November 26, 2025 • 26 mins
Ardean Miller-Marbley: Mah Melanin’s Growth, Representation, Black Santa, Holiday Tips + More
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Speaker 1 (00:03):
What's up his way up at Angela Yee on Our
Wealth Wednesday with Stacy Tisdale.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Happy weal with Wednesdays everybody, and boy, do we have
gifts for you today and we are wrapping them up
beautifully because we have our Dean Miller Marbley, who's the
founder and CEO of Mom Melanin, which is the first
black owned brand in the gift stop category at Sam's Club,
Loew's and Hallmark Mahogany. How does that feel?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh my goodness, it feels amazing, you know, to be
the first and to break barriers and to be able
to open doors for other black owned businesses, It's just amazing.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah, it's hard to put words to it.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And you know, we all need gift wrapping paper. This
is that time of the season. But you saw something
that you felt like was missing in the marketplace, and
I'm sure.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
A lot of us have experienced.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Right.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
What was that like when you realized this is what
I need so other people needed to.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Oh yeah, definitely. So it goes with the saying, you know,
you can mess with me, but don't mess with my kids. Right. So,
growing up my kids constantly purchasing wrapping paper for them
and not actually seeing them reflected on the wrapping paper.
I'm like, I need to change this. After going to
store after store and not finding that product, I'm like, no,
(01:21):
I'm going to be the one that introduced this to
the world, but not only just introduce it to the world,
introduce it to the world in a way where the
characters are relatable to our experiences and our traditions and
what we look like as a people.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
There are just so many subtle things, like when you
go to the doctor's office and you see like the
white families and the pictures, there's all things around us
sometimes that it's just like little subtle reminders that make
us feel left out of things like we don't belong here.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Oh, and it affects self esteem everything.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yeah, And I can definitely relate to that because that's
one of the things that our brands hands on and
one of the missions is to improve self positive self
esteem from the ground up. So not only are we
working to improve self esteem from the children as they're growing,
but for the adults who have grown up and not
(02:15):
seeing themselves represented or win represented, not seeing themselves represented beautifully.
Like we've all been to the toy store looking for
the perfect toy and either not having it there or
it not reflecting who we are as black and brown individuals, and.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
The danger of that becoming normal yes to us.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yes, So I want to also discuss just your journey
because I know that even before you went in, you
have to do your research before you got this done,
You have to get a manufacturer, do all of those things.
But it was a little scary for you at first
to convince yourself to do this and invest in yourself
and take a chance. Tell me what that was like
(02:58):
for you and what made you over come that.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, that is that's really deep with me because what
made me under overcome it was understanding the need for
it right and that someone has to do it first.
If no one else is doing it, someone has to
do it to make a change in the world. So
it was a little scary, but with the knowledge and
(03:23):
the research and mind determination, it was easily accomplished for me.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
So yeah, I tell you, but a thousand roles because
you have to pay for that and get it upfront,
and they sold out like in just a few months.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah. So yeah. So in twenty twenty, when we first
literally launched, we went live in August on our website
and by November we had over three hundred orders in
one day. So initially, starting that first one thousand roles
(03:58):
that I purchased, it was it's really scary because it
was will it sell or will it not sell? But
guess what, within a few months I was ordering even
more than the one thousand, and we created additional design
because the people wanted it, they desired it, and they
wanted to be seen in a positive way.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
You were talking about your early story. I know your
parents were also a really big inspiration in that and
you actually literally just put them on display and Sam's Club.
What's their story and how did they Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Definitely so my mom and dad. They're from a small
town in Louisiana called New Sarpi, and it's a community
that many people look down on. You know, we worked
really hard in that community. And my parents were definitely
two of the individuals that were My mom she was
a custodian. My father he worked for the parish or county,
(04:52):
and every day they would go to work and deal
with hardships, but they never gave up. They continue to
push and severe. Why because of the mission, and that
mission was to give their children a great life, and
so that is in full alignment with what my Melanine
is and and I feel that their story is the
(05:14):
basis for my melon and story because I wanted to
make sure that their hard work never went in vain,
like the things that they dealt with on their jobs
and the things that they dealt with from other people
and how they were looked at, never went in vain.
So I worked hard, we created the brand, and this
year I was able to place them for the first
(05:36):
time on display. Talk about giving them their.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Flower right and then also all those people that had
things to say, go to Sam's Club, buy a little
toilet paper, but also check out.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
My parents on displaying this.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Stay there you go. Yeah, it's nice because everyone's success.
Everyone's walking up to them and recognizing them, and yeah,
it's it's just so beautiful to see it. And one
thing about my melanin we loved doing things for others,
for the community, for my children, for the parents, for
(06:08):
people who are inspired. So that's something that really sets
the brand apart.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
As well.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
You surprise them, Oh, I surprised them, Yes, yes, So
we actually had a surprise unveiling in Sam's Club and
a lot of our customers and fans attending the event.
It was a full fledged event where Sam's and I partnered,
and when we pulled off the actual covering of the
(06:38):
display and they see themselves, it was nothing but tears,
nothing but tears. And my mom said something, she said, Wow,
look at us. Who would have ever thought?
