- 22 hours ago
Shop ESSENCE Live Episode 15 featured two small Black Owned businesses called Butter by Keba and Silked.
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00:00Welcome to another episode of Shop Essence Live. This is episode 15 of Shop Essence Live.
00:09If you are returning, welcome. We love the support of our Shop Essence Live shoppers.
00:18I got no name for y'all, but it's fine. We love you guys so much. If this is your first time,
00:23this is a show where we highlight two Black-owned businesses and we get to know their stories.
00:30We also get to see their products and shop. And when I tell you, today's businesses are absolutely incredible.
00:36We have some amazing stories, but then amazing products for you. I'm really excited to introduce you guys.
00:43So let's say hi to all the ladies real quick. We have McKayba of Butter by Kaba.
00:49Hi, Kaba. And then we have Phoenix and Sandra of Silk. So, so, so excited.
00:55So we're going to talk to Phoenix and Sandra first. Kaba, I'll see you in a minute.
01:00Hi, ladies. Hi. Hello.
01:04All right. So why don't you guys introduce yourselves, let the people know about Silk and how you came up with this amazing product.
01:15Great. Sure. Do you want to start? We're so gracious of each other.
01:21My name is Phoenix Gonzalez. I'm one of the co-founders of Silk and I am the inventor of the pillow place.
01:27And hi, I'm Sandra McCurdy and I'm also a co-founder of Silk and we're super excited to be here and to talk about our products and our pillow sleeve.
01:38And we've been in business since 2017. We've been best friends for 20 years.
01:44So, yeah, I love it. So tell us about Silk. How did you come up with the concept for it? Like this is an invention.
01:56I haven't seen anything like this. So why don't you tell us a little bit about how you got started with this business?
02:01Yeah. So, um, yeah, I'll talk a little bit about how we got started.
02:08Um, I, uh, I, as a black woman, growing up in a black family, we always, every Saturday we did our hair and wrapped it with silk scarves.
02:16So the whole week it was wrapping with a silk scarf, right? So, um, I am married and, uh, I didn't like waking up next to my husband with a silk scarf.
02:25Let's be honest. So, um, I, one morning he told me, uh, I had been tying a silk scarf around my pillow because it's my sister had told me that, um, the silk pillow she had kept sliding off.
02:36And I started reading a lot of comments and people were complaining about the same thing. So I went to the fabric store. I came up with the idea and, uh, I called Sandra and, um, Sandra myself met for coffee.
02:47And I think the rest was history. We literally, I didn't realize we were inventing something, but we did.
02:52Sans, you want to talk a little bit about them? Kind of where we ended up?
02:55Yeah. I mean, it was, it, it was, it was really great. And what we did first was we just got our friends and family to try it just to see what they thought.
03:02And, uh, the, you know, the plus to this was the travel aspect of it because we didn't, you know, we thought, okay, it's nice that it's open-ended because it can fit over, you know, different pillows if we go visit our friends.
03:13But then, you know, it became a big thing for us for travel. So a lot of people, so it doesn't matter if you stay in a hotel with a king bed or a pillow or a satin pillow, it fits over it.
03:22So, um, yeah, it kind of went from there where, you know, our friends and family supported us. We did an Indiegogo campaign and, uh, they loved it.
03:30So for us, it was a first for everything manufacturing for the first time, like, yeah, designing something from scratch. So it's, it's been a ride and so much fun.
03:41Yeah. It's been a lot of trial and error. And, um, I think having two best friends work on a project together like this, uh, we've always been really creative with each other, but I think this really took our, our creativity and our, and our friendship to the kind of the next level.
03:55It was a really interesting project for us to get started on together.
03:59I love that. We love BFFs and business. I'm so, I'm really sure that you guys were such a great support to each other. If you guys have any questions for these ladies, they literally had an idea.
04:11This is not their background and now they're on shop essence live. So they're incredible, incredible women. So send your questions, put them in the comments.
04:19So we've been talking about it. Let's get into these products because they're amazing. Um, why don't you guys take us through what's available at shop.essence.com?
