BBN Collab: Women-Owned Pop-Up Shop Recap

Am I alone in feeling like the holiday spirit is running a little behind? I still don’t have a Christmas tree up, but I surely have been shopping! Luckily, there have been pop-ups galore, which have allowed me to support some wonderful small businesses in my community. The latest one I attended was hosted by The Boss Babe Network. Mariah and crew’s events are always a premium experience so I couldn’t miss out on the invitation!

The Women-Owned Holiday Extravaganza was hosted at the 10 East Arts Hub on the Near Eastside of Indy. This was my first time at this venue and it was perfect! There were boss women lined up throughout the space, a bar setup in the back (more on that in a minute), plus DJ Grapevine was holding it down on the ones and twos. It was a WHOLE vibe vup in there! Now let’s getting into the damage!

There was such a wide diversity of products available at this event. Sometimes larger pop-ups intimidate me because there will be five candle sellers, four boutiques, two turtle doves. You get what I mean. This had a manageable volume of merch as a shopper where I could truly support almost everyone there based on who I was shopping for or at least learn about their businesses. (Tip: Even if you don’t make a purchase, shout the business out if they had something that caught your eye. Someone else may purchase!)

My Haul

1. Repurposed Black Enamel Channel necklace from Small Batch No. 3

2. Black Girl Joy Notebook Print by Faith Blackwell Photography (featuring the lovely Idalia!)

3. The infamous Rich Bitch Oil from Bohemian Virtue (It has real dollar shreds in it!)

4. Stemless Wine Glass from Boss Babe Network

5. Crown Care Hydrating Hair Tea by Naturally Adira (Check out my #BrittBuysBlack post here.)

6. Two-piece Dream Come TRUE set by My TRUE Brand (It’s so comfy, y’all!)

7. Cute Christmas Socks from Bella Curve Clothing Boutique (BSquared is an ambassador!)

8. Signature Body Butter from ROJOrganics (So good that I met up that week to get a bigger one!)

9. Protect Candle and Ascend Bath Salt from Three Dope Souls (They both smelled so great!)

10. The ABCs of HBCUs book sold by Black Worldschoolers Mobile Bookstore

Now everything pictured above isn’t it! Bella Bee-tique was in the building with her fabulous outfits—and ring light on deck! There was also custom resin creations from Jazz Creatrix! A beautiful chill scene created by Poshnic Experience. On top of that, there were food and beverage vendors! Sip and Share Wines was in the house. Ruby (a boss in her own right) poured me a lovely glass of the Manifest chardonnay created by her aunt to enjoy while I shopped. Taste Budz Indy also pulled up on us with her food truck. Oh, and there was a gift wrap station powered by Mariah’s cute little helpers! Literally, what else do you need in a shopping experience? This was a great way to spend my Saturday afternoon.

Thanks again Boss Babe Network for hosting another event that amplifies Black-owned and women-owned businesses! My stocking is surely stuffed, and this helped me spend my Black dollars in my own community for the holidays!

‘Tis the Season to #ShopSmall and #BuyBlack!

Britt

Britt Buys Black: Naturally Adira

I’m keeping my theme about hair care going, so of course I’m going to shout out a Black-owned product I love. In April 2020, I attended the Boss Babe Brunch (more info here) and as the event was wrapping up, I met this woman who had on a dope short suit and was rocking a beautiful fro. In my true power-networker fashion, I introduced myself and was delighted to learned that Denasiha was a YouTuber and she focused on her natural hair experience.

Quick backstory, I’ve spent a large chunk of my late adolescence/adulthood binging YouTube beauty and lifestyle videos. It’s a past-time that I think only young millennials truly understand.

Anyway, I looked her up right after the event and I’ve been subscribed to Adira Kalon ever since. Definitely enjoy her videos on natural hair care tips and routines. I’m so inspired by her plunge to dye her hair purple! I’m also a smidge jealous of her commitment to the gym (LOL). She’s adding more vlogs in the mix too, and that’s been fun content to watch as well.

Another extension of Naturally Adira’s brand is the her product lines. One is Crowned Apparel and the other is the Crown Care Collection. In the collection she currently sells three homemade products, a moisture/growth serum, a scalp treatment oil and a refresher spray. It’s so cool because she makes these products herself with carefully curated ingredients to promote healthy scalp and hair for growth (which you can see from her channel and Instagram).

I personally struggle with maintaining maximum hydration, so I picked up the Moisture Rescue product in the collection. I apply it as a part of my regular weekly maintenance directly to my scalp, and have been using it since last year. Honestly, I feel like this serum was the perfect boost to my long healthy hair journey. My hair has gained inches rapidly. I don’t think it’s a coincidence. For so long I used oils and products that were filled with so many additives and chemicals I couldn’t pronounce. Adira’s hand-crafted oils have simple ingredients and are carefully infused to bring out the herbs full benefits.

Also, I'd like to add a quick note that the packaging is super cute. I haven’t had any spilled product upon delivery. Plus, she includes the cutest care card and bonus affirmation card with your order.