Speaker 1 (06:57):
And even with you betting on your self the way
that you did. I want to talk about your marketing
strategy too, because it's one thing to have a great
product that you know people will want, but how do
they even know about it? So what I want to
know is the steps that you took. And I know
you used a lot of different social media outlets and
(07:18):
things like that, but how were you able to get
the word out?
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Yes, so when I first started, there was a post
that was going around and it went something like, keep
screaming until someone hears you. At some point they will
hear about your brand sis And so that was my foundation.
So basically, anyone who wanted to hear about the brand,
(07:42):
I'm telling them about the brand, raising awareness on Instagram,
on Facebook, on TikTok, I'm reaching out through inboxes, and
our brand just blew up. We also a partner with
Loads through a contest and we were able to seal
our first retail partnership with Lows and so definitely understanding
(08:05):
your brand, speaking about your brand, but surrounding yourself with
the right people with the right knowledge. So big shout
out to my brand manager Ken Geal with less Launch
Agency like she has been so instrumental and even getting
more up the information out than when I first started.
So it's all about surrounding yourself with the right people
(08:28):
as well.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
What are some strategies. There's a lot of black entrepreneurs
in the retail space that would love to be a
national retailers. What would you tell them?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, definitely. First I would tell them to understand your brand,
research your brand, who's your target audience, and then be
realistic with what your capabilities are. Are you ready to
get into retail. Make sure that you understand supply chain
and distribution chains and then all of the fees that
(08:58):
goes with those things. Is very doable to get into retail,
it's a very successful area to be in, but you
have to gain that initial knowledge as well and get
a mentor like I provide mentorings, My braind provide mentorings
so it's very important to surround yourself with the people
that do have the knowledge. If you don't, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
It's disappointing to get into a store and then it's
not selling. And then once they decide, well, this didn't work,
it's harder to get back in.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
That is so true. Yes, that is so true. So
that's why it's so important that once you get in
the store. There's even more work to do. Once you
get in the store, there's marketing to get those products
flying off of the shelves, and that's where we really
depend on our community to really just back us up
(09:49):
and to support the brand. But that is so true,
and so yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
I've seen people's brands just kind of like it can
take a real hit because you spend so much money
getting into like you said, like with distribute, and you
have to pay everybody, and so sometimes those margins aren't
what it would be if you were selling it directly
on your website. But the marketing and the people seeing
your brand in stores and having access to it and
(10:15):
then being able to scale up from there, you know,
that's important. But it's also something that I feel like,
like you said, you have to be ready for that too.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Yes, you definitely have to be ready because there are
a lot of fees and fines that can incur if
you do things the wrong way. Yeah, and so those
type of fees and finds can actually bankrupt a business
and even get them pulled from retail. And also you
want to make sure that you have a strong sale
(10:44):
through rate. A lot of retailers they pay a very
close attention to the sale through rate, how much of
the product is selling within a certain amount of time.
So you want to make sure that you're on that
as well. So just being very realistic your capabilities and
where you are as a business owner at that moment.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
What are some things you did physically in store just
to make sure that you were creating awareness when the
brand got there, Because I know there are certain things
like if it's a food company, they'll do some sampling.
I know, like I have my coffee company and we
would go to Whole Foods and do sampling for that,
and then hopefully while people are shopping, they'll be like, oh,
you know, let me go buy some coffee.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Uplifts people.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
But what made it harder now is there's so many
people that are ordering online and have shoppers and it's
so different when you go to the supermarket because it's
not the actual person.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
It's like shopper shopper.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yah. Yeah, yeah, So we did several things. One of
the things that we did was visit the stores and
we have this very large Santa Can. He's our official Santa.
He's a large Mas Scott, So we bring him to
the stores. We walk around, we speak to the customers,
we raise awareness about our brand. We have also done
(11:59):
live activations in the store, so, as I mentioned earlier,
a fully live activation with the revealed this year with
my parents. We also make sure that we are communicating
with each store and speaking with them about the importance
of our placement. Yes, because policement in the store is
(12:21):
everything as well. So in addition to that, we have
done press releases even haag. Everything matters.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
So what does your team look like to execute all this? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:35):
So actually I have my brand manager, Ken Gala, I
have a my graphic designer myself to assistance, and I
pull in the dream team, which are my parents, yes,
and my husband and my son. You trust people I
trust and they come in and they make it happen.
(12:56):
But everyone is very knowledgeable within their field.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
If I saw Ardane in the store and she came
up to me like, Hey, have you seen me? I
would go like, I just think that things like that
do matter when you are going to and you're trying
something new or something catches your eye, like you said placement.
But if you came up to me and you were like, hey, Jess,
so you know Mardine, this is my brand, I would
love for you to I would be like, let's go
buy some because I think people care so much of
(13:20):
the story behind a brand that wanted to support it.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Because you've had people try to knock off your.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Brand too, Yes, and I can imagine that was a
huge problem.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
So how do you handle that?
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (13:30):
What tell that story?
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Wild?
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Okay, it is a very wild story, very wild story.
