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

Angel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

Prior to Angel’s Organics, I had to conduct tons of research. With my background in psychology, conducting research shouldn’t prove too much of a challenge. Through attending entrepreneurial seminars hosted by Draymond Johnson of Shark Tank and the D.C. Small Business Association, I learned so much about the beginnings of starting a brand.

While juggling a seasonal job, I used a lot of my free time drafting and curating ideas for the brand. It took a lot of hard work and dedication to create the logo digitally, find vendors, and write the full business plan. As of July 17th, 2019—Angel’s Organics was born! Founded on the mission statement: “Create quality products suitable for the least represented in the beauty industry.” I was nervous to take such a risk, especially being a sophomore in a new environment. I understood how starting a brand changes how I show up in the world and risk management.

I was motivated to begin once I started asking, “Why do many not find products that work for African Americans amongst all these options?” Based on the research conducted, the beauty industry grosses millions of dollars yearly. In order to connect these parallels, I had to create my first products: The Hair Creme Original and the Sweet Orange Body Butter. With the support of my family and peers, my confidence within entrepreneurship blossomed!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I am Angel, a senior psychology student at the illustrious North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. I am originally from the nation’s capitol, Washington, D.C.

I created Angel’s Organics: Hair and Skin Care to provide affordable, accessible, and multipurpose products for those who struggle with dry skin, sensitivities to fragrance and allergens, and for those with kinky-curly textured hair. Being an African American woman, I understand how the influx of options has caused a lot of confusion within our beauty routines. As a result, I wanted to design products that could be used in a variety of ways while also saving space on your vanity. Our products include body butters, exfoliating body scrubs, beard balms, lip care, and soaps. All of our products are handmade and packed with love. Our customers have been extremely impressed with their experience, based on our 98% 5-star rating.

In the last couple of years in business, many great strides have been made. In 2020, Angel’s Organics sold more than 50 units of her whipped body butters, the best-selling and first-ever product. In addition, we reached clients from California to Las Vegas to New York! In 2021, we acquired an online community of 1,000 followers on Instagram and hosted our first pop-up shop event. This event helped 21 entrepreneurs increase brand awareness and foster connections. So far in 2022, Angel’s Organics won second place in a pitch competition! Angel’s Organics is able to provide accessibility to customers by vending at local vendor fairs.

If you are interested in learning more about Angel’s Organics, please visit https://www.shopangelsorganics.com! In addition, check out our Instagram page: angels.organics, or any of our other social media accounts. We are on TikTok, YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

Finally, I am seeking vendors for a holiday pop up shop and canned food drive in the Greensboro area. Please contact me via Instagram or the website for more information and how to get involved.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

I do sell my products on my site. I used Shopify’s web hosting platform to design, edit, and run the site on the backend and front end. While I did not have any coding experience in 2019, using Shopify provided me with the most value and with ease.

Advantages of Using Shopify:
1. A well-known web hosting and creation company, which can increase its credibility and make troubleshooting easier.
2. Reasonably priced: provides a free trial with the option to cancel at any time while still allowing you to design your website.
3. Offers helpful hints and reports: offers a wealth of data on product purchase rates, average order values, and allows you to communicate with customers through their marketing apps.
4. Resourceful: There are a lot of tutorials on YouTube in regards to website design, product descriptions, and coding for more features.

Challenges of using Shopify:
1. Overload: If the server gets overcrowded, especially during the holiday season, slower loading times can occur.
2. Be mindful of paid features: many of the apps within the Shopify store can offer trials and paid promotions, so if you’re on a budget, be considerate of which apps to download.

While using Shopify has been a wonderful experience, I would love to expand brand visibility and customer expansion through utilizing Amazon in the future.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Building my reputation within the market has come through utilizing my college network and community. Many of my customers and business connections are individuals who attended A&T, currently work or attend, and those within the community.  Through attending pop-up shops in Greensboro and the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, I’ve been able to meet so many individuals. In addition to building a strong social media presence and community. Within my community, I am connected with scientists, cosmetic formulators, and service providers like nail technicians and hair stylists.  In addition, with good reviews, word of mouth travels fast and for longevity. The stronger your presence is felt within the community, the more you can attract others to join!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shopangelsorganics.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angels.organics/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Angels-Organics-Hair-and-Skin-Care-104797701185960/
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/angelsanderson
• Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/angels_organics
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCtWMPCUr87eBl7lU4GzRIuw?sub_confirmation=1
• Other: TikTok: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZMer8bMoK

Image Credits
Picture 2: Tsharpproductions on Instagram