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

Aisha, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

Becoming a business owner was not the original goal for us. When we learned of the New York City plastic bag ban taking effect in March of 2020 we were excited that such a large and influential city was taking an important step in becoming more sustainable and environmentally conscious. While we fully supported the plastic bag ban we realized that this would also mean the end of seeing the iconic plastic bag designs that have become synonymous with NYC culture and imagery. We wanted to create a reusable bag that incorporated these iconic designs and would memorialize these plastic bags while transporting them into a more sustainable future.

Ease and convenience was also at the forefront as we began designing our reusable bags. While we understood many would have the intention to bring reusable bags, we also understood that this transition would be difficult for some especially in a busy city like New York. By designing a foldable reusable bag with a keychain attachment, we aimed to make it easier for folks to remember to bring a reusable bags by having their bags attached to their essential everyday items. This series of thought patterns and experimentation led to the creation of our first foldable reusable bag in the classic “Thank You” style, and our most popular product to date, We could not imagine that this venture would lead to incredible experiences, growth, and the start of connecting with an incredible community of supporters.

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

Bag Shop NYC was created and founded by Aisha Ndiaye in July of 2020. Born and bred in East Harlem, NYC, Bag Shop NYC is a Black Woman owned brand who believes that making the switch to reusable bags should be easy, accessible, and affordable. Inspired by iconic New York City imagery, Bag Shop NYC aims to inspire their community to make the permanent switch to reusable bags. We hope to make a difference one reusable bag at a time!

Since beginning Bag Shop NYC, our brand has been fortunate enough to expand our line of reusable bag designs and is currently sold at Hudson JFK and Newark locations in addition to our website. We offer a variety of foldable reusable bags in two different sizes that folds into a pouch that clips onto your keychain, clothes, bags, and other items, as well as a variety of tote bags in unique styles. Bag Shop NYC also provides wholesale options for retailers, events, and is always open to collaborations with other brands and small businesses.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Like many small businesses, Bag Shop NYC started on Instagram. What started out as a small following of friends and family, quickly started to grow into a community of loyal supporters. Creating content and learning to advertise on social media can be very overwhelming, and in the. beginning I found myself overthinking my content and wanting each post, caption, and hashtag to be perfect. I quickly learned that authenticity and aligning my personal self with my brand and business is what helped Bag Shop NYC gain attention. The more I showed myself, told my story, and interacted with those who I was connecting with, the more success I had. Remaining consistent and continuing to put my brand out there on social media, to my surprise led to other more established businesses reach out to us and led to business opportunities and ventures that seemed years away,

I also learned that it is so important to connect with your audience and community and let that be the main focus for promotion. So many of the social media advertising advice out there is focused on getting more eyes, new followers, and more likes, but the more important thing is connecting with the community you already have. Often times followers will come and go, but by finding community and others who are aligned with your brand, success will follow.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Being flexible and learning how to pivot has been one of the most important skills I’ve acquired while running Bag Shop NYC. There have been countless times when a product did not come out as I imagined, especially as I’ve expanded my knowledge in design and construction. With each set back I have discovered ways to pivot and improve for next time. In 2021, we had our first pop up at Canal Street Market in New York City. Prior to this, we had only sold online through our website. I had no prior experience selling in person, especially at such a busy venue with many other vendors. This was also a big risk because we had to invest quite a bit of money to sell at the location and to participate in the three day event. The first day of selling was disappointing to say the least, with over eight hours of selling and over two hours of set up, we only received one sale. I thought I had made a huge mistake and would not even make my initial investment back.

That night as we were packing up I decided to walk through the market from the perspective of a customer, with the hopes of pinpointing what was contributing to our lack of sales. I noticed that it was difficult for customers to know instantly what we were selling and was the reason they were walking past without stopping. I knew I had to make some changes to my display if I wanted to do better the next day. I pivoted by making larger signage, and created a looped video thatI displayed on an iPad demonstrating how the products worked. To my excitement this made the world of difference and before we knew it, many people were stopping to learn about our products and making purchases. I was not only able to make sales, but I also connected with other business owners that shared knowledge and their personal experiences with me. Had I not pivoted and used what initially seemed like a failure as a learning opportunity I would have missed out on a great experience that has had a lasting impact on the brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: bagshopnyc.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/bagshopnyc
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bagshopnyc