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August is Black Business Month
A spotlight to support and elevate a selection of black-owned businesses in the UK August marks National Black Business Month, a time in which Black businesses and Black entrepreneurs are recognized and celebrated for their successes, milestones, and historical progress. This past year and a half has disproportionately impacted Black businesses due to the pandemic which forced many to close, resulting in a 40 percent drop in Black business ownership. Recognising, supporting and celebrating National Black Business Month this year may be more important than ever as Black businesses continue to recover from the economic losses caused by the pandemic. In honour of Black business month, we reached out of some our favourite Black Owned small independent brands to know more about their story, values and learn about their incredible collections! Five incredible brands have been kind enough to speak with us and share what happens behind the scenes and what it takes to be them! This week, the spotlight is on...
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Week One
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& keep smiling 😁"
Our story in under a minute
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"Stay awesome
What is Brooklyn Brownie Co. and how did it start? We are a father and son authentic American artisan bakery based in the U.K. We came up with chocolatey treats covered in all sorts of sweets to sell by the postal box dozen. Starting from local deliveries, to the demand for mail orders nationwide it really suddenly went through the roof. We just like the fact that we can make other people smile and it doesn't feel like work. For me the best part is that I get to do it all with Leo my now 14-year-old son which is so awesome. The start of Brooklyn Brownie Co. has extra significance to us both as Leo's mother an NHS nurse took her own life only days after Brooklyn Brownie Co. was set up. We truly believe baking and working on the business together has helped us both get through an extremely tough time for the family. If we didn't have Brooklyn Brownie Co. to keep us going and to distract us, then I don't think we would've got through the summer of 2019. As two dudes we also found it possible to open up to each other about our feelings while coming up with some of the wacky designs and creations for the business. Since the start we have had so many amazing opportunities and met so many great supportive people.
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What would you say your company message/ethos is? Communication and positivity, as someone who had to suddenly pivot into a field we knew nothing about but took all of the skills I had from years of working at advertising and digital marketing agencies I realised it was the in person networks of friends and our positive attitude that made people want to work with us.
What is the best piece of advice you received when starting your business? “Just do it” it sounds cliché but it is the truth, delaying of any sort will stagnate your growth and in the first six months you need to move like lightening. We were posting different flavors of brownies almost daily in our early days and our organic growth was shocking on Instagram. We grew our business from a plastic jug a fork and 50 bucks to what it is today.
What has your biggest achievement been since launching your brand? Winning two great British entrepreneur awards and having Leo at 12 years old become the youngest person to ever do that. I think it is a big deal to make sure he is seen as an equal in Brooklyn Brownie Co. and it is documented accordingly for his future resume. As a young man of color I want to make sure he has as much of a head start as possible.
If you were describing your business as one of your products, what would it be? It would be the foundation of all our brownies the basic b!t@h. Constantly underestimated but always surprising people with our unique approach to business & marketing. We may not know all the Clubhouse “business buzzwords” but what we bring is a no bull sh!t approach to the worldwide baking business scene.
What advice would you give to any inspiring entrepreneurs? Learn from others failures, lose the ego, and strive to be the speedboat and not the lumbering ocean liner when it comes to being a start-up.
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What’s your bestseller? Our best seller is our Mix & Match box with two limited edition upgrades. With over a kilo of brownies straight to your door. Eight topped from our resident collection and two topped from our limited editions that change monthly.
Where can we buy your products? Our products can be purchased directly online at www.BrooklynBrownieCo.com which will then be sent to your door. We are also in a few local restaurants & cafes in Northampton, and customers will also be able to get our brownies from our brand new Brownie Ambulance food truck that will be visiting a neighbourhood near you!
Ready to shop yet? Main Dude & lil Dude have created a Cult Beauty exclusive promotion for 20% off your orders! All you have to do is enter code cultbeauty20 at checkout. Look out for their treats next time we have a celebration in the office or the DC. 'Our fave brownie dudes haven't managed to perfect their vegan and gluten-free options yet, but watch this space!'
Give them a follow! John – Main Dude Leo – Lil Dude www.BrooklynBrownieCo.com @BrooklynBrownieCo
Don't forget to share the pictures of all the treats you'll be getting from this wonderful shop. Make sure to check your inbox next week to discover the next awesome black-owned business that we are spotlighting. Thank you for reading.