We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chantal Edwards-Matthews. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chantal below.
Chantal, appreciate you joining us today. Any thoughts around creating more inclusive workplaces?
Inclusivity Matters for everyone. It doesn’t matter what Race, Culture, Hair Color, Age, or sex you are. Everyone wants to feel seen, hurd and accepted for who they are. My Brand and business celebrates uniqueness and differences. Weather i am creating a safe space in a dance class or i am making sure to advertise that my “Chantis Shea” Brand is for all skin types; inclusivity is at the forefront.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Hi beautiful people. My name is Chantal and I am a Jamaican Born Artist, mover and shaker. I have professionally danced since the age of seven. Traveling the USA and competing with Various Dance companies. Now at the age of 30 i still perform with dance companies Subaria vs. Movement “Renaissance Gyal” and “Scapegoat Garden”. Two of Connecticut’s outstanding modern dance Organizations. I also do a lot of solo work often highlighting and celebrating my culture, blackness, believes and dreams. I teach 3 days a week to adults and kids. I love seeing there lightbulbs turn on, that “I get it!” moment is so rewarding!
Along with the above excitement I make Vegan hair and skin care body butters. My companies name is Chantis Shea and you can check me out on Etsy.com/chantisshea or on instagram under @chantisshea. Chantis Shea was born in 2014 in my boyfriends apartment (Now husband). I had just started making whipped shea butter after being gifted some the past month. My gifted one was all done and the jar wiped clean. I loved how my skin felt after shea butter, better yet how my skin looked. Smooth, healthy, youthgul. I needed more. I had started learned about all of Shea Butters benefits and went on a rampage researching about it. I made some for myself to test how i would do. At this time my “boyfriends friend game over and asked for some lotion. I told him i know longer used watered down,chemical driven moisturizers anymore. He used it and asked if he could pay for the one i had made for myself. I was shocked! That’s when i saw potential. My business started off of word of mouth and honest love for the health benefits.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
The above link is a Vision I had turned into reality in 2020-2021. During the pandemic I realized that if the world was going to end soon I might as well fully trust myself and go for my dreams of perusing dance professionally and more full time. This was huge for me because before this I had listened to outsiders dought and body shaming my whole professional career. My thinking had shifted. I applied for a Artistic grant and won $7,000 from my pitch. My visual incompused fashion, three dance styles, art and some of the baddest dancers I loved and respected. I was able to pay the artist, pay for the fashion, pay for my creative process and bring my vision to life. After this visual I landed many paid dance gigs, worked with various dance companies and landed teaching sessions at Universities (University of Hartford.). This video, my work ethic and creative process has earned me blessing on blessing and more to come.
Follow me on insta @CDE7
How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ChantisShea
Above is my Skin/Hair Care lines Etsy Link. I originally chose Etsy because they only take a small scent amount per month based of your sales. I keep most of my profit and I am not losing a lot each month. I have looked into websites like Wix and Squarespace and owning my own. I may combine my modeling and Professional dance career on one site; and one dedicated to Chantis Shea, Its Seven cents, and all my other natural skin care remedies to come. Although I have had my small business for 9 years there are so many amazing things to come. Check out my Etsy, follow me on Social Media @chantisshea (Insta); please support my small business. Your skin health will thank you.
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