So we actually went viral on TikTok in August and
we were shipping out like two hundred and seventy six
orders a day.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Good friend, this amazing.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
This is very amazing. And unfortunately during that time, there
were several Chinese knockoffs that got hold of our brand
and started reproducing our products based on the product photo.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
Wow like them, they moved.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Fast fast based on the product photo and what I
found out later is that there were over seventy five
manufacturers in China who were producing our products illegally. Hold
on because the numbers get bigger, and over one thousand
(14:30):
ads being ran on Facebook ads ads. And then also
in addition to that, I found over eighty websites said
they were leading these people too. And so you know,
that's why IP is so important because I'm ensured that
(14:51):
my product, my images were protected by copyright laws, protected
by trademark. I was able to go in and have
one thousand removed. I was able to have websites taken down.
I was able to also have like all of the
infringements removed from TikTok. But hey, that's why it's so
(15:13):
important as a small business to protect your IP in
the street.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
That's a great conversation to have too, as you're starting
something and not sometimes we don't predict how successful something
will be, but you have to protect it from the beginning.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
You definitely have to protect it from the beginning. Especially,
you know, I feel that after doing my research, these
brand these knockoffs actually target small black owned businesses really yes,
because they feel that we are the ones that are
not protected.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
That we're vulnerable to that.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
We're very vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Oh this is not a Louis Vauton knockoff. Back into
a small business, this can be devastating.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
It can be very devastating, and it's very detrimental to
the small business. I mean it could literally make you
go bankrupt. It's like you're competing with your own knockoff brand.
And so that's it's very crazy. And we have actually
had individuals reach out to us stating that they've purchased
products from us and they received a sheet of paper
(16:16):
or they received wrapping paper with a white Santa on it,
and I'm like, wait, that's not us. And I've held
those conversations with them, and you know they in turn
do purchase from us, but it's consumers.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Yeah, and they could go and if they leave a
bad review, if.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
They don't you speaking of reviews, they have left bad
reviews and I would have to reach out. But guess
what now that you mentioned that the infringers they are smart.
They have literally taken some of my good reviews and
placed it on their website. Really sophisticated. Yes it is.
(16:57):
And there's a whole chain, it's a whole train.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Well, we want to make sure people go directly to
my melan and to get their products and not you know,
buying it third party somewhere else or so just making
sure that we put that out there. You've also done
some great collaborations. Yeah, so tell us about that.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, so we actually did a collaboration with the movie
The Unexpected Christmas. It was a full, beautiful collaboration and
our products were on their red carpets in La in Atlanta,
and then we were also able to do a full
movie premiere on last Friday in New Orleans and the
(17:44):
movie signed out an actress, an actual cast member, which
is Corene Hawthorne. She's the bomb, And so that was
really exciting to be able to see all of that
come together.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
How did that come about?
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Oh definitely. I have to give kudos to my brand
manager for that. What she did is that's her thing.
She knows collaborations, she knows partnerships. She's into the eyepiece,
and she's seen that My melanin as well as The
Unexpected Christmas movie. Those brands aligned because why not, Like,
why would you not have?
Speaker 4 (18:19):
Yes, I've seen that, Yeah so amazing. Yeah, So yes, I.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Mean so why not? It makes perfectly sense, good sense.
So ken Yell did her thing with that one.
Speaker 4 (18:29):
Look at I love how happy you look.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
And because you talk about knowing your brand but being
passionate about your brand, people could feel that too.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Yeah, And I'm passionate because I know, I know the struggle,
like I've seen my parents with the struggle. And to
be where I am from where I come from, as
I mentioned earlier, new s RP or community that everyone
looked down on, that people said we can't accomplish our dreams.
(18:57):
And to walk and step high over all of those
obstacles and prove them wrong, and to be where I am,
I mean, it's so I'm so passionate about it, and
I just love having the opportunity to be in this
spot and to empower other individuals to be able to
do the same and chase their dreams and their passions.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Yeah, and sometimes it's just such First of all, I
can't believe that there was nothing before twenty twenty. And
like I just can't believe that it's such a simple
but amazing idea, you know what I mean, Like that's
shocking to me that that didn't that wasn't in these
major retailers prior to that, and you also expanded out
of the wrapping paper too, right, also into backpacks apparel.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Oh yeah, so we actually have backpacks as you mentioned, apparel, pillows,
we have an assortment of products. We have shirts and teas,
and we have beautiful Santa Sax. So we are not
only just a Christmas brand. We are an all occasion brand.
Think of your feel good brand where you want to
feel represented and you want to see your traditions in
(20:03):
your designs. And that's what my melanine is.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
You feel good your traditions and you give back. Toy
drives everything tell us about time.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Yes, definitely. So we do an annual toy drive once
a year in our community and we give back to
the community. We have toy giveaways, we have a coloring station,
Santa comes out and takes photos. We actually have gift
wrap challenges, and we'll even wrap the gifts. So it's just.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
I'll be there.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
I love wrapping gifts and and my household. Whenever it
was a time to wrap the presence, it was always
me that would sit there and do it. I really
enjoy it. For some reason, It's a capricorn in me.
It's like very precise the way that you have to
do it.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Yes, I gotta make it perfect, so I enjoy that.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
So I appreciate wrapping paper more than average person because
I'm gonna be the one sending there doing it.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah, I'm reminding you of this in a couple of weeks,
as long as those presents mind.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
And we have that good wrapping paper, very nice thick quality,
the kind that you don't have to worry about tearing
when you're folding and doing all of your beautiful designs.