04:29Yeah. So, um, I can talk, Sanja, you can talk about, um, the pillow sleeves because those are all up on the site now. I think you had a really great inspiration for how we wanted to kind of roll out who we are on essence.
04:41Okay, great. So do we have all the pillow sleeves on essence or is it just the, is it the solid colors that we have?
04:47It's what you wanted to start with, which is solids. That's how you kind of wanted to introduce us.
04:50Yeah, yeah, yeah. So you have, so basically I have one right here, which is the, this is our gray silk pillow sleeve.
04:57And so, um, this one, so this comes in silk and satin. So, um, it, you know, for different price points, both are great for your hair and skin.
05:06And, and I mean, it helps with sleep lines. It's going to help when, with, uh, kinky hair, curly hair, all different, all different texture hair, really to, uh, wake up, you know, without crazy, frizzy.
05:21Yeah, exactly. It's just so, it's so great for different types of hair. So this is the first product that we have, which is gray.
05:29And then, um, we also have an ivory that, that comes up with that Phoenix can show you the box there. There's our ivory.
05:35And, um, yeah, that's in silk.
05:41It's luxurious. I love the Jersey side on the back too. It's just the softest material. So you have the silk on one side.
05:51And thank you. And that's so that, uh, it doesn't slide off the pillow. So it's not on any size pillow.
05:58Yeah, I think that was one of the big things when we read online is that a lot of people were complaining that silk is because it's such a soft and slick,
06:04uh, slippery material that it slides off. So, you know, when standard myself really thought about how we could do something different,
06:11we really looked at the use of fabric and really wanting to make sure that our customers were getting the benefit at night
06:18because we use so many products on our skin and our hair and cotton sucks all of that out.
06:22So having a Jersey on, so you're getting the protection of the silk or the satin and it's open-ended again.
06:29So I love that. And can I just tell you ladies, when I got this in the mail, because there's one demo, I don't even know if you guys were thinking of making this for,
06:39but I have a two year old curly head, little girl, and she will not wear a bonnet at all.
06:44We'll not keep that on her head. And I don't want to comb through her. You know, I want to have the chance of second day or third day curl.
06:51And this is amazing for kids for, you know, your, your sons and your daughters with curly hair and they,
06:57they're not going to wear a bonnet to sleep. This is really, really great. A great option.
07:02So great.
07:03We do actually, we do have kids that use it. So yeah. Thank you for that.
07:07Yeah, absolutely. Really, really great.
07:11Not a chance. This is a really, really great surprise. You guys do have another product to show,
07:18but I do have some questions flooding in. So let's get, let's get some questions in first.
07:24So let's see. Angie wants to know, how did you find the right manufacturer? Really great question.
07:30That's a lot of trial and error.
07:33Yeah, that was trial and error. And so we, we, we do everything locally in LA. So it was,
07:40it was tough because we had to find someone who did a really great job. And ours,
07:44it's funny because just the stitching on, you know, on the ends of it, like it's,
07:49it's the simplest thing, but the details are very, they're not that easy to do, believe it or not.
07:54Yeah.
07:54So we tried a few different manufacturers and then we found an amazing, you know,
08:00amazing manufacturer, but it was, it was just through referrals and just asking around and
08:04yeah.
08:05Yeah. And I think we also decided to go, when we went local, we ended up really locking out
08:11and working with a female owned factory. So we're supporting a local economy and we're also
08:16supporting a female family who has a manufacturing company here in LA and they've been in business
08:21for 30 years. So it's really, it's been a great partnership.
08:24I love that. That's really, really great. All right. So Tony wants to know,
08:30and I think you guys did touch on this a little bit earlier, but she's asking,
08:34how did you get funding? So maybe recap that for us.
08:37So I'm going to share because Sandra was really pivotal in us getting this brand off the ground.
