We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Ebony S. Muhammad. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Ebony below.

Ebony, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with something countless entrepreneurs have had to figure out on the fly – how have you dealt with the rise of remote work?

Prior to the big tech companies and social media platforms, the industry of retail and selling physical products were done in department stores, malls, outlets, street markets, pamper parties and such. However, we’ve seen a tremendous shift of how goods are sold as well as an increase of online marketing. We now see that it’s not a fleeting trend, but in fact a whole new way of doing business virtually.

One has to be willing to roll with those punches in order to be and maintain a level of success, efficiency and growth for their company. One has to be willing to adapt and be willing to learn about those new tools and platforms. You cannot be stuck in a time warp of how things ‘used to be’ if you want to thrive.

MONARCH has been blessed to be a total advocate of the remote world of online shops! In 2008 I launched an online and digital magazine before it was popular. I saw it as an opportunity to connect with people around the world. So it is with MONARCH. My products can reach so many more people whom I may never meet face to face. Those who wish to support our cause while purchasing amazing products can do so from the comfort and convenience of their home.

It has been less challenging for us because we’ve already embraced the online experience long before COVID hit. We are able to maintain inventory remotely as well. So not only is it convenient for our shoppers and supporters, but it is convenient for me to make necessary orders without ripping and running all over the city.

We’ve made remote-work work because we don’t see things changing back to the way it once was any time soon. We accepted and embraced the challenge by taking advantage of social media, email marketing and surveying our customers. These tools are so valuable when working remotely. You can’t see or speak to your customers, but everyone has email. Just about everyone is on social media.

We love what remote-work has opened up for us in the way of taking what would be local into a global lane!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Absolutely! My name is Ebony S. Muhammad and I am the proud Founder/Owner/Designer of MONARCH | EBONY SAFIYYAH.

I officially launched MONARCH in November of 2019 as a way to raise my Saviours’ Day Gift. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan did not want those donating to come out of their pockets, therefore, I decided to utilize my creative gifts and talents. Not only did I meet my goal, I exceeded it with Allah’s (God’s) grace!

MONARCH continues to donate a portion of its proceeds towards the Saviours’ Day Gift year-round as it is now a permanent pillar of the brand.

Initially MONARCH consisted of three Phases: I) Leather accessories, Phase II) M-Tech Cases (wearable technology) + Clutches and Phase III) Liquid Soul Candles (Clean burning, vegetable based ingredients and soothing scents).

I personally handcraft each and every item.

On January 19, 2021, we released our Phase IV Single Origin Coffee Selection, which featured MXODUS Coffee Brand by Mother Tynnetta Muhammad. I also shared what I’ve learned about her that extends beyond her coffee into the soul and divinity of her.

MONARCH has since featured two other coffee brands, LAMILL Coffee Co. and Caribbrew Haitian Coffee.

In July of 2021, MONARCH launched its very own single origin coffee selection from Rwanda, Tanzania, Ethiopia and Kenya. Our roasts include Dark Roast and Medium Roast.

The Most Honorable Elijah Muhammad stated that coffee is a health drink, and our goal at MONARCH is to introduce our supporters to various regions and flavors of coffee as well as the best brew methods and equipment.

On March 21, 2022, we released our Phase V Fine Fragrance Collection. I was blessed to take on the journey of learning professional perfumery, beyond the DIY level. I wanted to have designer appeal, therefore, I enrolled into a program that offered that level of education. I now create custom fragrances for MONARCH. All of our fragrances contain natural, non-toxic and high quality ingredients. Our fine fragrances contain Organic, Culinary Grade, non-denatured Ethanol (Alcohol) as the base. Most designer brands use denatured alcohol and synthetic fragrances that contain toxic additives, which are harmful to the body and environment. We wanted to be better for health and wellness of people and the environment!

This is where we are today! We do have another launch in the making, so be sure to keep an eye out!

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Excellent question! As a business owner, whether established or just getting started, one of the points I make sure to keep constant is learning from others and understanding where I need assistance.

I learned that there are four solid avenues of attaining an audience to convert them into customers/clients: Social Media, Email Marketing, Influencer Marketing and Paid Ads.

However, to keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty one of the above has been my absolute go-to and that’s Email Marketing. This is where you can gauge the interest level, activity and conversion rate of those who came from social media or the other three methods.

For MONARCH email is a way to further customizing the brand experience, extend incentives and perks such as early access to new products and discount codes. When your on-looker takes the time to visit your site and offers their email address which is access to them 24/7 – they deserve more access to your brand and in a way that is exclusive. They are now warmed up and showing a level of interest that is beyond scrolling and clicking “like”.

So MONARCH’s email list is referred to as the VIP list, because they get that level of treatment. For example: once someone signs up (for free) they have access to free shipping via the code we only offer to the VIP list. Anytime we’re preparing to launch a new product or selection, the VIP list hears about it first and they get access to it first.

It’s through email marketing and watching the activity of those in the VIP list, what they’re clicking on and how many times they open a particular email (analytics given by the platform we use), that we can see what’s working.

We design our emails to be personable. We want our VIP list to feel like we’re speaking one-on-one to them and that’s how we continue to foster brand loyalty. We make them feel appreciated and part of the brand.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

For MONARCH, I believe there are 7 pillars of building your reputation / trust within your market.

1 | QUALITY – How much time and effort do you put into the appearance, delivery, and presentation of your product/service? There are no cutting corners when it comes to building a reputation and fostering trust, especially when it comes to quality and quality control.

Quality/Quality Control doesn’t have to be expensive. It does require effort and attention to detail.

2 | TRANSPARENCY – Being open and honest within your brand is critical. If you change ingredients for your products, inform your consumers.

If you are recording your masterclass, inform all attendees.

3 | CONSISTENCY – Being consistent, showing up with a pattern of reliability and efficiency will certainly build a great reputation and trust among your clients/consumers. It demonstrates commitment and a high level of professionalism.

4 | STABILITY – A lack of stability may come across as though you’re not serious about doing business or that your business may not be around for long. People want to know that you and your business are stable.

5 | RELATABILITY – Are your services or products able to connect with your target audience? Meaning, is your problem-solving promise or product resonating with those you are seeking to sell to or work with?

6 | AUTHENTICITY – Are you using your voice when presenting products and services, or are you imitating another brand’s voice in your attempt at what you perceive as duplicating their success?

Your unique voice, style or approach is missing. Building trust with your brand means finding YOUR voice and using it.

7 | MORALITY – Does your brand support a charitable cause? Often, especially now-a-days, you’ll find many brands support or are attached to a particular cause or charity. It may be faith-based, mental health related, physical health related or attached to a cause to end something such as homelessness.

Creating an avenue for your brand to be a part of something bigger than itself demonstrates humility, compassion, altruism, and connects you to an audience that may not “need” your product or service but want to support your brand because of the cause you support.

Keeping to demonstrating the above pillars has helped MONARCH build our reputation within our market!

Contact Info:

• Website: ebonysafiyyah.com
• Instagram: @MonarchEbonySafiyyah
• Facebook: /MonarchEbonySafiyyah

Image Credits
J. Karriem Photography (cream and black clutch & portrait photo in green garment) and MODIC Design (modicdesign.com) for all other images.