If you’re looking for new natural hair products, I highly recommend! I also can’t wait to order the Hydrating Hair Tea refresher spray for my summer braids when it’s back in stock. Subscribe to her YouTube and follow her on IG to get more tips and product updates. Plus, you get to see the funny things her pup Sir does on a weekly basis.

Stay tuned for a few more posts I have about hair care coming up!

Queens, let’s fix each other’s crowns!

Britt

Britt Buys Black: Nadéjiah Towns--Put Me in Coach!

Fun fact about me: I was a university career coach for three and a half years. I really enjoyed helping my students connect to what they love, and showing them how to position themselves for their next opportunity. They have gone on to do amazing things, embark on cool careers, and many of them make more money than I do. I still provide advice here and there, and definitely have tried to practice what I've preached in my own searches and exploration. But what happens when the coach needs a coach? Over time I've learned that I can't do it all, and that even includes doing things for myself. I decided that this year I was going to get some assistance in unlocking my path into better clarity and alignment professionally. 

This month’s Britt Buys Black feature is Nadéjiah Towns. I recently finished up her Career Alignment Accelerator program because I wanted to enter the mid-stage of my professional career with greater intention and better understanding of my value because I'm still chasing these coins as I approach 30.  Not only was I seeking clarity on how to align my skills with my financial worth, but also getting a better grasp on the strengths that I have and the skills that I enjoy using on a day-to-day basis. She was tremendously helpful in coaching me as I sorted out my own stuff and really uncovered what was going to be important to me in my next move. 

Nadéjiah helps women of color “reclaim power over their careers and vocalize their value to increase their income.” (Period!) She recently transitioned to coaching full-time after spending the early stages of her business as a resume writer while juggling a full-time higher education position. She was in reslife y’all. That ish is no joke! She has a very laid back, yet accountable style that makes you feel like you’re working through this with one of your girlfriends--except she knows even more of what she’s talking about. Over the six weeks, I was gathered in a loving way and set straight on a path to preparing for moves I actually want, not just what happens to pop up. I’ve already began revisiting assignments to help me on this journey. 

Now, getting a coach is an investment into your future. If you could do it alone, you would have by now. Here are some other tips I have to help you tap in:

Follow that coach on social media to get their vibe. Do you even like what they’re talking about? How about their messaging style? Do they have some shared experiences or identities that resonate with you. Study them first. See if they have freebies to get a taste of their programs.

Make small investments in yourself. You have to get in a habit of investing in personal development. For me that first step was buying courses and programs. Start to put some change aside for a personal development fund. More often than not the investment will pay for itself and then some. 

Get your mind right. Successful coaching experiences also depend on you being coachable. That looked like going through therapy first for me. I had to sort out other mental blockages before I could take on new info. Your consultation session can help you both determine if you’re ready. These sessions will only work as hard as you do.

Follow Nadéjiah on Instagram linked here. Also, we’ll be doing an IG Live session on March 3 at 5p EST to discuss my experience in the program. Catch us live or on the replay!

Tap in!

Britt

Hot Girls' Guide to Early Retirement (A Black Love Post)

Trigger Warning: It’s a lovey-dovey post.

Growing up I was really back and forth on if the married and family life was for me. Like most young adults in the US, I felt the effects of high divorce rates in generations' past. Witnessing that level of dysfunction honestly had me cool on the whole concept for a while. And believe me the hook-up culture and situationship-laced reality of today by no means created a brighter outlook. So what was a young Black woman to do?

In my case, I focused on the somewhat controllable—the grind. As a teen, Jesus and reality TV was all I needed. Once I graduated high school it was mission critical to secure the degrees, secure the bag. (Boy, oh boy, that’s a gag. Post for another time.). That’s really what people around me were coaching me to do. Stay young and unattached so I can move full steam into my dreams. And that’s what I did. I did the school thing, began my career, started traveling and brunching it up. I got comfortable answering to just myself, my God and my bank account.

Now, there was some scorn and bitterness along the way. I mean, in my mind I was a reasonably successful woman. As folks who knew me would say, ”Guys should be lined up and falling at your feet.“ WRONG! They weren’t. Phone was dry; DMs deserted. I digress. And after the last ordeal of having my time wasted, I walled up and it was the best decision. I needed to work on me. Hype myself up again. Be content in being alone with myself. It wasn’t until I arrived at that contentment, I could intentionally and carefully open my heart back up. It was seeing a partner/companion as someone who adds value to my whole life, but wasn’t my whole life.

When I started dating my now Boo-Thang, my mental about it was so different than before. I was excited, but I wasn’t obsessing and stressing about every little thing like before. I didn’t overthink it because if it didn’t work out being single again didn’t feel like a failure because that life was still lit—and Hot Girl Summer was approaching. I had gotten clear about the type of things that didn’t serve me in a relationship (romantic or not), and was fine with standing on it. Thankfully, I found someone who had also become super comfortable with their authentic self and presented that to me from day one.