And yeah, that's what we bring to the table.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Okay, we're talking about this together earlier. How important and
just I just love hearing this. Do you think it
is for those kids, especially those kids you give back to,
to see black Santa Clauses, to see that wrapping paper
because it's just not you know, normal for them.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
It's not normal. And that is what we aim to
do to normalize it and to make it normal, and
not just for the kids, but for the adults too,
because as you mentioned, since twenty twenty, like you didn't
realize that there was a cab, right, So when we
bring out our Santa the kids, first of all, he's
a dance in Santa yeah, okay. So he loves getting
(22:01):
in and and you know, the dancing moving. He is moving,
he is breakdancing. Santa is moving, okay. So he loves
to bring the party and the feel good right. So
the kids all they love being around him and dancing.
But then the adults do as well. So they're dancing
and having fun. And when it's time to take photos,
(22:24):
I have to literally ask the adults, hold on, let's
share with the kids. Let's let the kids get their
pictures first. But they absolutely adore being able to take
photos with Santa. And what I love the most about
that with the kids is their normal, right, It is
that they're normal, and that's what we want to do.
(22:45):
That's what we want to make giffrap with African American
characters and products that with African American characters that accurately
reflect those individuals. We want to make it feel normal.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Yeah, as it should.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Let is also feel good work.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
I love.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Actually find the real ones.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Yes, the real ones is gonna be found at www
dot momelanon dot com, m A H m ah yes,
my my melon in m A hmelanon dot com, as
well as Sam's Club dot com online and select sam stores.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
This is perfects We're kicking into that holiday shopping.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
I know, I'm so excited for that.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
When I was in high school, one of one of
my friends, her dad did this song Santa Claus is
a black Oh yeah, you know that's and that was
such a big deal, like for us that her dad
made that song, because you gotta think, like for us, well,
not for me, because my dad's not black, he's Chinese,
but in the community, like in our community, everybody's like,
(23:51):
your dad is Santa Claus and he was a black
man like that regular.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Yeah, yeah, I was Santa. He wears a go train
matching issues you. Yeah. Yeah. He brings like all the
flavor and infuses the culture. So that's something that everyone
really loves about him. He's a Santa that you can
relate to, a Santa that will walk into your home,
my home and give.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Gifts because when they see Santa kiss in.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Their mind all that okay direction, And you know, holiday
shopping is coming up. Black Friday's coming up. So what's
some advice that you would give to our listeners.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Yes, definitely. The advice that I would give is to
be intentional when shopping this holiday season. We have black
Friday coming up, and just ensuring that you are shopping
with black small owned businesses. That intentional shopping will number one,
could keep businesses running, can keep businesses on shelves, and
(24:57):
it can also allow us to continue to be able
to give back to the community and empower the community.
So we're not asking that you not shopped, We're just
asking that you shop intentionally and shop black.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
You're right about that.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
I had a whole conversation earlier today about how hard
it is for business owners right now because the cost
of everything is so high and then you kind of
have to unfortunately pass some of those costs on, and
a lot of businesses I see a lot of places
are going out of business because it's tough right now.
And then people also aren't spending as much money, you know,
(25:34):
and rightfully, so it's a difficult time. So just that
cycle of things costing more, passing those costs on the
consumers who don't have it like that right now, who
aren't trying to spend in that way anymore. It's just
something that is like a time that we can uplift
each other as much as possible.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Yes, I totally agree, and as small black businesses we
are depending on our community to help us to continue
to push forward and to stay in business.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
Very important. Yes, well, thank you Arden.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
It was a pleasure to have you, and congratulations on
all of your success and so much more to come.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
I already know, and what a great way to usher
in the holiday season, and everybody. Go to Teamwealth wednesdays
dot com. There's a feature on our dean and sign
up for our free newsletter and you'll learn even more
about her.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
Thank you for having Wealth Wednesdays
What's up his way up at Angela Yee on Our
Wealth Wednesday with Stacy Tisdale.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
Happy weal with Wednesdays everybody, and boy, do we have
gifts for you today and we are wrapping them up
beautifully because we have our Dean Miller Marbley, who's the
founder and CEO of Mom Melanin, which is the first
black owned brand in the gift stop category at Sam's Club,
Loew's and Hallmark Mahogany. How does that feel?
Speaker 3 (00:29):
Oh my goodness, it feels amazing, you know, to be
the first and to break barriers and to be able
to open doors for other black owned businesses, It's just amazing.
Speaker 4 (00:40):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (00:41):
Yeah, it's hard to put words to it.
Speaker 1 (00:43):
And you know, we all need gift wrapping paper. This
is that time of the season. But you saw something
that you felt like was missing in the marketplace, and
I'm sure.
Speaker 4 (00:52):
A lot of us have experienced.
Speaker 3 (00:54):
Right.
Speaker 1 (00:54):
What was that like when you realized this is what
I need so other people needed to.
Speaker 3 (00:59):
Oh yeah, definitely. So it goes with the saying, you know,
you can mess with me, but don't mess with my kids. Right. So,
growing up my kids constantly purchasing wrapping paper for them
and not actually seeing them reflected on the wrapping paper.
