Boss Women Media Highlight: Amazon BBA Connect x Boss Women Media Pitch Competition Winners

It’s no secret that Boss Women Media is all about supporting Woman-Owned Black businesses throughout the entire year. We recently held a virtual pitch competition in partnership with Amazon BBA Connect.

We know that when it comes to creating a business and ensuring it is flourishing as women of color, it’s more critical than ever in today’s world that we support each other. This is because we are faced with particularly unique challenges that impact our ability to build long term wealth and entrepreneurial resources.

Be sure to support these Woman-Owned Black businesses as we continue to do our part in helping solve the gaps for women around the US to be impacted with resources that work and help businesses grow. Keep reading to find out more about our winners!

Amazon BBA Connect x Boss Women Media Pitch Competition Winners

Shonte, Co-Founder of Sister.ly Drinkware

1. Can you start by telling our readers a little bit about yourself and your background?

I was born and raised in Paterson, NJ. Throughout my childhood, I watched several family members run businesses. My grandfather, who owned apartment buildings and a fish restaurant, and my dad, who owned an online textbook selling, were two role models for me. I went on to earn my bachelor’s degree in biology from Xavier University of Louisiana and my master’s degree in biology from Fairleigh Dickinson University. For over 20 years, I worked in the pharmaceutical and medical device industries where I held various roles in Quality management. In 2019, I became a mom to a baby girl and earned my MBA in 2020 during the pandemic – two life-changing events that inspired me to tap into my creative and entrepreneurial side.

2. When and what motivated you to start your business?

I co-founded Sister.ly Drinkware with my sister, Shinita Nicole, in 2020.  This was the height of the pandemic, and we were all quarantined in the house.  We couldn’t see our family, we couldn’t see our friends, and we began to feel isolated and alone.  We knew that if we felt isolated, others felt the same.

To maintain family relationships and friendship bonds while quarantining, we started hosting virtual events such as family game nights, ladies’ nights, happy hours, and pajama jammy jams. These gatherings lifted everyone’s spirits, and we began to feel more connected and feel a sense of normalcy. This experience inspired our desire to make a way to connect with people in a meaningful way.

My sister and I have always loved hanging out with each other, catching up over cocktails, and shopping for drinkware. However, when looking for drinkware, we saw that there were very few female-owned companies and even fewer black-owned companies. Also, there were very few companies that carried pretty, feminine glassware.  Thus, Sister.ly Drinkware was born with the intent to create luxurious, elegant, high-quality drinkware with a feminine flair.  

3. When you first started your business, what were the 3 initial thoughts that pushed you forward to decide “yes this is what I want to do?”

The 3 initial thoughts were:

• Is there a need for this business?
• Am I passionate about this venture?
• Do I have the time to dedicate to starting and growing the business?

I jumped into the business with both feet once I answered yes to all three questions.

4. What is your business mission?

Our mission is to inspire people from all walks of life to add elegance and luxury to their beverages and empower women to celebrate life one glass at a time.

5. With so many businesses within your industry, what makes your business so different and what problem(s) would you say your business solves?

Sister.ly Drinkware is a Black-owned and female-owned company that takes pride in being a diamond in the drinkware category. We are one of the first companies to offer drinkware with a feminine flair that is for women by women. We are different from any other drinkware company in how we connect with our customers.  Whether it is by engaging with them through our Sisterly Circle Facebook group, providing valuable information on our Sisterly Connection blog, interacting on social media sites, or our extremely popular Ladies’ Night events.  We want our customers to feel like they belong to a community and are part of something bigger than themselves.

6. What does your everyday “workday” look like?

One of my favorite parts of my job is that there is no true ‘typical’ day. Each day is a little bit different. I try to start each day by reviewing my schedule, making sure I’m aware of any calls or meetings that are scheduled and getting any prep work done ahead of time. Then, I usually answer my emails while I’m still on a roll. I spend several hours each day planning and scheduling content for our social media pages, blog, and emails for our mailing list. I also spend time engaging with our customers on social media and responding to comments left on our posts. I also spend time filling new orders from the previous day and reviewing inventory levels to see if any items need to be replenished. When I’m done with that, I review the results of ads that we have running to see if I need to make any changes to optimize performance. My day doesn’t end there, as I spend most of the late evening corresponding with overseas suppliers and distributors.

