Congratulations to Indie Business Network Member Funlayo Alabi at Shea Radiance! Several of their hair care products, including conditioner, shampoo, hair milk, and hair cream, are coming to select Target stores on August 16! Funlayo and her husband run shea radiance, as they also parent two young sons just outside Baltimore, Maryland.
They have been very intentional about their business goals and strategy, zeroing in from the beginning on three stores they wanted to be in: Whole Foods, Target and a third which I won't spill the beans on. In addition to the products that will be in Target stores, Shea Radiance also carries bulk shea butter, which they import directly from Nigeria. Shea Radiance has been a member of IBN since June 2006. Funlayo told me about three of the ways being an IBN member benefits her business:
1. “IBN offers a wealth of information and inspiration. First, Indie Beauty University is the handbook that really got me started. I listened to the MP3 downloads on the subway on my way back and forth to work before I quit my job to work Shea Radiance full time. I read the book from cover to cover over and over again. I have not seen a resource that covered everything about business so extensively and in depth, and in a way that I could really use.
2. IBN's Success Call interviews are priceless. I love listening to the professionals and experts she interviews for members. The information is the perfect complement and encouragement for me when I am up late at night pouring shampoo or packing bulk shea butter for our customers.
3. IBN Helped Me Learn How To Brand My Business. I love the way IBN focuses on branding as a core of business. If it was not for IBN's coaching, Shea Radiance would not have the branded resources we do now that serve our customer so well. The FaceBook Page, the blog, Twitter — all of that. It was really hard for me to start it all, but thanks to practical tips, we got it going. Today, we stand out from other companies because of the depth of our branding on the Internet.
There is nowhere you can go looking for products like ours where you will not find us. I would never have done all that without IBN, because I would have prioritized making my products over marketing them and branding Shea Radiance. Sometimes, I hated to hear Donna Maria ask me about how my blog or FaceBook Page was going because it was just another thing to do. Today, I am so glad I followed her advice.”
Learn more about Funlayo and Shea Radiance at the Shea Radiance FaceBook Page!
And take a look below at the invitation to their celebration party and Beauty & Bliss Lounges this Sunday, August 19. You can enjoy drinks, internationally inspired hor d'oeuvres and more. If you're in the Baltimore area, it will be fun, and you should go. Hurry! The deadline to RSVP is tomorrow. Reply to rsvp [at] shearadiance [dot] com, and tell Funlayo that Indie Business sent you!
here.