I'm like, I need to change this. After going to
store after store and not finding that product, I'm like, no,
(01:21):
I'm going to be the one that introduced this to
the world, but not only just introduce it to the world,
introduce it to the world in a way where the
characters are relatable to our experiences and our traditions and
what we look like as a people.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
There are just so many subtle things, like when you
go to the doctor's office and you see like the
white families and the pictures, there's all things around us
sometimes that it's just like little subtle reminders that make
us feel left out of things like we don't belong here.
Speaker 2 (01:52):
Oh, and it affects self esteem everything.
Speaker 3 (01:54):
Yeah, And I can definitely relate to that because that's
one of the things that our brands hands on and
one of the missions is to improve self positive self
esteem from the ground up. So not only are we
working to improve self esteem from the children as they're growing,
but for the adults who have grown up and not
(02:15):
seeing themselves represented or win represented, not seeing themselves represented beautifully.
Like we've all been to the toy store looking for
the perfect toy and either not having it there or
it not reflecting who we are as black and brown individuals, and.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
The danger of that becoming normal yes to us.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yes, So I want to also discuss just your journey
because I know that even before you went in, you
have to do your research before you got this done,
You have to get a manufacturer, do all of those things.
But it was a little scary for you at first
to convince yourself to do this and invest in yourself
and take a chance. Tell me what that was like
(02:58):
for you and what made you over come that.
Speaker 3 (03:01):
Yeah, that is that's really deep with me because what
made me under overcome it was understanding the need for
it right and that someone has to do it first.
If no one else is doing it, someone has to
do it to make a change in the world. So
it was a little scary, but with the knowledge and
(03:23):
the research and mind determination, it was easily accomplished for me.
Speaker 1 (03:29):
So yeah, I tell you, but a thousand roles because
you have to pay for that and get it upfront,
and they sold out like in just a few months.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
Yeah. So yeah. So in twenty twenty, when we first
literally launched, we went live in August on our website
and by November we had over three hundred orders in
one day. So initially, starting that first one thousand roles
(03:58):
that I purchased, it was it's really scary because it
was will it sell or will it not sell? But
guess what, within a few months I was ordering even
more than the one thousand, and we created additional design
because the people wanted it, they desired it, and they
wanted to be seen in a positive way.
Speaker 2 (04:17):
You were talking about your early story. I know your
parents were also a really big inspiration in that and
you actually literally just put them on display and Sam's Club.
What's their story and how did they Yeah?
Speaker 3 (04:29):
Definitely so my mom and dad. They're from a small
town in Louisiana called New Sarpi, and it's a community
that many people look down on. You know, we worked
really hard in that community. And my parents were definitely
two of the individuals that were My mom she was
a custodian. My father he worked for the parish or county,
(04:52):
and every day they would go to work and deal
with hardships, but they never gave up. They continue to
push and severe. Why because of the mission, and that
mission was to give their children a great life, and
so that is in full alignment with what my Melanine
is and and I feel that their story is the
(05:14):
basis for my melon and story because I wanted to
make sure that their hard work never went in vain,
like the things that they dealt with on their jobs
and the things that they dealt with from other people
and how they were looked at, never went in vain.
So I worked hard, we created the brand, and this
year I was able to place them for the first
(05:36):
time on display. Talk about giving them their.
Speaker 1 (05:38):
Flower right and then also all those people that had
things to say, go to Sam's Club, buy a little
toilet paper, but also check out.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
My parents on displaying this.
Speaker 3 (05:46):
Stay there you go. Yeah, it's nice because everyone's success.
Everyone's walking up to them and recognizing them, and yeah,
it's it's just so beautiful to see it. And one
thing about my melanin we loved doing things for others,
for the community, for my children, for the parents, for
(06:08):
people who are inspired. So that's something that really sets
the brand apart.
Speaker 4 (06:14):
As well.
Speaker 3 (06:14):
You surprise them, Oh, I surprised them, Yes, yes, So
we actually had a surprise unveiling in Sam's Club and
a lot of our customers and fans attending the event.
It was a full fledged event where Sam's and I partnered,
and when we pulled off the actual covering of the
(06:38):
display and they see themselves, it was nothing but tears,
nothing but tears. And my mom said something, she said, Wow,
look at us. Who would have ever thought?
Speaker 1 (06:57):
And even with you betting on your self the way
that you did. I want to talk about your marketing
strategy too, because it's one thing to have a great
product that you know people will want, but how do
they even know about it? So what I want to
know is the steps that you took. And I know
you used a lot of different social media outlets and
(07:18):
things like that, but how were you able to get
the word out?
Speaker 3 (07:21):
Yes, so when I first started, there was a post
that was going around and it went something like, keep
screaming until someone hears you. At some point they will
hear about your brand sis And so that was my foundation.
So basically, anyone who wanted to hear about the brand,
(07:42):
I'm telling them about the brand, raising awareness on Instagram,
on Facebook, on TikTok, I'm reaching out through inboxes, and
our brand just blew up. We also a partner with
Loads through a contest and we were able to seal
our first retail partnership with Lows and so definitely understanding
(08:05):
your brand, speaking about your brand, but surrounding yourself with
the right people with the right knowledge. So big shout
out to my brand manager Ken Geal with less Launch
Agency like she has been so instrumental and even getting
more up the information out than when I first started.