7. What does winning the Amazon BBA Connect x Boss Women Media Virtual Pitch Competition mean for you and your business?

Winning the Amazon BBA Connect x Boss Women Media Virtual Pitch Competition is a tremendous honor. It’s wonderful to see our hard work paying off. The opportunity to pitch in front of an audience of our peers and influential business leaders was exhilarating! When you’re an entrepreneur, you often feel like you’re working in a vacuum. You’re creating something from scratch and trying to push it into the world. It’s an exciting process that typically involves a lot of trial and error. Having the chance to pitch our product live in front of a supportive audience was incredibly validating. We felt like we were part of something bigger than ourselves – we were part of a movement that recognizes the strength and potential of female business owners. I’m proud to be part of this movement! And I can’t wait for what’s next!

8. What’s one piece of business advice someone has told you that’s stuck with you?

Failure is part of the journey. As entrepreneurs, we often fear failure. But the best lessons come from our mistakes. Mistakes can be viewed as opportunities to learn and improve. Every entrepreneur will face failure at some point. It’s a natural part of the process, and these setbacks often produce valuable lessons. I’ve grown as a person by learning from my mistakes, and I use these experiences to fuel my desire for success.

9. Where can our followers connect with you/your business on social media?

Followers can shop our website at www.sisterlydrinkware.com and connect with us on Instagram at www.instagram.com/sister.lydrinkware and on Facebook at www.facebook.com/sister.lydrinkware.

Kennedy Lowery, Founder of BEING for Skin & Soul

1. Can you start by telling our readers a little bit about yourself and your background?

My name is Kennedy Lowery and I am the Artisan and Owner of Being. I began handcrafting skincare as a hobby in 2011. After nearly a decade in Real Estate, I decided to take the leap into Entrepreneurship and started my company in 2018.

2. When and what motivated you to start your business?

I was inspired to deliver wellness and indulgent experiences to others after finding personal transformation through the use of self-care. Inspired by the joy-filled memories of bubble baths from childhood, I began to incorporate weekly bath rituals into my lifestyle. Slowly the art of ritual took hold of my skincare, diet, and fitness routines. What started as a journey of self-discovery and a lifestyle change has evolved into BEING.

3. When you first started your business, what were the 3 initial thoughts that pushed you forward to decide “yes this is what I want to do?”

It was actually friends and family that noticed how much my life had changed with the use of selfcare and encouraged me to share this message with the world. This brought me back to how I’d always had a desire to be an entrepreneur but was afraid to take the leap. My next thought was taking this chance on myself honors who I am and is in line with my life’s purpose. I thought to myself this message and product line can change lives and I’d rather take a chance on that and fail then to not try at all.

4. What is your business mission?

BEING is an Artisan-crafted skincare line on a mission to help women find calm in the chaos and reconnect with who they are.

5. With so many businesses within your industry, what makes your business so different and what problem(s) would you say your business solves?

Many of the skincare products on the market are produced using artificial ingredients and chemical preservatives that can be harmful to the skin. What makes my company different is that my products are artisan crafted in small batches using a holistic approach with ingredients you can pronounce. BEING has the art of a self-care ritual blended into every product with the intention to turn skincare routines into mindful moments of self-care that nourish the skin and soul.

6. What does your everyday “workday” look like?

My everyday workday is definitely one of wearing many hats. It begins with administrative task like checking emails, purchasing and customer service. I then move into my favorite part which is production of my small batched skincare products. Once I’m done in the skincare studio I move into order fulfillment and end the day engaging with customers on social media and brainstorming to prepare for my next day.

7. What does winning the Amazon BBA Connect x Boss Women Media Virtual Pitch Competition mean for you and your business? 

Winning this competition is a life-changing opportunity for me and my company to continue to grow into the next level of business. It’s also an amazing opportunity for capital to invest in vital marketing efforts, as well as, scaling operations to support continued growth.

8. What’s one piece of business advice someone has told you that’s stuck with you?

The most inspiring business advice that has stuck with me is that companies are not built by one person alone. That it’s important to hire in the areas where you feel you need the most assistance so that you can focus on your greatest strengths and operate most efficiently.

9. Where can our followers connect with you/your business on social media?

We are on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok @livebybeing