08:42So I, because when I came up with the idea and Sandra saw it and she was like,
08:46we were onto something. She looked at me and she said, look, she said, you know,
08:50before we take investment,
08:51because I have another company that I've taken investors before with, and I know what it's like
08:55to take investment. Sandra was like, we should really try and do it on our own. So, um, Sandra,
09:00you know, she really thought about like how we could do this smart and she's really good with
09:04managing our money. And she, you know, put up some of our own credit and we took some of the cash we
09:10had. And we literally started with like little bit, like we got the Indiegogo money. We grew from
09:15the Indiegogo money. And she was really smart about how we did distribution. And I have to say,
09:20like, I'm somebody who's ready to like spend right away. And Sandra's very conservative in
09:24that way. So she's really helped us to manage building this business correctly. So it really
09:29wasn't about getting funding from anyone. We did it ourselves.
09:33Yeah. And it's still a process that we will need to get funding at some point for sure. But, um,
09:38yeah, we've been really, really lucky and blessed that we've been able to, you know, up to this
09:42point, like start it, start really small and then get PO orders. And then those were tricky
09:48sometimes too, because, but, you know, it's a bigger order that we can't, you know, we need
09:52money to create the product. So we definitely had some, some bumps in the road there as well
09:57that we worked, you know, together. Yeah. And I can share one thing with Tony. Um, what we did was
10:02instead of going out and raising money with investors, we did friends and family, we did a
10:05wealth circle. So what we did was we basically said to our friends and family, um, if you want us the
10:11money to fund a PO. So like we did all our direct to consumer out of pocket, made the money and put it
10:17back into the brand. But when we started getting purchase orders, we went to our friends and family
10:22first and said, instead of you leaving the money in the bank, you know, here's a purchase order.
10:26It's in hand. If we give you a percentage, like five to 8%, you can depend on what based on a certain
10:32amount of days. So we did like 120 days, they made a percentage back on their money, which was far
10:38better than what was in the bank. So instead of getting invested, definitely better than the entrance
10:43bank. We were helping people make money and they were helping us build our business.
10:46I love it. All right. Questions still coming in. Keep the questions coming. I love it.
10:53All right. So, um, Courtney wants to know when you did touch on this, it's in several points,
10:58but let's just do a recap, right? What makes it different from a regular silk pillowcase?
11:04Yeah. Man, do you want to talk about the difference?
11:07Yeah. Okay. So what I'm saying, I mean, the, the silk that you're sleeping on the silk front
11:11has all the benefits of a regular pillowcase and, but not a regular silk, but it's really
11:17high. And so we do 19 mommy. So it's a really high quality silk that we use. And, um, like
11:23we were saying, it's open ended and it's, it's Jersey on the back. So it stays on your pillow
11:28nice and snug. And then when you travel, you can, you can fit it over any size pillow.
11:32So there's a nice amount of stretch. Yeah. Yeah. And I think our customers who have,
11:40who have come to our site and bought it and realized that it was open ended, um, end up
11:45knowing what the end up realizing the benefits because like some people like to keep their
11:49bed uniform. So they don't want to keep the silk pillowcase on at night. If it's not, uh,
11:53if their husband's not sleeping on one, it easily slides off. Cause it's open ended. You're leaving
11:58your cotton pillowcase on the pillow and sliding it over the cotton pillowcase. It's literally
12:02like a tube that you're sliding over the pillow. It's only silk on one side. So it's not sliding
12:08off while you sleep. It's really washable. Yeah. It's, it's, it's washable silk. It's easier
12:14to take care of. You just throw it in the machine, throw it in the dryer. I've, I tumble dry mine
12:18just till it's just almost dry and then lay it flat and then it's ready to go. So a lot of silk
12:23pillowcases, they want you to dry clean them and we don't have to, you don't have to do
12:27that with this. So I would, that's another big difference I would say.
12:30Yeah. And, uh, Phoenix, you were saying earlier that this is such a great travel companion.
12:35Like if you go to hotel rooms, you don't want to be sleeping on their pillowcases or
12:39Airbnbs or whatever that is. And you have this, it will fit on any pillow.
12:45Yeah. I mean, they're, they're, they're doing the laundry obviously, but there's been so many
12:50articles and journalists who've gone into hotels and done the blacklight.