So it's all about surrounding yourself with the right people
(08:28):
as well.
Speaker 2 (08:29):
What are some strategies. There's a lot of black entrepreneurs
in the retail space that would love to be a
national retailers. What would you tell them?
Speaker 3 (08:38):
Yeah, definitely. First I would tell them to understand your brand,
research your brand, who's your target audience, and then be
realistic with what your capabilities are. Are you ready to
get into retail. Make sure that you understand supply chain
and distribution chains and then all of the fees that
(08:58):
goes with those things. Is very doable to get into retail,
it's a very successful area to be in, but you
have to gain that initial knowledge as well and get
a mentor like I provide mentorings, My braind provide mentorings
so it's very important to surround yourself with the people
that do have the knowledge. If you don't, yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:21):
It's disappointing to get into a store and then it's
not selling. And then once they decide, well, this didn't work,
it's harder to get back in.
Speaker 3 (09:29):
That is so true. Yes, that is so true. So
that's why it's so important that once you get in
the store. There's even more work to do. Once you
get in the store, there's marketing to get those products
flying off of the shelves, and that's where we really
depend on our community to really just back us up
(09:49):
and to support the brand. But that is so true,
and so yeah.
Speaker 1 (09:53):
I've seen people's brands just kind of like it can
take a real hit because you spend so much money
getting into like you said, like with distribute, and you
have to pay everybody, and so sometimes those margins aren't
what it would be if you were selling it directly
on your website. But the marketing and the people seeing
your brand in stores and having access to it and
(10:15):
then being able to scale up from there, you know,
that's important. But it's also something that I feel like,
like you said, you have to be ready for that too.
Speaker 3 (10:23):
Yes, you definitely have to be ready because there are
a lot of fees and fines that can incur if
you do things the wrong way. Yeah, and so those
type of fees and finds can actually bankrupt a business
and even get them pulled from retail. And also you
want to make sure that you have a strong sale
(10:44):
through rate. A lot of retailers they pay a very
close attention to the sale through rate, how much of
the product is selling within a certain amount of time.
So you want to make sure that you're on that
as well. So just being very realistic your capabilities and
where you are as a business owner at that moment.
Speaker 1 (11:04):
What are some things you did physically in store just
to make sure that you were creating awareness when the
brand got there, Because I know there are certain things
like if it's a food company, they'll do some sampling.
I know, like I have my coffee company and we
would go to Whole Foods and do sampling for that,
and then hopefully while people are shopping, they'll be like, oh,
you know, let me go buy some coffee.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Uplifts people.
Speaker 1 (11:26):
But what made it harder now is there's so many
people that are ordering online and have shoppers and it's
so different when you go to the supermarket because it's
not the actual person.
Speaker 4 (11:37):
It's like shopper shopper.
Speaker 3 (11:38):
Yah. Yeah, yeah, So we did several things. One of
the things that we did was visit the stores and
we have this very large Santa Can. He's our official Santa.
He's a large Mas Scott, So we bring him to
the stores. We walk around, we speak to the customers,
we raise awareness about our brand. We have also done
(11:59):
live activations in the store, so, as I mentioned earlier,
a fully live activation with the revealed this year with
my parents. We also make sure that we are communicating
with each store and speaking with them about the importance
of our placement. Yes, because policement in the store is
(12:21):
everything as well. So in addition to that, we have
done press releases even haag. Everything matters.
Speaker 4 (12:32):
So what does your team look like to execute all this? Yeah?
Speaker 3 (12:35):
So actually I have my brand manager, Ken Gala, I
have a my graphic designer myself to assistance, and I
pull in the dream team, which are my parents, yes,
and my husband and my son. You trust people I
trust and they come in and they make it happen.
(12:56):
But everyone is very knowledgeable within their field.
Speaker 1 (13:00):
If I saw Ardane in the store and she came
up to me like, Hey, have you seen me? I
would go like, I just think that things like that
do matter when you are going to and you're trying
something new or something catches your eye, like you said placement.
But if you came up to me and you were like, hey, Jess,
so you know Mardine, this is my brand, I would
love for you to I would be like, let's go
buy some because I think people care so much of
(13:20):
the story behind a brand that wanted to support it.
Speaker 4 (13:23):
Because you've had people try to knock off your.
Speaker 1 (13:24):
Brand too, Yes, and I can imagine that was a
huge problem.
Speaker 4 (13:28):
So how do you handle that?
Speaker 2 (13:30):
Yes?
Speaker 4 (13:30):
What tell that story?
Speaker 3 (13:32):
Yes?
Speaker 2 (13:32):
Wild?
Speaker 3 (13:33):
Okay, it is a very wild story, very wild story.
So we actually went viral on TikTok in August and
we were shipping out like two hundred and seventy six
orders a day.
Speaker 4 (13:47):
Good friend, this amazing.
Speaker 3 (13:48):
This is very amazing. And unfortunately during that time, there
were several Chinese knockoffs that got hold of our brand
and started reproducing our products based on the product photo.
Speaker 4 (14:08):
Wow like them, they moved.
