The BLK + GRN Show

Dr. Melodie Davis Bundrage, the visionary founder of LUV + CO, delves into the transformative world of clean beauty and entrepreneurship. Driven by a profound mission to inspire confidence and unity among Black women, Dr. Melodie identified a glaring need for accessible, high-quality organic products in underrepresented communities.

Dr. Melodies’ unwavering commitment to empowering Black women ignited a journey that led her to establish her flagship store in the heart of a thriving, melanated suburbia. Furthermore, her personal story as a SCAD heart attack survivor underscores the significance of self-care in entrepreneurial success. It's a powerful reminder that in the pursuit of purpose-driven business, nurturing our own well-being is the cornerstone of creating lasting, meaningful change.

Quote from interviewee for callout box: "We don't have the neighborhood clean beauty store that services Black women. I wanted to create that, and so that's what we did."

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Recognizing the importance of accessibility in the beauty industry, particularly in underserved communities, and the need for more high-quality cosmetic options for Black women
• There is power in embracing contentment and finding peace in various life situations, whether it's a high-profit day or a low-profit day.
• The significance of being aware of health disparities and conditions like SCAD (Spontaneous Coronary Artery Dissection) and taking care of one's overall well-being

Check Out These Highlights:

• Dr. Melodie passionately articulates her vision of promoting greater circulation of financial resources within the Black community, recognizing that Black women wield significant purchasing power, particularly within the beauty industry (7:19)
• Dr. Melodie talks about her plans for the future, which include expanding partnerships and spreading clean beauty awareness (16:27)
• Dr. Melodie shares her self-care journey, emphasizing the need to slow down, delegate, and take care of her health (21:15)

Quotes:

• “I did it based on my research and my dissertation, and to make sure that we eliminated all of the toxic ingredients that were linked to health disparities in black women in particular in the medical journals.”
• "There comes a time where you just have to delegate and let go. You can't control everything in your business."
• "In all things, just be content."

For Diara Chukuigwe, starting her own brand, Yawoni, has been a deeply personal endeavor. She infuses the brand with her passion for natural remedies and oils, which she learned about from her mother and grandmother, who imported them from Mali. The brand name, Yawoni, is a combination of her mother's nickname, "Ya," and the word "woni," which means "beloved" in her grandmother's Moorish language.

Diara is driven by her desire to honor the West African traditions of her heritage and share her connection to nature with others. As an expectant mother, she wants to create a legacy she can pass down to her children. Despite the challenges of starting a business, Diara finds balance by incorporating self-care rituals and valuing family.

Quote from interviewee for call-out box:

“My dream and my vision is to also have this two way communication with Mali where I empower the people back home because I sourced some of my ingredients from back there.”

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Yawoni's products include Shea butter, mango butter, and cocoa butter, which are staples in traditional beauty products from Mali.
• Personal care and beauty products contain several ingredients that often include a wide range of endocrine-disrupting (hormonal system) chemicals like phthalates, parabens, phenols and toxic metals.
• Body butters can be used in your self-care rituals not only to provide moisture but also a spa-like and healing experience.

Check Out These Highlights:

• How Daria is balancing self-care (18:55)
• The motivation that drives Daria to keep pursuing her vision and brand (25:13)
• Daria expresses gratitude for transparent all natural products and BLK+GRN (34:14)

Quotes:

• “You have to give yourself these times where you allow yourself to take breath, because it's not a race, it's a marathon.”
• “Growing up, my mom, my grandmother were very into natural remedies and oils and shea butters and all kinds of natural ingredients that we would import from my home country, from Mali.”
• "So [my brand] was very personal it was definitely more than just business. It was something that I could put my soul into and share with the world and not focus on loss, but just creating.”
• “I just want to create a path for women back home to become more independent and have something of their own.”

Rachel Zeigler’s journey is a testament to walking in one's purpose, where the resounding echoes of her heart's desires drown out doubt and settling becomes a distant notion. As the visionary founder of Naked Chemistry, Rachel transforms challenges, from navigating microaggressions in the corporate world as a Black woman to pivoting her career as a licensed cosmetologist during the pandemic.

Beyond its initial focus, her vegan skincare brand, born out of a keen concern for ingrown hairs, has blossomed into a testament to Rachel's dedication to quality, sustainability, and multifunctionality. The core message is clear: prioritize quality over quantity, view self-care as non-negotiable, and embrace the transformative power of turning personal challenges into purpose-driven ventures.

Quote from interviewee for callout box: “I realized at the end of the day, you have to make success your own and put your own determination on what is success to you.”

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• In the realm of skepticism and discouragement, let unwavering self-belief in both your personal worth and the potential of your business be the guiding light that propels you forward.
• It’s important to give yourself grace and recognize that self-compassion is essential for personal well-being and for positively interacting with others.
• Seeking investments and aligning with platforms that champion and support Black businesses can be crucial for growth in the entrepreneurial landscape.

