Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Charminta (Char) Brown. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Charminta (Char), looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to go back in time and hear the story of how you came up with the name of your brand?

I came up with my business name of Brown Joy by combining my name with my daughter’s name. My last name is Brown and my daughter’s first name is Joy. Also, Brown is a wonderful word choice for my business being that Brown Joy creates positive images of Black and Brown characters.

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 Charminta (Char) Brown and I am originally from New Jersey, but I have lived in the Sunshine State of Florida for the past nine years. Extremely grateful to be a mommy to a beautiful daughter named Joy. I have my Master’s in Higher Education Administration and have worked in Higher Education for over seven years. Currently, I work as a Learning Support Manager at a State College in Florida.

Last year, I took my daughter, Joy, to the pediatrician’s office, and as usual, towards the end of her appointment, the doctor handed Joy a sticker, which she absolutely loves. I always want Joy to see herself in everything positive she sees and touches, so it dawned on me that my daughter only receives stickers of animals or of characters that do not look like her. I grew tired of witnessing the lack of representation of Black and Brown characters in sticker selections, and I thought of how many other Black and Brown people may feel this exact way – unrepresented. God gave me the vision to fix this issue, so I created Brown Joy. Brown Joy highlights positive Black and Brown characters on everyday items we all love. We launched the business with our Brown Joy stickers and will launch more Brown Joy products soon.

The Brown Joy Characters consists of an amazing group of six dynamic characters who honor, respect, and highlight the beauty and importance of positive images of Black and Brown Characters. All Brown Joy Characters have names and awesome personalities that help bring them to life for children and adults to enjoy. I was intentional about creating Black and Brown Characters with transformative and in-depth backgrounds. So many times in the media, Black and Brown Characters are the sidekicks or supporting casts to the predominantly white main character(s). I want the Brown Joy Characters to be the center of the business to show people that Black and Brown Characters are worthy of being seen, shared, and celebrated. Brown Joy offsets negative stereotypes while uplifting and planting seeds of positivity in Black and Brown children.

Brown Joy is on a mission to provide children of all races with Brown Joy products to create a space for diversity and inclusion while helping businesses, and consumers make better connections, rapport, and a sense of trust with Black and Brown children. Brown Joy has three pillars: Representation, Worthiness, and Normalcy.
Representation – is necessary for Black and Brown children to see more positive images of characters who look like them.
Worthiness – Black and Brown children need to see that they are valued.
Normalcy – cultural competency provides transforming views about differences. All children will benefit from Brown Joy products to create normalcy amongst the images of children.

Therefore, Brown Joy creates positive images for children and a more inclusive world.

The original vision of Brown Joy was to create stickers of positive images of Black and Brown Characters specifically for doctor offices to give to their patients to build better connections and rapport. But, I soon realized families and other businesses that connect with children could benefit from purchasing products with positive representation. So, Brown Joy is not only a product line but also an experience. I want to help Black and Brown children create a new world of endless positivity.

You cannot be what you cannot see. Brown Joy’s customers are people whose lives have been shaped by positive representation. So many parents and family members tell me that when they give children Brown Joy stickers, the children love them so much, and they either want to keep the stickers for themselves or give them out to all their friends! Whatever the children decide to do with their Brown Joy stickers, they know the images on the stickers have value for them to hold on to and share with the world. Positive representation is important to continuously see because we live in a world with a history and habit of treating Black and Brown people as less than and not “worthy” enough to be in places of high prestige and excellence. Brown Joy is shaping lives and showing that more positive representation of Black and Brown boys and girls is needed for all children to appreciate and value. Black and Brown boys and girls need to know and understand that positive characters that look like them are worthy to be seen, shared, and celebrated!

Brown Joy’s customers are the people who know and understand the value of seeing positive and influential people and images that look like them. Brown Joy’s customers know that the power of positive representation significantly impacts success in reaching goals and envisioning and achieving the unimaginable in every area of life, especially professionally. For example, I recently watched an episode of the new Sherri Shepherd Daytime Talk Show. Sherri had the founder and owner of Healthy Roots Dolls, Yelista Jean-Charles as a guest on the show’s Boss Lady segment. Sherri said she wished she had a Healthy Roots Doll growing up because it would have impacted her and helped her love her hair that grows from her scalp (paraphrased).

Brown Joy’s customers value the importance of positively representing themselves. They come from all different walks of life, from having careers in education, health, law, media, and marketing. Still, the one commonality is they know all children will greatly benefit from seeing positive images of Black and Brown Characters. It’s crucial for Black and Brown children who can see themselves represented within Brown Joy. Brown Joy Characters highlighted on stickers are cute and great for bonding, sharing, interactive play, experiences, and decorating. Most importantly, the Brown Joy Characters highlighted on stickers serve as a foundational piece of shaping and introducing Black and Brown children to careers and motivation to grow and explore their passions.