Speaker 3 (14:10):
Fast fast based on the product photo and what I
found out later is that there were over seventy five
manufacturers in China who were producing our products illegally. Hold
on because the numbers get bigger, and over one thousand
(14:30):
ads being ran on Facebook ads ads. And then also
in addition to that, I found over eighty websites said
they were leading these people too. And so you know,
that's why IP is so important because I'm ensured that
(14:51):
my product, my images were protected by copyright laws, protected
by trademark. I was able to go in and have
one thousand removed. I was able to have websites taken down.
I was able to also have like all of the
infringements removed from TikTok. But hey, that's why it's so
(15:13):
important as a small business to protect your IP in
the street.
Speaker 1 (15:18):
That's a great conversation to have too, as you're starting
something and not sometimes we don't predict how successful something
will be, but you have to protect it from the beginning.
Speaker 3 (15:26):
You definitely have to protect it from the beginning. Especially,
you know, I feel that after doing my research, these
brand these knockoffs actually target small black owned businesses really yes,
because they feel that we are the ones that are
not protected.
Speaker 4 (15:45):
That we're vulnerable to that.
Speaker 3 (15:47):
We're very vulnerable.
Speaker 2 (15:48):
Oh this is not a Louis Vauton knockoff. Back into
a small business, this can be devastating.
Speaker 3 (15:53):
It can be very devastating, and it's very detrimental to
the small business. I mean it could literally make you
go bankrupt. It's like you're competing with your own knockoff brand.
And so that's it's very crazy. And we have actually
had individuals reach out to us stating that they've purchased
products from us and they received a sheet of paper
(16:16):
or they received wrapping paper with a white Santa on it,
and I'm like, wait, that's not us. And I've held
those conversations with them, and you know they in turn
do purchase from us, but it's consumers.
Speaker 1 (16:30):
Yeah, and they could go and if they leave a
bad review, if.
Speaker 3 (16:34):
They don't you speaking of reviews, they have left bad
reviews and I would have to reach out. But guess
what now that you mentioned that the infringers they are smart.
They have literally taken some of my good reviews and
placed it on their website. Really sophisticated. Yes it is.
(16:57):
And there's a whole chain, it's a whole train.
Speaker 1 (17:02):
Well, we want to make sure people go directly to
my melan and to get their products and not you know,
buying it third party somewhere else or so just making
sure that we put that out there. You've also done
some great collaborations. Yeah, so tell us about that.
Speaker 3 (17:20):
Yeah, so we actually did a collaboration with the movie
The Unexpected Christmas. It was a full, beautiful collaboration and
our products were on their red carpets in La in Atlanta,
and then we were also able to do a full
movie premiere on last Friday in New Orleans and the
(17:44):
movie signed out an actress, an actual cast member, which
is Corene Hawthorne. She's the bomb, And so that was
really exciting to be able to see all of that
come together.
Speaker 4 (17:56):
How did that come about?
Speaker 3 (17:58):
Oh definitely. I have to give kudos to my brand
manager for that. What she did is that's her thing.
She knows collaborations, she knows partnerships. She's into the eyepiece,
and she's seen that My melanin as well as The
Unexpected Christmas movie. Those brands aligned because why not, Like,
why would you not have?
Speaker 4 (18:19):
Yes, I've seen that, Yeah so amazing. Yeah, So yes, I.
Speaker 3 (18:23):
Mean so why not? It makes perfectly sense, good sense.
So ken Yell did her thing with that one.
Speaker 4 (18:29):
Look at I love how happy you look.
Speaker 1 (18:31):
And because you talk about knowing your brand but being
passionate about your brand, people could feel that too.
Speaker 3 (18:36):
Yeah, And I'm passionate because I know, I know the struggle,
like I've seen my parents with the struggle. And to
be where I am from where I come from, as
I mentioned earlier, new s RP or community that everyone
looked down on, that people said we can't accomplish our dreams.
(18:57):
And to walk and step high over all of those
obstacles and prove them wrong, and to be where I am,
I mean, it's so I'm so passionate about it, and
I just love having the opportunity to be in this
spot and to empower other individuals to be able to
do the same and chase their dreams and their passions.
Speaker 1 (19:19):
Yeah, and sometimes it's just such First of all, I
can't believe that there was nothing before twenty twenty. And
like I just can't believe that it's such a simple
but amazing idea, you know what I mean, Like that's
shocking to me that that didn't that wasn't in these
major retailers prior to that, and you also expanded out
of the wrapping paper too, right, also into backpacks apparel.
Speaker 3 (19:41):
Oh yeah, so we actually have backpacks as you mentioned, apparel, pillows,
we have an assortment of products. We have shirts and teas,
and we have beautiful Santa Sax. So we are not
only just a Christmas brand. We are an all occasion brand.
Think of your feel good brand where you want to
feel represented and you want to see your traditions in
(20:03):
your designs. And that's what my melanine is.
Speaker 2 (20:07):
You feel good your traditions and you give back. Toy
drives everything tell us about time.
Speaker 3 (20:14):
Yes, definitely. So we do an annual toy drive once
a year in our community and we give back to
the community. We have toy giveaways, we have a coloring station,
Santa comes out and takes photos. We actually have gift
wrap challenges, and we'll even wrap the gifts. So it's just.
Speaker 4 (20:36):
I'll be there.
