Volume 1, Issue 5
Afi ya LLC
September 8, 2010
The Natural Beauty Newsletter Success on the Fall In Love With Afiya Tour
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Tuesday August 3 Charlotte, NC ‘4 Hair Salon’ was the first official meeting on the tour. We were met by stylist Ms. Renee and Ms. Cynthia the salon owner. As we presented Afiya, showed the ladies our Afiya commercial and explained the product they were very excited and even offered tips on how to navigate our next salon steps. By the end of the experience they had definitely fell in love with Afiya.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
Road Trip Recap
1
Day in the Life
2
Spotlight & Features
3
Testimonial
4
Upcoming Events
4
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Wednesday, August 4 Atlanta, GA On this stop, we met with Ginger Fortune, owner of G Fortune Studio Spa. Our presentation was a great success and by the end of the conversation she was ready to have Afiya products in the store by the end of the day! We left her with some Afiya items and began our journey through Alabama for an overnight stay. That particular drive was very tiring and the roads were very dark. The highlight of the night was driving down the same road that Martin Luther King Jr. had marched down from Selma to Montgomery. Through that night, I could literally feel the ancestor’s well wishes as I drove. Thursday, August Orleans During the drive Orleans, we began car trouble but prayer we were continue.
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5
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Our next stop was Tru Rootz Salon where we met with Brother Cornell and his staff. We presented Afiya and everyone immediately became interested in the product and we were nd asked to attend their 2 Annual Natural Hair Show as a vendor. Later that night we went out on Bourbon Street and passed out samples. It was a really good feeling to just be out in New Orleans at the Satchmo Summer Fest connecting and networking with everyone. I enjoyed the music, food and liveliness of the city. Friday, Houston
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In Houston we met with Chris, the owner of Naturale Store. Our meeting with him was great, and he agreed to sell Afiya in his store. While in Houston, we also passed out Greek Picnic. For the next few
we rested and traveled to Dallas, Memphis and Nashville passing out samples and talking to people about Afiya. Overall the road trip was a once in a lifetime experience and we’re grateful for our successes. Upon its completion, we were beside ourselves about the unexpected direction in which the tour had taken. We left Philadelphia expecting people to try the product but never did we think people would want to have the product sold in their stores! Special thanks to the people who hosted us in their respective cities: Tia and Ahnia, Yasmine, Adria and Adam and Aunt Jessie Mae. To anyone that bought Afiya, offered advice, or just gave us a second to explain our product – Thanks for falling in love with our product. .
The Natural Beauty New sletter
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Day In The Life Of
Ashley Robertson Co-Founder
In the morning I normally start the day by checking the social networks to see who has contacted Afiya. Each morning I post a good morning message on Facebook and Twitter to our followers to say hi and I chat with Twitter followers. Thereafter I check with Jerilyn to see what projects she’s started so that I can hopefully complete them. This may consist of cutting labels, mixing product or sending out orders. Once I finish that study and read a bit for class and head
This is my very first time gracing the pages of the ‘Natural Beauty Newsletter’. I’m usually behind the scene doing the layout, story writing or whatever else that needs to get done to support this wonderful team. As you can see, in this issue we’re taking you behind the scenes to give you a better idea of all the hard work that goes into making the Afiya brand. There’s so much that goes into the jar you use each morning! Tiara Bastfield Public Relations/Marketing and Sales Manager
My working title is Public Relations/Marketing and Sales Manager. Loosely translated, that means that I’m tasked with finding new sales opportunities, managing/building the
Series
out to school. While I’m at school I check in on Afiya’s Twitter and Facebook page from my Blackberry and post new topics concerning natural products, hair care and beauty` tips. After classes are over I come back home I need about an hour to unwind and then I’m back on the clock for Afiya. My afternoon consists of returning calls and emails, finishing projects and looking for people to network with. From time to time I also make YouTube videos featuring Afiya Hair Care
Afiya brand and securing press and creating way for us to stay in the public eye. On a daily basis, I send and follow up on emails from a previous day, approve any new comments on our Afiya4You site, communicate with Ashley and Jerilyn and tweet. I began Afiya’s Twitter page as a tool to network and stay fresh in the mind of customers or potential buyers. One cool thing about twitter is the hash tag (pound sign or #) Using that hash tag, allows you to target your message to any specific audience (i.e. #NaturalHair, #DMV, #Afiya4You).
