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

Hi Brittany , thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

A few years ago, I took a chance and hosted a body-positive event called Fluff, Friends and Photos. I poured my heart into creating a space where plus-size women could feel seen, celebrated, and confident. Unfortunately, the event flopped. The turnout was low, and I walked away feeling discouraged and questioning whether I should try hosting community events again.

For a long time, that experience made me hesitant to take that risk again.

Earlier this year, I attended the Elevate and Empower Retreat hosted by Michelle Thames in January. During that experience, Michelle encouraged me to try again and reminded me that sometimes the first attempt isn’t the failure—it’s the practice for what comes next.

So on March 1st, I decided to take the risk again.

I hosted Sip, Color and Self Love inside a beautiful Black woman-owned bookstore in the Bronzeville area of Chicago called Honey & Hue. The owner graciously welcomed My Beautiful Fluff into her space and even allowed our products to have a home on her shelves.

The event turned out to be everything I hoped it could be. Women gathered to color, connect, and simply take a moment to love themselves. We had poetry, conversation, custom coloring sheets for guests who purchased tickets in advance, and amazing sweets created by Chicago baker Brittany McCoy, CEO of Breathless Treats.

That night reminded me why I started building community in the first place. Sometimes the biggest risk isn’t failing—it’s finding the courage to try again after you already have.

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 Brittany Washington, and I am the founder of My Beautiful Fluff, a body-positive lifestyle brand and community created to celebrate plus-size women and women with natural hair. My Beautiful Fluff was born out of my own experiences growing up plus-size and not seeing women who looked like me represented in fashion, beauty, or media in empowering ways.

For many years, I struggled with confidence and felt like my body was something that needed to be fixed. As I got older, transitioned to wearing my natural hair, and became a mother, I realized how important representation and self-love truly are. I wanted to create the brand and community that I needed growing up—a space where women could feel seen, valued, and celebrated exactly as they are.

Through My Beautiful Fluff, we create products and experiences designed to inspire confidence, self-love, and connection. Our offerings include body-positive apparel, affirmation journals, coloring books like My Beautiful Canvas, accessories, and beauty tools. In addition to products, we also host community-centered experiences such as self-love events, affirmation stations, and creative gatherings where women can connect, relax, and pour back into themselves.

One of the problems we address is the lack of inclusive representation and affirming spaces for plus-size women, particularly women with natural hair. Many women have spent years hearing negative messages about their bodies. My Beautiful Fluff is about shifting that narrative and reminding women that they are already enough.

What sets my brand apart is that it is not just about products—it is about community and healing. Many of our designs and creative projects are inspired directly by the women in our community. For example, our coloring books include affirmations and imagery inspired by real women, allowing people to see themselves reflected in the work.

One of the things I am most proud of is that this brand has grown even while navigating personal challenges, including living with fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. Despite those obstacles, I have continued to show up—vending at markets, hosting events, and building spaces where women can gather and feel supported.

What I want people to know most about My Beautiful Fluff is that it is more than a brand—it is a movement centered on self-love, representation, and empowerment. Every product, event, and experience is created with the intention of helping women feel confident in their own skin and reminding them that their bodies, their curls, and their stories are beautiful just as they are.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When I first started My Beautiful Fluff, I didn’t have investors or a large amount of capital. I truly started with what I like to call a wing and a prayer. I used my personal savings and a credit card to purchase my first inventory and bring my ideas to life. At the time, I simply believed in the mission of creating a brand that celebrated plus-size women and women with natural hair.

In the early days, every dollar mattered. I reinvested whatever I could back into the business, learning as I went while building the brand one product and one event at a time. Over time, I began applying for small business programs and grants designed to support entrepreneurs.

Eventually, that persistence paid off. I was able to secure grants and participate in accelerator programs that helped me grow My Beautiful Fluff, expand our product offerings, and reach more women who needed to hear messages of self-love and confidence.

Looking back, I’m proud that this business was built through determination, creativity, and the willingness to start before everything felt perfect.

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

My Beautiful Fluff primarily sells through our own website powered by Shopify, and we also use Etsy to reach additional customers who are searching for unique and handmade products. In addition, our products are available through the Shop app, which is another great place for customers to discover small businesses.

Shopify was a natural choice for us because it made it relatively easy to get started as a small business owner. The platform provides helpful templates, built-in tools, and strong customer support, which made the process of launching our website much more manageable. It also allows us to fully control our brand experience, connect with our community, and showcase the full story behind My Beautiful Fluff.

Etsy has also been helpful because it introduces our products to customers who are already browsing the platform looking for creative and unique items. It can be a great discovery tool for new shoppers who may not have found our brand otherwise.

The Shop app has been another great tool for discovery. I personally enjoy using it to shop from small businesses, and it has also allowed new customers to find My Beautiful Fluff while browsing brands on the platform.

One of the biggest advantages of selling through our own website is having direct access to our customers and the ability to build long-term relationships through our community, events, and email marketing. However, one of the challenges is that driving traffic to your own site requires consistent marketing and visibility.

Overall, using these platforms allows us to balance discoverability through marketplaces like Etsy and Shop, while continuing to grow our direct-to-consumer presence through Shopify, where we can fully share our mission of self-love, representation, and empowerment.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.mybeautifulfluff.com
• Instagram: https://Instagram.com/shopmybeautifulfluff
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/shopmybeautifulfluff
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brittany-washington-a16ba6a1/
• Other: https://Tiktok.com/shopmybeautifulfluff

Image Credits

Amber A. Renee Creative Studio