Speaker 1 (20:39):
I love wrapping gifts and and my household. Whenever it
was a time to wrap the presence, it was always
me that would sit there and do it. I really
enjoy it. For some reason, It's a capricorn in me.
It's like very precise the way that you have to
do it.
Speaker 4 (20:55):
Yes, I gotta make it perfect, so I enjoy that.
Speaker 1 (20:58):
So I appreciate wrapping paper more than average person because
I'm gonna be the one sending there doing it.
Speaker 2 (21:02):
Yeah, I'm reminding you of this in a couple of weeks,
as long as those presents mind.
Speaker 3 (21:07):
And we have that good wrapping paper, very nice thick quality,
the kind that you don't have to worry about tearing
when you're folding and doing all of your beautiful designs.
And yeah, that's what we bring to the table.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Okay, we're talking about this together earlier. How important and
just I just love hearing this. Do you think it
is for those kids, especially those kids you give back to,
to see black Santa Clauses, to see that wrapping paper
because it's just not you know, normal for them.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
It's not normal. And that is what we aim to
do to normalize it and to make it normal, and
not just for the kids, but for the adults too,
because as you mentioned, since twenty twenty, like you didn't
realize that there was a cab, right, So when we
bring out our Santa the kids, first of all, he's
a dance in Santa yeah, okay. So he loves getting
(22:01):
in and and you know, the dancing moving. He is moving,
he is breakdancing. Santa is moving, okay. So he loves
to bring the party and the feel good right. So
the kids all they love being around him and dancing.
But then the adults do as well. So they're dancing
and having fun. And when it's time to take photos,
(22:24):
I have to literally ask the adults, hold on, let's
share with the kids. Let's let the kids get their
pictures first. But they absolutely adore being able to take
photos with Santa. And what I love the most about
that with the kids is their normal, right, It is
that they're normal, and that's what we want to do.
(22:45):
That's what we want to make giffrap with African American
characters and products that with African American characters that accurately
reflect those individuals. We want to make it feel normal.
Speaker 4 (23:00):
Yeah, as it should.
Speaker 2 (23:02):
Let is also feel good work.
Speaker 3 (23:04):
I love.
Speaker 2 (23:05):
Actually find the real ones.
Speaker 3 (23:07):
Yes, the real ones is gonna be found at www
dot momelanon dot com, m A H m ah yes,
my my melon in m A hmelanon dot com, as
well as Sam's Club dot com online and select sam stores.
Speaker 2 (23:26):
This is perfects We're kicking into that holiday shopping.
Speaker 4 (23:29):
I know, I'm so excited for that.
Speaker 1 (23:31):
When I was in high school, one of one of
my friends, her dad did this song Santa Claus is
a black Oh yeah, you know that's and that was
such a big deal, like for us that her dad
made that song, because you gotta think, like for us, well,
not for me, because my dad's not black, he's Chinese,
but in the community, like in our community, everybody's like,
(23:51):
your dad is Santa Claus and he was a black
man like that regular.
Speaker 3 (23:57):
Yeah, yeah, I was Santa. He wears a go train
matching issues you. Yeah. Yeah. He brings like all the
flavor and infuses the culture. So that's something that everyone
really loves about him. He's a Santa that you can
relate to, a Santa that will walk into your home,
my home and give.
Speaker 4 (24:18):
Gifts because when they see Santa kiss in.
Speaker 1 (24:20):
Their mind all that okay direction, And you know, holiday
shopping is coming up. Black Friday's coming up. So what's
some advice that you would give to our listeners.
Speaker 3 (24:35):
Yes, definitely. The advice that I would give is to
be intentional when shopping this holiday season. We have black
Friday coming up, and just ensuring that you are shopping
with black small owned businesses. That intentional shopping will number one,
could keep businesses running, can keep businesses on shelves, and
(24:57):
it can also allow us to continue to be able
to give back to the community and empower the community.
So we're not asking that you not shopped, We're just
asking that you shop intentionally and shop black.
Speaker 4 (25:10):
You're right about that.
Speaker 1 (25:11):
I had a whole conversation earlier today about how hard
it is for business owners right now because the cost
of everything is so high and then you kind of
have to unfortunately pass some of those costs on, and
a lot of businesses I see a lot of places
are going out of business because it's tough right now.
And then people also aren't spending as much money, you know,
(25:34):
and rightfully, so it's a difficult time. So just that
cycle of things costing more, passing those costs on the
consumers who don't have it like that right now, who
aren't trying to spend in that way anymore. It's just
something that is like a time that we can uplift
each other as much as possible.
Speaker 3 (25:50):
Yes, I totally agree, and as small black businesses we
are depending on our community to help us to continue
to push forward and to stay in business.
Speaker 4 (26:02):
Very important. Yes, well, thank you Arden.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
It was a pleasure to have you, and congratulations on
all of your success and so much more to come.
Speaker 2 (26:10):
I already know, and what a great way to usher
in the holiday season, and everybody. Go to Teamwealth wednesdays
dot com. There's a feature on our dean and sign
up for our free newsletter and you'll learn even more
about her.
Speaker 4 (26:22):
Thank you for having Wealth Wednesdays
Way Up With Angela Yee News
Host
Angela Yee
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