We recently connected with Bridgette Forson and have shared our conversation below.
Bridgette, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
Fante Gold unofficially started in 2013 when my first child was born. Early in her infancy, she developed severe eczema and became visibly uncomfortable with each passing day. Being the concerned first-time mom that I was, I searched online for solutions, suggestions and remedies. I also saw her pediatrician who said that her dry, itchy skin was likely due to the California heat, and that it would pass. I knew in my heart that there was more than the weather to blame for Nahla’s extreme flare ups, so my research continued.
I eventually stumbled upon articles that linked the diet of breastfeeding mother’s to eczema flare ups. I completely cut out dairy from my diet and within a week, there was a noticeable difference in Nahla’s discomfort. My mother urged me to use the tried and true shea butter that she grew up using. Shea butter is native to countries like Ghana, where my family is from and is often used to moisturize the skin and hair and its oil is even used for cooking. For this reason and its vast availability, it’s often overlooked or even under appreciated by many of West African descent. However, I eventually started using shea butter to help seal and moisturize my daughter’s skin and it was extremely effective. From there, I started experimenting with various oils and combined them with the shea butter to develop a safe, non-toxic remedy that we used every day.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Bridgette and I’m first generation Ghanaian-American. Experimenting with shea butters and oils began when my daughter developed eczema and I was looking for a safe, chemical-free way to heal her skin. I started sharing my creations with family members, who then encouraged me to sell what I created.
The name of my business is rooted in history and culture. Ghana has 75 ethnic groups and my family comes from the Fante people. Ghana’s previous name was the Gold Coast, due to its great abundance of the highly sought mineral, and its status around the world. Combining those elements led to the name of my business, FANTE GOLD.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
I take great pride in everything I do. I’ve been called a perfectionist, and although I’m learning to embrace imperfections, I still pour my all into my business. From the organic ingredients, to the bamboo packaging and label designs, I want my customers to feel that they are receiving quality products each time they purchase from me. I’ve received thank you emails from customers, telling me how grateful they are that I took the time to carefully package their orders, or how smoothly whipped their shea butters are. I ensure that my customers receive the same quality product every time they order, I believe this mindset have greatly contributed to Fante Gold’s reputation.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
I utilize email marketing from my website platform and offer discounts. I participate in community pop ups to meet customers in person, which helps foster relationships with new and existing customers. In addition, social media has served as a great tool for maintaining relationships.
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