Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Ceirra Riley. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Ceirra, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear from you about what you think Corporate America gets wrong in your industry and why it matters.
Often times, women, people of color, and the LGBTQ2S community are not repressed on the shelves that we pass in shops. The goal at COMMONS is to have at least 50% of our shelves will be dedicated to independent makers, womxn, people of color and the LGBTQ2S makers. By focusing on these communities we are able to invest in communities we see larger corporations look over.
Ceirra, 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 wanted COMMONS to be something of a love letter for the community. My hope for COMMONS is that we are able to bring brands to Corpus Christi that are harder to find here, Our hope was for our shop would feel like a safe-spot that people could come to, and place where we go to be apart of the growth of brands that are local to Corpus Christi and nationwide.
For a while I have dreamt of ways to invest in communities that are often overlooked when selecting brands to carry in shops. I love getting to build relationships with the the brands we carry and hoe to carry,
Any fun sales or marketing stories?
All of our favorite marketing stories involve getting to do things with our friends. One of the moments that comes to mind is when we did a give away with Planted and Washed Out. It was fun to partner with our friends to plan and execute a fun campaign with them. We all opened our doors around the same time, and it was exciting to partner together to use our strengths to put together the giveaway.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
We wanted our voice to be known through our social media, we wanted to be a place that was clear on who we are, what we think, and what we sell. We started by following the people and places in our community that we look up to, that we support and feel supported by. We wanted our page to feel like a community before anything else.
Growing a social media following can be tricky. You have to understand the current algorithm, have an eye for what works, know when and who to partner with, and be willing to do a bit of trial and error. Our audience is was built through making sure our shop was enticing over social media. My biggest advice is do do what feels good and true to you and your brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: http://commonscctx.com/
- Instagram: @commonscctx
- Facebook: @commonscctx