We recently connected with Kimberly Brown and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Kimberly, thanks for joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the ability to access beauty products became challenging. The world became a place of isolation, which meant shopping in a store among other people would be limited and risky. I found myself unable to sustain my normal beauty routine, but I knew that feeling would be temporary. I remembered my family recipe from my Aunt, who taught me how to create homemade creams by hand. This core memory opened up my ability to think outside of the box and rely on what I was already equipped with. As a result, I began creating the first COCO XO body butters using precisely-selected natural ingredients, infused with fun and fresh scents. Currently, the COCO XO best-selling products are available on Target.com.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
I am a Prince Georges County, MD native, Virginia State University graduate, and founder of the rapidly growing lifestyle brand, COCO XO. Wanting to share my life experiences with my customers, I decided to bottle my childhood and HBCU experiences into my body care products by brandishing them with nostalgic community monikers that resonate with the ambitious and adventurous man or woman seeking body care, not only providing a luxurious aromatherapeutic scent, but also hydrating their skin (in a non-greasy way!). Each COCO XO scent has notes of confidence and luxury, igniting college memories, and the self-assurance to be your fly dope self!
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
My biggest lesson was coming to terms with the realization that until I’ve generated a sustainable salary, I shouldn’t quit my day job! The pressure of social media influencers and entrepreneurs can create an outside noise that will make a small business owner believe that they should quit their full-time job to free up space for their business, however, that’s not always the best strategy. Keeping your day job will allow you to finance your brand and its different stages (which can be high and low), and many expenses that you may not have even considered.
Any fun sales or marketing stories?
When my business got off the ground, I decided to focus on my customer and community needs head-on. This would allow me to be able to provide my products and receive critical feedback. At that stage, it was important for me to let the world know who I am and how beneficial my products are, so when I learned of a new artisan opening at the Prince Georges Art Humanities (PGAH) council, I took a chance. Partnering with the PGAH allowed me to be available to my newfound customers who reside right in my community. Community is very important to me as a business owner. I believe in being able to reach your clients where they are.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cocoxos.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cocoxos1/
- Facebook: N/A
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kim-brown-186aa6258/?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
- Twitter: N/A
- Youtube: N/A
- Yelp: N/A
- Soundcloud: N/A
- Other: Target link to COCO XO’s best sellers: https://www.target.com/b/cocoxo/-/N-q643lej8zb1
Image Credits
All images are owned and protected by Kimberly Brown.