12:54Oh boy. With the blacklight. Yeah. So we all know that sleeping on a hotel pillow is sleeping
13:00on a pillow that a million people have slept on. So if you want to really think about how
13:05to protect, and there's a lot of people now who are being even more conscious about protecting
13:08their skin and their hair and their body from germs, from bacterias, all of those things
13:13and cottons and absorbent, it is sucking out the bacteria in your skin as well. So you're
13:18able to just simply slide it over and the hotel isn't going to touch your pillow. The
13:23Airbnb is not going to touch your pillow and you're good to go. And you're going to look
13:26great because your skin and your hair is being maintained while you're traveling. If you're
13:30going to the desert or to, you know, on vacation to a tropical place, everything's going to just
13:34last that much longer. And also when you travel, you want, you have, you have less time that you
13:40want to spend on self care, like doing your hair and, and you want to wake up, you know,
13:46not dry skin that is caused by cotton. So, you know, you wake up a little more refreshed. You
13:51might have to do something to your hair, but a lot less than you would if you were just sleeping
13:54on a pillow. So it really does take a lot of time out of your, you know, day.
13:59Sandra knows. Yeah. And she knows cause she's a new mom and she's on a mini vacay. Yeah. So,
14:07we live in California, but she's on a little mini vacay. So there's her pillow sleeve in the back
14:11there. I'm like, I've been sleeping on it and it's like not perfect. It's okay. Me too. So wrinkled.
14:20It's fine. I love it though. Now you guys still only make pillow sleeves. Why don't you show us
14:25what else is available? Yes. Look at this. Gorgeous. So we know the times that we're in
14:37right now. So you guys have ventured on to make face masks. I absolutely love the adjustable sides
14:45because that's something we run into. You wear your face mask for a minute and then the sides
14:49lose elasticity and they don't fit anymore. But the adjustable sides are awesome. I would
14:55like to ask you the guys though, because this is, you know, it's, it's a functional,
14:59it's fashionable because they look amazing. Um, but it's a functional thing. So what, what,
15:05um, things are put in place to make sure people are protected.
15:09Yeah. We really thought about, um, we took our time, so we didn't rush to do like a mask when
15:15everybody started. We really took our time and work over FaceTime with our manufacturer. Cause we
15:20couldn't go to our manufacturer. So we worked over FaceTime, the three of us together to really perfect
15:24our pattern. So it was a lot of back and forth mailing and, um, trial and error. And we ended up
15:30arriving, adding, um, a little pocket so that you can actually on the inside, add an N95 filter.
15:37Um, so there's the pocket there. And we really wanted to just like play with detail because our
15:43brand has a lot of biases. So we added a bias just to be an, at another level of like, you know,
15:49just like around the face. Um, and then we added a really soft, Sandra was really real day. Sandra,
15:55we spent a lot of time and Sandra was like, I want soft straps. Yes, please. Thank you, Sandra.
16:02And then we got the adjustable rubbers, um, already attached so that we could really just make something
16:08that was comfortable, adjustable, and also could offer that layer of protection for people who wanted
16:14to add an extra layer. And I mean, Sandra, you want to talk about like the benefits of silk again,
16:19because I mean, again, like when you have cotton on your skin, it's soaking out, sucking out the
16:24moisture in your skin. A lot of people with the masks are breaking out or they're having dry skin
16:29or they have really like deep lines from, from the mask itself. So, um, silk, the other thing about
16:36silk is that it's, it's, it's hypoallergenic and it's breathable. So it's, and ours is two layers
16:44of silk. So it really does help, uh, you know, with air particles to, to protect you and especially
16:50if you put the, the N95 filter, but, um, yeah, it helps with the air particles. It's breathable.
16:55We go hiking. I go hiking in mine or, you know, if I, any kind of public place when you're walking
17:00and you, you know, a lot of times you'll, you'll sweat or you're, and it's, it's just perfect because
17:04also, uh, silk's a heat regulator. So when it's so in the summer, it's cooler and in the winter,
17:09it keeps you warmer. So it, it just has like, it feels, you guys got us covered.