What’s even crazier, he was saying and doing the things that I desired from the reflections of my time alone without me ever prompting them. He was slowly ticking things off my realistic and internalized list in the required and optional categories. Also, going into this more centered allowed for the most open communication I’ve ever had in this type of relationship. That’s what self-work and healing looks like. No games, no BS. You rocking with me or nah? Are we still learning each other and growing together? For sure! The difference is it’s not forced or one-sided. It truly feels like a partnership, and that’s the core of what I want. If any of this resonated with you, here’s a few things I recommend to prepare your mind to go from “Nice for What” to “Best Part”:

1. Spend some time single and not dating/entangled/fill in the blank by choice.

2. Learn the vibes you need around to be your best self whether it’s romantic or not.

3. Figure out if you actually want a relationship or if it’s the pressure from around you.

4. Get out the house. Unless, you only want a boo who does food delivery (no shade).

5. Entertain in-person conversations with anyone. (So helpful to build openness and confidence.)

6. Work on what you bring. It’s hard to ask for what you don’t even have together.

7. Speak a healthy relationship over your life when you’re truly ready.

8. Set a clear intention for the value you want a partner to add.

9. Appreciate all the ways your friends already show up for you. (If they don’t, start there.)

10. Plan out what happens if the partner never comes and reach a level of self-acceptance.

Last but certainly not least, if you loved these photos all credit goes to this week’s #BrittBuysBlack spotlight, SnapsxStyles Photography! Brittany Marcus a.k.a. BSquared and I have been friends since undergrad and she’s truly honing her craft as a photographer to add to her existing media services portfolio. If you’re in the Central Indiana area, get with her swiftly!

Britt Buys Black: The Social Chef Spices Collective

What’s you favorite part about traveling? Whether it be to a new neighborhood in your city or a new country to explore, what excites you about that experience? Hands down one of my favorite elements of new adventures would be the food! Let me be clear, it’ the LOCAL food for me. If it’s got more than ten locations, then I feel some type of way. I want to go where the working folks eat on a regular or as a hometown splurge. Yeah, yeah, chic decor and ambiance is nice, but sometimes I don’t want a photo op. I want the food to do all the talking. I want to taste the local flavors, try the signature dishes and eat the homegrown/raised ingredients.

Brittany Stewart and I on our last adventure to the beaches of Tulum.

My dear friend Brittany (not speaking in third-person), shares my sentiments for adventure through cuisine. She is the mastermind behind The Social Chef. An avid traveler and foodie herself, Brittany blogs about her experiences in different locations and most importantly captures the wonderful flavors you must try while you’re there. We both lamented that we had to lighten our travel load this year due to the pandemic—although, she has still found a way to safely escape a time or two. The other way that she’s adapted to this new normal is through her other passion for cooking. In September, she launched her first product line under the brand called Social Spices Collective. In her own words this line is:

Taking the pure essence of flavors found in various countries and making them available in your own kitchen. This six-seasoning spice line was curated using spices featured in dishes from all over the world. I had the pleasure to work with chef’s and locals from Peru, Cuba, Mexico, and Ghana to bring these flavors to life in each bottle. - Brittany S., The Social Chef

Now, if you’ve been following along you know that over the last year my boyfriend and I have been throwing down more in the kitchen as a wonderful way to bond and explore our own culinary talents. In support, I ordered the two debut spices of the line, the Jardin and Sea Imports. We did a simple meal prep of grilled salmon, broccoli and wild rice using both of these spices.

Overall, we really enjoyed the flavor from these blends. Now, something that I love is that these are not just salt with some herbs in it. I’m trying to be more conscious with what I’m putting in my body and that includes salt intake. I would suggest still using a little salt in your dishes you create with these spices, but I felt relief in knowing that I could combine these with other seasonings or add salt to taste without the concern of going overboard or overpowering these spice blends.

Jardin: This is the veggie seasoning, and boy does it pack in a flavor! We used this on the broccoli we steamed and it was quite zesty and delicious. It gave a bold taste that reminded me of summer. We added the seasonings to the butter and water before we put in the veggies and then sprinkled more on top before steaming.

Seafood Imports: This is a really nice blend, the grilling kind of took control so I know to use more the next time or make sure I extend my marinating, but you really don’t need to add anything else to this. My boyfriend prefers a more salty profile for meats so you may want to toss in a little more, but it was perfect for me. I used it again for shrimp alfredo and we were both pleased with how it came out.

Now you are in luck because this month she’s just announced the third spice blend of the collection, the Inca. It’s inspired by the flavors of Peru, and I can’t wait to get my hands on a bottle. I haven’t had too many Peruvian dishes so I’m excited to explore through the first dish I make with it. Grab your bottles today! Sign up for her email list to get 10 percent off your first order. She’ll also keep you updated on sales, pop-up events using her spices and neat travel tips!

Follow The Social Chef on social media as well to stay up to date with Brittany’s blog, product releases and travel inspiration!