We recently connected with Enobong Tommelleo and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Enobong thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

I am a lifelong reader and collector of stationary. My collection of notebooks and bookmarks is extensive but for most of my life I have struggled to find designs that speak to me and reflect my personality. I’ve always wanted to run my own business in a creative field. Be my own boss and creative every day. So as I searched for vibrant, Afro-centric stationary and came up short I decided to create my own and Pounded Yam Productions was born. I know there are so many people out there looking for design that represent who they are and the vibrant colors and designs of Africa and my stationary is for those people. My designs are bold, vibrant, and celebrate African culture.

Enobong, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Enobong Tommelleo and I am a Nigerian, born in Britain, living in America, There are many cultures that influence who I am and I celebrate them all.

Creativity is in my bones, I danced professionally for several years and after retiring from the stage my interests shifted to the world of writing and design. I started Pounded Yam Productions two years ago where I sell African-inspired stationery. Everything is designed and handmade by me and my goal is for my customers to be able to carry the vibrancy of African culture with them wherever they go. We just with a small collection of notebooks and bookmarks and the brand continues to grow from there.

One of the things I am most proud of is that my notebooks and bookmarks are sold at Women and Children First bookstore and Four Sided in Chicago.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

There have been many times in my life where I’ve had to pivot and I see each of those are new opportunities and chances to grow. I dance professionally for several years and this meant that I lived a very nomadic lifestyle. When I retired from the stage I had to find a new career and new footing for my life. I tried out different professional jobs that had me working in a office and ultimately decided that what I did had to be creative and I desperately wanted to work for myself. So I started Pounded Yam Productions. Even with this business I’ve had to pivot and look at what sells and what doesn’t, alter designs, prices and tactics but it’s all been worth it. My mum always says “Necessity breeds inventions” and I think that our creative is unleashed when we’re forced to pivot.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I sell on both my own website and on Etsy. I chose to sell on Etsy because it’s essentially a huge search engine catered to shoppers looking for the kind of products I create – homemade, unique, customizable, selling on a platform like Etsy increasing your visibility and gives you a better chance of reaching the right customer. However, Etsy of course charges you to use their platform and you are limited to their analysis and the platform capabilities.

Having my own website allows me to sell wholesale and ultimately have more control in terms of marketing and promotion. Ultimately I’d love to move into just using my own website but Etsy is still useful at this time,

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.poundedyamproductions,com
• Instagram: Poundedyamproductions