17:14It's luxurious. It's Charmoo silk on the inside as well and the outside. So you're getting,
17:20you're just having that silky soft feeling against your skin and it's, you know, it's working to
17:24protect you and others. So yeah. Yeah. Love it. Love it. Absolutely. Love it. So great. Um,
17:32there's one last thing I just wanted to share about our brand period. Um, while we have the solids on,
17:37um, essence, we also have the solids and prints of our masks. So a little bit about our brand is that,
17:44is that we are, um, first and foremost, Sandra, myself love thrift shopping. So, um, we're really
17:48looking at the eco sustainability. So yeah, her dress is vintage. So we, um, go to local vendors
17:56and buy ends of silk fabric instead of creating prints from scratch, because we really believe
18:02that we don't want to contribute to waste in the universe. So even that pillow sleeve.
18:06So when our, our prints are gone from our collection, they're generally usually gone
18:11because they are limited run because we really care about not contributing to waste in the universe.
18:16So anytime you see a print by silk, it's exclusive and limited.
18:21Oh, I love that. We love the exclusivity and there's, it's just so fabulous. Um, Courtney asks,
18:28uh, do these, uh, do these come in different sizes for different faces?
18:33It's a good question. So, um, Sandra, we have two different sizes based on, I mean,
18:39our, our main map is I think five by 10.
18:42Yeah. So we do, we have two different sizes right now, but one of them we're waiting to
18:47get back in and that's a simpler math. But this one, what we do is we, we try these ones on a lot.
18:53They, they, I would say, you know, it should fit most women and, and it can fit like teenage girls
18:59as well, I would say. And there, and the, we have a few styles. We'll be bringing this one back soon
19:04as well. I'll just show it to bring it back. But this is also, it fits my husband and it also fits
19:11Phoenix's husband. So, um, yeah, but right now it is just one size, but we took a lot of time to figure
19:18out the size. Right. So, right. And the adjustable straps on the side definitely help, uh, to make
19:25sure that everyone is covered how they need to be covered. So that is so awesome. All right. So
19:30you guys saw these amazing products, come on, they're fashionable, but functional as well,
19:36making our lives amazing and beautiful. Um, so shop.essence.com and support these beautiful
19:44ladies. I'm going to put you guys backstage and bring you back at the end for a positive word.
19:49All right. So to everybody out there, it's not too late. If you still have questions,
19:53um, for the ladies of silk, you can still send them to me. I can ask them towards the end of the show,
20:00but again, shop.essence.com is where you go and support these businesses up next. I'm so excited
20:07because I don't know if you guys see this glow happening on my shoulders. That is not by accident.
20:14This is by Kaba. So Kaba, I'm going to bring you in. Thank you for the glow today.
20:20You are so welcome. I'm glad that you wear it well. Looking fabulous.
20:25I love it. And you guys can smell me right now, but I smell amazing. Just take my word for it.
20:31Um, but before we get into these products, I would love for the people to get to know you and hear
20:37your story. So why don't you tell us a little bit about yourself and how you got started with your
20:42business? Thank you. I'm the Kaba Lloyd, AKA Kaba. And I started this brand back in 2007.
20:51Um, for myself initially, I was trying to fill a need for a product, a moisturizer that was oil-based
20:59that, um, would penetrate my skin and last. I don't know if any of you ever deal with dryness
21:08specifically on the legs. Sometimes you'll put on a moisturizer and by the time you get home,
21:11it's all gone. You're dry. So I was trying to create something that was oil-based that had a
21:15little bit of slick that was kind of like, not quite as, um, uh, solid and hard as a, as a butter.
21:23Um, but not quite like petroleum. If, if some of y'all had used petroleum when you were children,
21:29maybe your mom put something on you and you would mix it with water. I was trying to get that nice,
21:33smooth texture. And so that's when I, um, started experimenting at home in my kitchen
21:39and I created this butter, but then I realized that, wow, it would be great if I could add an
21:44aromatic to this. And so I started blending oils and taking classes. And so I kind of just
21:50married those two creation of perfume using a perfumer's technique and blending it with a
21:57quality body butter. Wow. So you really did your homework. Like how long did that process take?
22:04If you, uh, from the time you got the idea to, yeah. Yeah. It took years. It took me taking courses
22:11in rheumotherapy and national perfumery, moving on to real traditional perfumery at Pratt Institute.
