We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Adairius Curry a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Adairius, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
I came up with the idea for my self-defense business after reading an article about a mother shopping with her three children and being scared to leave the store because she was being followed. I was a new mother myself at the time, and I couldn’t even imagine being in a situation where I know I have to protect myself and my children from a potential predator. I decided to create a company that would make a difference…that would allow an individual to be able to protect themselves and/or their children in a cost-effective manner without having to go through years of self-defense training. I knew this would be a worthwhile endeavor due to the increase over the years in kidnapping, assault and human trafficking cases. This was not necessarily a unique company, but I felt that I added a unique aspect to the company because of my martial arts background and the fact that I am a mother myself. It excited me to have a company that can potentially save a life or prevent a tragedy!
Adairius, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I am Adairius….wife, mother, entrepreneur. I got into my industry after joining a direct sales company and feeling no type of purpose there. I entered the self-defense business after performing some research and taking a chance! I have a black belt in Karate, so this business gave me a way to tap into my martial arts background while having a purpose. I provide self-defense products such as pepper spray, stun guns, self-defense keychains, concealed carry handbags and personal alarms. I provide self-defense classes as well. For my clients, I solve the problem of staying safe! We live in a world that is not as safe as it used to be. My products and services allow my clients to protect themselves and their families from bad situations that could affect their lives forever. What sets me apart is my willingness to teach about my products and work with my clients to select the best products for them instead of just forcing any type of product on them. I am most proud of the work I have put into my business and the fact that I have been open for almost four years!
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
The best source of new clients for me has been in-person events where I sign up to be a vendor! I have found that when I can meet people and actually explain the products and give demonstrations, people are more willing to purchase items! It seems to be a bit unnerving for some to actually purchase a stun gun or pepper spray. I have met clients who have been extremely leery on purchasing these types of items for fear of using them incorrectly. Once I show that the products are easy to use in an emergency, but that they have safety features to prevent accidental discharge, people are much more open and interested in the products.
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
I sell my products on my own website. I made this decision because it allows me to personalize the shopping experience for my customers, and it allows me to be more hands-on. Also, because the majority of my products are considered “weapons”, there are certain restrictions on other websites that I am able to avoid by selling my products on my own website. However, even though customization and less restrictions are pros to having my own website, the cons are having to spend more time on customizing and updating the website and having to work harder to drive traffic to my site.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.invinsheble.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/invinsheble
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/invinsheble
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adairiuscurry/
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@invinsheble
Image Credits
Iesha Shepheard