Tell us about yourself, upbringing
and growing
I grew up in the south with 3 sisters.
We were all raised in a single parent
home by my mother. I’ve never met
my “father” but wholeheartedly
believe it was all for the best. Feeling
like I couldn’t grow more in Arkansas,
I left in 2005, packed up my car and
drove 26 hours to Los Angeles. I
took a nap in a hotel parking lot and
when I finally arrived to my empty
apartment, I called my sister crying
and asking, “What the hell did I just
do?” I’d moved to a completely new
and somewhat foreign place all alone.
I learned a lot in Los Angeles though.
Coming from the south and landing in
L.A was quite a shock but I embraced
it and met some pretty amazing
people. I also worked on restructuring
my beliefs and discovering what I
want from life. After 5 years in L.A, I
ended up moving to Brooklyn after a 3
week vacation turned into 2 months.
I met a guy, packed up my life in L.A.
into 9 boxes and officially moved to
Brooklyn.
Having a business in fashion- has
this always been part of the plan
or did it just happen?
The Wrap Life was never really part
of the plan. And I never saw myself
as an entrepreneur. I got the idea to
start the Wrap Life after meditating
and writing each morning for 30 days.
Something opened up and I started
to believe that I was capable of doing
things I never considered. The fear I
usually had when starting projects
wasn’t present. It was a strange
feeling. I knew if I could change how
I perceived myself, anything I put
my mind to do could succeed and be
awesome.
When and how did you start out and
what inspired your fashion brand
The Wrap Life launched on January
15, 2014. I was inspired to start my
brand because I wanted to wear head
wraps but couldn’t find a shop that
sold them online. I knew there had
to be other women who wanted the
same so I started. I was a waitress
when I got the idea for the Wrap Life.
I worked extra shifts and saved a
little money then started with what I
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had. I committed to work at least one
year doing both because I wanted all
the money I earned to be cycled back
into growing my company. I’d wake
up, work on The Wrap Life then go to
work waiting tables. Then I’d come
home after midnight and work more
on The Wrap Life.
Tell us about the wrap life, your
vision and mission
Our mission is simple. Help women
create a life that inspires creativity
and self-expression. The Wrap Life
is more than head wraps. I guess
anything you buy is more than the
product you’re actually buying. Of
course utility is important but it’s also
about how a person feels. Building
a community and giving women
positive images of other women who
are fearless in how they express,
create and dress is invaluable. I
envisioned infusing the brand with
art and providing a platform to other
women who are also doing great
things and creating lives they’re
proud of. All that is happening. I
want The Wrap Life to expand and
unfold into something that empowers,
educates and connects.
How would you describe or define
the wrap life customer?
That’s a tough question. I’ve been
thinking about this a lot lately. I’m
often surprised when I see the various
kinds of people we attract. Many of
them are African American women
but we also attract women from
Iceland, Australia and the UK. Wrap
Life women are women who take
chances and embrace the opportunity
to be more expansive and expressive.
Besides running the wrap life what
other creative interest do you have?
Sleep, ha ha! No really, sleep is a
wonderful thing. I get so many ideas
in the dream realm. I keep a note book
next to bed to quickly write down
ideas I have upon waking.
I also love writing, photography and
video editing. I wish I could give
you an answer that sounds more
interesting. For the most part, TWL
consumes much of my time so I try to
enjoy creative things that also help
my company.
What expansion plans do you have
at the moment? Are you strictly
going to stay online or do you have
plans of having outlets?
My current expansion plan is to grow
our presence online. I felt obligated
to establish a physical store but
reminded myself that this is my
company and I should do what makes
me happy. A physical store at this
point would not make me very happy.
I’m still open to the idea, but I’d like
to reconsider it later. We are working
to connect with stockist which is
kinda brilliant and almost effortless.
Everyone benefits and I still have time
to dedicate to other tasks.