22:18Um, it's an, uh, it's an evolving process when you're, when you're crafting something yourself.
22:23Um, but you know, to get the right texture, it took, it took a little over a year. Yeah.
22:30And I do love all the textures, right? So why don't we get into this? All right. So here's a treat for
22:37you guys. We're going to show you the products by Kaba butter by Kaba. So what do you have first for us?
22:44So, um, we start out with the bath salt and this is something that you can either put in your tub of
22:52water if you like to take baths or you can scrub with it. And it's a dead sea salt. I opt for dead
22:57sea salt because dead sea salt can be detoxifying. Um, it can also be soothing. We, um, naturally have
23:05salt in our, in our bloodstream. So, um, I choose dead sea salt because it's more of a therapeutic,
23:11um, medium. And then I soak it with grapeseed oil and my essential oil blend. And so it's just the
23:20right enough amount of oil. So it's not like a heavy syrupy kind of salt scrub. It's, you know,
23:26once you put water to it, you'll feel the slip on your skin. So yeah. And it's like a loop. Yeah.
23:34And I scrubbed this this, this morning. It was just, just even going on, it was just so moisturizing.
23:40I felt the moisture, um, and the smell. This one is called Lotus Nut Salt Scrub and it smells
23:47incredible. Yeah. It's a jasmine blend, sweet orange and coconut, different notes. I like to
23:53layer my notes so it can, so they have a lot of depth. Lotus Nut is one of our top sellers and
23:59it's a nice floral blend. Yeah. It just smells beautiful. It really does. What else do you have
24:05for us? So then, then we start, then we, um, once you're out of the shower, you have to put on the
24:10body butter. And this is my signature product. It's what I started the company with. And it's
24:15basically a shea butter, but I blend it with oils like rice bran oil, which is excellent for the skin.
24:21It's great for stretch marks. It's great for, um, alleviating dryness. Um, I don't know. I,
24:27I'll tell my age, I am 46 and I have made 46 over the years using, um, this, this blend of shea butter
24:38with the oils. And then I infuse it with my, with the aromatic blend, which is always a combination
24:44of succulent oils and phthalate B fragrance. And yeah, this is such a great scent. Yeah. And it's all
24:51about layering for me. Aromatic was very important because, um, I come from the world of real estate
24:57in New York and I did a lot of construction sales. And for me having something to, um, kind of add on
25:05to my presence was important, especially when I'm talking to people every day. And sometimes I noticed
25:10that perfume was just too heavy. And so I created this for those, for those people who want to wear
25:15fragrance, but maybe can't do the, um, commercial perfume. And these are the, that was just, wait,
25:20hold on. That was so beautiful. What you just said. I just got to absorb that. Add on to your
25:26presence. You wanted something to add on to your presence. Yeah, that is, that is gorgeous. And I
25:31told you during prep, I was like, this Georgia tea is my new scent for life. And that's kind of like
25:37when you smell it, it's, it's like, it just becomes a part of you. Like this is my, my thing.
25:44Yeah. So that makes sense. Add on to your presence is just so gorgeous.
25:48Add on to someone else's too. It's kind of like, you know, just having something,
25:52a little pick me up. Our nose is so important. And when we step into the world, we go nose first.
25:57That's my motto from, from. Oh, I love that. Yeah. That's Joseph Campbell, actually. That was his,
26:04uh, beautiful. And so, yeah, it's, it's great to, you know, share that if you're, if you're willing to
26:09share that beyond what you say and how you look, how you smell is just as important and meaningful.
26:14Absolutely. And very much tied to memory too. So you enter a room and you leave a room and you're
26:20like, huh, that must be Kaba. Right? Right, right, right. I love it. I did the roll on oil,
26:28which is the, um, the synergy, um, that you can carry with you and kind of dab on your wrist,
26:34behind your neck. I always carry a couple of these in my bag, um, just to give me a little
26:39spruce sometimes, you know, you go back in the day when we were going out after work for
26:43afternoon work drinks, right? Yes. Oh yeah. And, um, I also do the body lotions
26:51as well. If you want a lighter moisturizer, this is a great blend. This is also paraben free,
26:56phthalate free. Um, and it goes on really smooth, very light, but very moisturizing.