Brown Joy’s customers are:
Individuals who have children or have children in their lives
Pediatricians, teachers, and other professionals that work with children daily
Nonprofit organizations working with children
Churches that provide services for children, such as children’s church
Individuals and businesses that connect with children in diverse communities that want to embed positive images of diverse representation for the children they are servicing

These customers are Brown Joy’s target audience because they value family, education, and the opportunity to better their lives and the children around them. Brown Joy’s customers are people who want to see the children they are connected to live happy and prosperous lives.

The Brown Joy characters highlighted on stickers are just the beginning. In the next few years, the Brown Joy Characters will appear on more products, and Brown Joy will be globally recognized. The lack of images of positive Black and Brown Characters is not just an issue in the United States, but worldwide.
I am overjoyed by the positive feedback and overwhelming compliments Brown Joy receives. However, I am most proud of how Brown Joy makes children feel. I love seeing children’s faces light up when they see the stickers. I love hearing children and adults say the characters remind them of family members and friends. Seeing people of all ages fall in love with Brown Joy’s purpose, mission, and characters pushes me to continue to grow Brown Joy. To have a business that gives people of all races and ethnicities more joy is the best feeling.

The love and support I have received when launching Brown Joy have been phenomenal. I have support from family, friends, and the community who believe in my company’s mission and who have helped me in the process of creating Brown Joy. My friends whom I met in my undergraduate and Master’s program volunteer their time to help me create social media content. People I recently met quickly fell in love with the Brown Joy brand and went out of their way to utilize their skills to help Brown Joy grow and develop. Consultants from Florida’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) always tell me that my business innovation, work ethic, and organizational skills are exceptional and that the success of Brown Joy will go far. My biggest accomplishment is this company’s effect on my daughter, Joy. She is the center of this company, and she finally has characters that look like her and other Black and Brown boys and girls.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

Connecting with people has been the best source of new clients. For example, this past April, I attended a Women’s Leadership conference called Spring Into Leadership, facilitated and hosted by Vantage Point Coaching. I met many women with so many different career backgrounds, and they shared so much knowledge with me. Not only did these new connections lead to sales for Brown Joy, but opportunities to be a guest on their podcasts and additional help with launching Brown Joy, such as website design and Brown Joy promotion. In addition, the amazing people I meet at business conferences and networking events help bring positive attention to Brown Joy through their support and spreading the word about the business. It is cool to attend events and introduce myself, and people say, “OOOOO, you are the sticker lady! I have to go on the Brown Joy website to purchase my stickers”.

Having the Brown Joy stickers readily available when I am at social events is a game changer. I always carry The Brown Joy sticker sheets with me to introduce myself and Brown Joy. This generally results in an instant new client ready to buy the stickers from me. Using my current social circle has helped tremendously as well. For instance, I went out to lunch with a friend, and we talked about Brown Joy. She connected me to her friend, who is a dentist and owns her practice. That friend became the first doctor’s office to purchase Brown Joy stickers. You must always be ready to tell your business story and have your products on hand because those conversations and connections can lead to new opportunities!

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

I recently read a book called Master Your Mindset: How Women Leaders Step Up by Molly Gimmel. The book provides strategies and execution steps to be an effective leader through testimonials from business leaders in various career industries. I learned how to be a more influential leader and that leading as my authentic self encourages and supports a healthy work environment for myself and my team. Your position title and role does not make you an effective leader; it is about having a leadership mindset. As the Brown Joy team grows, I want everyone to have a leadership mindset, whether interns or administrative staff members. I want to help my current Brown Joy team, and future employees do well in their work and use their time spent working at Brown Joy to build their skills for future opportunities.

I recently watched Mrs. Viola Davis’s interview with Oprah Winfrey on Own Spotlight as they promoted Mrs. Davis’s newest movie, The Woman King. Viola told Oprah that when she tells her daughter bedtime stories, her daughter always wants to be included in the story. She says (paraphrased) “Mommy I want to see me in the stories.” At Brown Joy, we are not only creating stories but positive images of Black and Brown characters so Black and Brown boys and girls can see themselves positively represented as the center and not just as an afterthought.

Mentorship has been pivotal for me when creating, developing, and launching Brown Joy. Once I had the vision to create Brown Joy, I immediately connected with Florida SBDC at UCF for free consultations on how to properly start a business. All three of my SBDC consultants have helped me throughout my entrepreneurial journey, from helping me file my LLC, and creating a budget, to developing an impactful marketing strategy.

In addition, before I created Brown Joy, the financial literacy media platform Earn Your Leisure (EYL), taught me the importance of business ownership, relationship building, consistency, and hard work! Honestly, I never thought I could be a business owner before discovering EYL in 2019. Quick fun fact, EYL hosts, Troy and Rashad, gave me my first entrepreneurial opportunity allowing me to create transcripts for the EYL podcast episodes. Through EYL, I also learned that it is essential to keep people around you that inspire you. Being a business owner can have its hard days, and having people you are listening to provide you with encouragement and inspiration can change your day and trajectory.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://brownjoy.co/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brownjoy.co/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheBrownJoyExperience
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/brown-joy/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCgh8R0DDrSonc-9XJuzzsqg

Image Credits
Andrea De La Cruz Photography