Check Out These Highlights:

• Rachel shares her dissatisfaction with the corporate environment, pursuit of beauty school, and skepticism from her traditional Black parents and societal expectations (3:40)
• Rachel emphasizes the significance of using vegan skincare and talks about the ingredients in her products (19:49)
• Rachel passionately delves into the art of weaving self-care seamlessly into the fabric of her life. (26:00)

Quotes:

• “Vegan skin care helps, and you know everything that we put in our body and on our body matters.”
• “I'm happy that I'm living a life that's authentic to me and I'm living a life that's true to me and I think that that's more important than having what you're supposed to have or having accolades that people want you to have”
• “Taking care of yourself is in vanity. Beauty is in vanity. Because when you look good, you feel good. When your hair is done, or when your skin looks good you feel good and when you feel good, you project that onto other people.”

Patrice Ford Lynn, an executive coach, and transformational facilitator, brings a refreshing approach to wellness and personal growth. Her journey took a remarkable turn during the pandemic when she became a certified Yin yoga practitioner, using it as a tool to cultivate energy management and relaxation skills for herself and her clients. Transitioning from a management consultant to a transformational coach, Patrice discovered her true calling after her wife recognized her innate gifts. She took small tests, achieved her income goals, and that success fueled her drive to pursue coaching full-time.

Passionate about sparking transformation in others, Patrice's coaching style revolves around accountability, empowering individuals to challenge their limits and dismantle obstacles. She emphasizes the significance of embracing fear as a natural emotion while summoning the courage to push forward. She also highlights the power of mindfulness practices in navigating challenges. She concludes with an empowering message for entrepreneurs and executives, reminding them that they are not alone and that there are people who genuinely want to see them thrive.

Quote from interviewee for callout box:

“I fully believe one conversation can change our lives and if your coach isn't in that first conversation inspiring you in a different way, find somebody who can.”

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Working with Bunlack women is important because it allows for understanding and holding space for their truths.
• Fear is a natural human emotion, but it's important to be courageous and manage it through mindfulness and understanding its lessons.
• Black executives often doubt themselves and need a safe space to discuss race, power, and safety.

Check Out These Highlights:

• Patrice explains the reason behind the biggest roadblocks her clients face by anchoring to their past instead of their possibilities. (9:35)
• Patrice emphasizes the importance of community for health and well-being (17:54)
• Patrice shares how working with Black women allows for a deep understanding of their experiences and the creation of a safe and seen space where they can discuss race, power, and safety (22:02)

Quotes:

• “I have a saying that it's okay to be scared, but it's important to be courageous.”
• “We are living in a society that does not affirm us when we speak into rooms and folks don't hear us, but somebody else says the same thing, and they hear them.”
• “We know how to survive, but there is something beyond survival. You named it: Thriving is beyond that, and we have to put down the tools that no longer work for us and pick up the ones that do.”

Kristen Dunning, the founder of Gently Soap, shares her journey of creating a natural soap product that is both science-backed and clean. Growing up in a family with direct roots in sustainable farming and aquaculture, Kristen witnessed firsthand the connection between black farmers and nature. As someone with sensitive skin, Kristen struggled to find a product that was both natural and effective. She realized that there were limited products that combined both natural ingredients and science-backed research, so she decided to create her own.

After studying agricultural communication and horticulture at the University of Georgia, Kristen pioneered her own research project utilizing her horticulture work and herbal knowledge to create a solid foundation for building an influential brand that ensures customers feel good about the products they use on their skin. She highlights the importance of minorities returning to agriculture, transparency, natural remedies, and what is next for her brand.

Quote from interviewee for callout box:

"It was interesting how things can be marketed and portrayed to not be natural. But when you dig down to it, it actually isn’t."

Biggest Takeaways You Don’t Want to Miss:

• Returning to heritage and agriculture is crucial for minority communities to reclaim what was taken away from them and restore a sense of cultural identity and empowerment, building resilience and strength in the face of ongoing oppression and discrimination resulting from the lasting impact of white people's exploitation and harm towards other communities.
• Avoid greenwashing, where products are marketed as natural or sustainable but contain harmful ingredients and are not ethically sourced.
• Calendula is a versatile and natural ingredient that can provide various health benefits with anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial, and soothing properties; It can also be used in tea to improve digestive health.

Check Out These Highlights:

• Kristen talks about her background and familial history in black farming, sharecropping, and sustainable farming (1:28)
• Kristen's shares how her grandmother's entrepreneurial spirit inspired her, and she became an accidental entrepreneur after realizing the need for a product that didn't exist in the market (7:00)
• Kristen discusses the importance of good sourcing, which includes knowing where the product originated from and whether it is sourced ethically and sustainably (24:14)

Quotes:

• "People are starting to really understand that what we put on our skin is just as important as what we put in our bodies."
• " I am very driven by making sure people have options within sensitive skincare, especially within something that's so ingrained into our daily lives.”
• "I became an entrepreneur by accident. I always say that I didn't decide to be there. It kind of chose me."