d like to have more themes that my customers can relate to and choose from. Once that’s done, I’ll be working on different hat lines as well.
10) Do you want to relay anything to our readers?
I just want to say that I’m thankful for their interest in my shop! It’s a really great and also humbling feeling to know that people have taken a liking to my shop and are intrigued enough to know/read more. I also want to thank
AfroBiz for giving me the opportunity to really talk about my business and put myself out there more. Thank you!!
You can find Sistahwavy Shop on
AfroBiz Marketplace USA which is the fastest growing Black-owned marketplace in the United States. You can buy these items directly visiting the following categories: Accessories and Home Décor. Just try it!