27:02I love that. Okay. I have a question coming in. We have, um, this is live.
27:09Everybody, if you're watching this right now, if you just tune in to shop essence live,
27:13I'm talking to my Kaba of butter by Kaba. Her products are amazing. We just had the ladies
27:19of silk earlier. So send in your questions. We have a question before you go to the next one.
27:23Um, Victoria wants to know, uh, is this available for us beauties in the UK, London?
27:29We ship globally. We just ship orders out to Germany. We ship to, we did just ship to the UK.
27:36So yes, but we will go online, put your order in, put your information in.
27:40Come on, Victoria, shop.essence.com. We got you.
27:43Absolutely.
27:44All right. Great. What else do you have?
27:47And so then I did, uh, this is an organic cologne. It's made with cane alcohol. Um, it's
27:54undenatured, meaning that it's just natural from the sugar cane. And this is also blended with the,
28:01my custom synergy. This is six truths. This comes in four different blends. Um, three of them are,
28:07uh, for men and women. And then, um, Lotus nut, which is typically, um, you know, a scent for the
28:13ladies. Um, and this is just nice. Just crayon. Um, it's phthalate free. Um, and this is just a,
28:20just a cleaner way to wear fragrance. Um, that is just light. I love it. So that you can just
28:26see it. And I love it that you have, uh, right. And I love it that you have the unisex scent as well.
28:37That's really, really great. And a great gift. All of these products are great gifts.
28:44Victoria is so happy in the, in the comments. We got you. We got you shop.essence.com to support.
28:51Um, so absolutely incredible. Just reminding everybody, send in your questions where we're
28:57towards the end of the show. I'm going to bring Phoenix and Sandra back for a positive word,
29:02but you guys can still send in any last minute questions. This is incredible. Like we're
29:09outfitting you guys for life from the time you wake up to the time you go to bed right now,
29:14we got you covered, uh, to feel and look beautiful. Thank you guys. So, so, so much show Phoenix
29:21and Sandra, I'm going to start with you guys Phoenix. I'll start with you. Um, we always end the show
29:27on a positive word and this actually came from our business owners. You guys have persevered through
29:34so much, you know, you guys have already talked about trial and error and setbacks and disappointments.
29:39And at some point you've had to have told yourself, like, we got to keep pushing. Um, so what is that
29:46positive word that you tell yourself that keeps you going Phoenix? I'll start with you.
29:49Manifest. Manifest. Yeah, that's it. Be really clear with your manifestation.
29:57Hmm. I love that. Sandra, what about you? Um, well, my family's Jamaican, so they always say small of
30:06yourself, which means make room for others. And I always say that to me, like when, uh, when things are
30:15difficult, it's always bring in love, bring in more people and, and also radiate that love and shine,
30:23you know? So I, I think it's small of yourself bringing room space. Small of yourself. I'm using
30:29that now. I love it. All right. Kaba, how about you? Um, I always say, you know, I put this quote on my,
30:38um, Instagram, it's something my mom told me, always try and find a reason to smile. Even when
30:44you're having bad days, um, step out, if it means just stepping out into nature and recognizing how
30:51beautiful a tree is, how beautiful a bird is, how beautiful the sky is. These are manifestations of
30:57the creator that are abundant and are natural and are existing in their full potential. And if
31:04they can be, so can you. So, um, just, you know, keep that in mind that beauty is still around us.
31:11Oh, so gorgeous. Beauty is all up in this screen right now too. Um, you guys are so incredible.
31:17Thank you so much for sharing your story, sharing your products. You guys make sure that you're going
31:22out and supporting, not only supporting these amazing black business owners, but
31:27we're hooking you up. These are all curated by essence and approved by essence. The products are
31:32quality. They're incredible and they're life changing. Really cool. I don't have to comb my
31:37daughter's hair every day. So definitely do, um, check them out on shop.essence.com and also see
31:44all of the black businesses that we have available there as well. And don't forget every single
31:50Thursday. We're here at 3 PM for shop essence live. So until then, thank you guys. Bye ladies.
31:58Bye.
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