Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Clara Lewis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Clara, thanks for joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

As I stepped into my 40s, I began to recognize my beauty and what defines me as a Black woman. I wanted to embrace all of my features. Through this journey, I reflected on my younger self and wondered why it took me so long to appreciate myself in this way

As a social worker, I observed a recurring issue of low self-esteem among the children I worked with, often stemming from their physical appearance. Upon reflection, I realized that the root cause was the lack of representation. Kids are impressionable and highly sensitive to their environment. When they don’t see people who look like them on TV, in their community, or in their toys, it can have a negative impact on their self-confidence.

It was important to me to make their journey to self-appreciation easier than it was for my generation, but also to make the world around them more accepting of them.

Dolls were the perfect medium between learning and fun. I wanted children to have dolls they could identify with because they looked like them or looked like a friend of theirs.

At Brown Diva Dolls, we strive to promote self-confidence and appreciate diversity. Our dolls serve as an educational resource to introduce children to various beauty ideals from a young age. We believe it’s time to transform the toy industry and reflect the diversity of our current society.

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.

My name is Clara D. Lewis. I am the mother of three amazing sons, juggling the joys of family life while leading a small black-owned company. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a Master’s degree in Management.

I have been a social worker for more than 28 years, and I have always been passionate about child development. One area that is particularly important to me is representation in the toy industry. Through my work, I have seen how vital it is to expose children to diverse environments that they can relate to, which helps to build their self-confidence. This is why I founded Brown Diva Dolls, a Montreal-based company that sells dolls with darker skin tones in different shades, as well as dolls with skin conditions like albinism and vitiligo.

Our goal is to encourage and uplift self-confidence by featuring young girls of upcoming generations. Our dolls, available in 14 and 18 inches, serve as a means of education, by promoting acceptance of oneself and others through play. Furthermore, we aim to familiarize children of all ethnicities with diverse beauty standards from an early age, nurturing an attitude of broad-mindedness and inclusivity.
Our dolls at Brown Diva Doll are crafted with great attention to detail, ensuring a realistic appearance that reflects the diversity of children. We take pride in featuring Afrocentric features, curly, kinky, and coily hair, and vibrant skin complexions that represent the children we encounter. Additionally, our dolls’ clothing is produced by a non-profit organization in Montreal, that focuses on promoting the social and professional integration of women from visible minorities. Our unique products go beyond traditional toys and contribute to building a more inclusive society.

In February 2023, we created the Diva Dr. Alex Bastiany, a commemorative doll to honor Alexandra Bastiany’s groundbreaking achievement as the first Black woman to become an interventional cardiologist in Canada. This remains one of our proudest moments. This was made during Black History Month and attracted significant media attention.

As a small black-owned and woman-owned business, all aspects of our company are led by women.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Maintaining consistency on social media was crucial to me. I made it a priority to stay connected with my audience through organic posts and other means. I aimed to create a sense of closeness, so my followers knew that I was always reachable and willing to engage in conversations. I really am one DM away.

Although I am a reserved person, I still want my followers to get to know me and understand who I am without compromising my comfort level. That’s when I started sharing certain aspects of my life, such as my experience as a mother. For example, I would share stories about running errands with my youngest son, being a basketball mom, and the adventures and sacrifices that come with your children’s extracurricular activities. Additionally, I would do shopping hauls or share what my son and I ordered when we went out to eat. I always kept my content focused on my motherhood because parents, especially mothers, are the main people who buy and support my company. This allowed them to see me in a more personal light. They need to be able to relate to me, and I want to relate to them. I hope to show that there are other things about me outside of my business. Above all, I am a woman and a mother first, striving to balance both personal and professional responsibilities.

I also enjoy keeping my audience informed about upcoming projects, package preparations, and new product features. It helps to create a personal connection and shows that our company is growing. Demystifying the business world is also important to me. Although it isn’t easy, it is possible. I want to inspire others by providing tips and answering any questions they may have.

As my platform grew, I sought advice from media experts. However, I chose not to completely delegate the process to them. It was important to me that my posts remained authentic and true to my personal brand. Therefore, I create all of the content I post on my Instagram and Facebook stories and on my TikTok and LinkedIn feeds, with the guidance of my team.

Networking has been crucial in building my audience. I attend various events, especially those focused on black and/or women entrepreneurship, and have made valuable connections. I also share these events on my social media platforms to provide helpful resources for others.

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

I bought my first sample from the supplier for $240, which I consider the starting point of my company. That one 240$ sample initiated the entire process.

Despite developing my own company, I never quit my job. Brown Diva Dolls was entirely funded by my job and savings. Many entrepreneurs do it, although it isn’t recommended, but I discourage anyone from running their business on their savings. I did it for a while and it worked for me but I would never do it again.

However, when Brown Diva Dolls started gaining popularity, I was able to secure funding from various organizations. Today, I’m more than proud to say that The Afro-Entrepreneurs Fund and the FilAction Fund trusted us enough to invest in our company to help us support our goals. The Afro-Entrepreneurs Fund has been a key source of funding for black-owned businesses in Canada for the past 15 years and we are so happy to be a part of it. Thanks to their assistance, we have been able to approach the toy market more competitively. As a result, we successfully signed a deal with Wal-Mart Canada, and soon to be, Wal-Mart USA.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://browndivasdolls.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brown.diva.dolls/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/browndivasdolls/
• Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/in/clara-d-lewis
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@browndivas_

Image Credits
1 picture of Clara holding dolls ; by Joe Alveiro 3 pictures named MartineDoucet ; by Martine Doucet // @martinedoucetphoto on Instagram 5 pictures named Qauffee : by Melrick // @qauffeegraphy on Instagram