products to post on our Facebook page and website. Throughout the day I like to keep my phone handy to jot down ideas about Afiya’s competition, upcoming events or ideas that come to mind. Juggling Afiya and class work is challenging but having a schedule and actually sticking to the schedule is the key. -
Ashley
Also, like any wise business person, you have to stay abreast on what the competition is doing. That way you can readily identify what sets Afiya apart. On a weekly basis, I search for networking events, conferences, and possible vending opportunities to attend in our local area, log onto our software that analyses the traffic on our website and Etsy page, and perform a Google search for Afiya, LLC just to keep track of the press we are getting. -
Tiara
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The Natural Beauty New sletter
Day In The Life of …Series Cont. Each day I wake up and say a prayer for prosperity. I then begin to jot down my ‘to do’ list for the day. As a small business owner, each day is different, and my duties vary widely. On some mornings you will find me in the kitchen whipping up a batch of body butter, healthy hair butter, soap, etc… While the mixer is going, I’m brainstorming ideas for new products or researching new premium ingredients. On other mornings you might find me labeling products or shipping out packages. My more technical duties are to ensure that Afiya is compliant with financial reporting laws as well as consumer cosmetic laws. This includes staying
abreast of changes in financial reporting, as well as, ensuring that our formulas, labels, and production processes are compliant with USDA regulations. So for every new ingredient, I have to ensure that it is listed properly on our label and in the right sequential order. I check industry journals and online media daily to try to keep up with the rapidly changing regulations. I check our inventories daily and procure ingredients, equipment, and supplies as needed. I have to ensure that our suppliers are supplying the quality ingredients that are necessary to produce our products. I have to price check across the
plethora of suppliers available, as well as verify supplier’s certifications and certifying agencies to ensure that they meet the USDA standards. One of the most important functions I have is to set the course for Afiya according to our Mission and Vision. I ensure daily that the projects we embark on fall under our mission so that we can manifest our vision. From Social networking, to sponsorships we strive to promote issues and topics the will be a benefit to our customers. Every day I look for new organizations and events that will allow Afiya the opportunity to give back to the community! - Jerilyn
Giveaways, Spotlights and Features In the last month Afiya has been super busy and we’ve had quite a few features on websites and newsletter. Hair With Purpose, a blog featuring natural hair products and styles did a product review on Afiya’s Healthy Hair Butter and a giveaway. 2 Pens and Lint, a publishing and poetry company did a business spotlight in their monthly newsletter featuring Afiya.
Pretty Natural Diva’s featured Afiya in the “Buy Black” page of their website, which promotes Black Businesses across the country. Pretty Natural Diva’s and 2 Pens and Lint can also be found on Facebook. Pretty Natural Diva’s also did a product review on Afiya Healthy Hair Butter and they loved it! Naturally Me Blog recently did an interview with Afiya co-
founders and named Afiya’s Moisturizing Set the Deal of the Day! Naturally Me Media’s Blog has the latest hair news, business spotlights and the best products to use in natural hair. Thanks so much to everyone that did a feature on Afiya, a giveaway in the name of Afiya or a products review: We Really Appreciate You!!
Jerilyn Johnson Co Founder
Don’t Forget… Summer Clearance Sale Items starting at $8. Sale ends 9/ 17/ 10
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The Natural Beauty New sletter
Afiya Products P.O. Box 16890 Philadelphia, PA 19142 Phone 512-826-4898 919-939-1172 E-mail info@afiya4you.com Be Naturally Beautiful!
Baltimore, Maryland Saturday, September 25, 2010 6p-9p Ladies Night Out 2010 ST. Bernadine’s School 3601 Old Frederick Road Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Saturday, October 16, 2010 Diopian Institute for Scholarly Advancement Conference Holiday Inn, Historic District 400 Arch Street Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19106
We’re on the Web!
Afiya Herbal Eczema Butter saves skin . http://www.Afiya4You.com
After two years in Philadelphia, I developed a severe case of eczema. The city's air and water had both wreaked havoc on my entire body. Tiny splotches of dried skin started to appear everywhere. I went to my school's health center for diagnosis and treatment. They told me I had had an allergic reaction to something I had eaten and that I needed to keep a food diary and determine what I needed to avoid eating that way. After one month of keeping a food diary and consulting with the health center, we both noticed no change in my skin. I decided to consult a dermatologist who informed me that I had a rare form of eczema. The doctor told me that this particular strand of eczema was common in African Americans. She prescribed me a topical lotion and told me to apply it twice a day. I did as the doctor advised, but I begin to notice that the lotion was leaving bleached splotches on my skin where the eczema had been. My skin condition went from bad to worse! After telling my classmate, Ashley Robertson, about my skin condition, she told me that she had a line of skin and hair products and one product in particular, the Herbal Eczema Butter, would help me. She too had gone through a similar bout and did not like the medicine prescribed to her. Literally within two days of using Afiya's Herbal Eczema Butter, my skin was restored to its original complexion and the eczema immediately began to go away. The shea butter coupled with the aloe vera gel soothes the skin while the Vitamin E and coconut oil restore your complexion. I could actually feel the citric acid working and "zapping" the eczema away. If you have this skin condition, please do yourself a favor and use Afiya's Herbal Eczema Butter to restore your skin to its natural state. Your body will thank you!