We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Chasity Pritchett . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Chasity below.
Chasity , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate it if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?
I started believing that my idea to start an olive oil company could possibly work. I trusted myself to get the necessary people and take my creative ideas to launch Emblem. It was a risk, but I was willing to take the risk! I knew that quality olive oil and local produce was important, so I sampled olive oil around the US and I teamed up with local farmers to purchase herbs, fruits and vegetables to infuse the olive oil. I also teamed up with mentors in the US and Australia to help start my brand. I never saved for this business, so I had to start with the basics; I reached out to high school students who were studying film to help produce my first commercial and hired a college student to design my website. I had to work with the resources around me and what I could afford at the time. I knew if I had to have a commercial which would tell my potential customers about me and my product and a place for them to purchase the product. I started without any supplies and planned on using the profits to order bottles and labels! It worked! It took me 6 months to make this happen and after 1 year, I was in a manufacturing facility shipping around the US.
Chasity , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I graduated from Tuskegee University with a B.A. in Political Science and continued my education earning an MBA from Strayer University and spent the majority of my career in Human Resources. I enjoy helping others either if it’s finding a job for others, or helping them eat healthier! That is my passion! Part of me starting Emblem, I took a look at the olive oil industry and realized that none of them represented the African American community; therefore, we were missing out on the latest research of olive oil that could benefit us too. I wanted to build a brand that was of quality, trust and welcoming to African American. I also wanted to get people excited to cook healthier home meals, so we infused fresh produce, herbs and spices in our olive oil to satisfy any palate.
Fresh Lemon
Smokey Mesquite
Herbs de Provence
Spicy Cajun
Roasted Garlic
Our customers are lowering their cholesterol, stabilizing their blood pressure, losing weight and much more. those testimonies on our website.
Emblem Olive Oil is a proud member of the North American Olive Oil Association and has the distinction of being the first black, female-owned extra virgin and infused olive oil company in the world.
Emblem olive oils are being used by multiple celebrity chefs, featured as Amazon Choice products, and sold in retailers across the country such as Kroger and Meijer. She is also the winner of the New Voices and Target Accelerators Pitch Competition, as well as a Barefoot Wine Grant recipient.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I remained working a full-time job that allowed me to invest in my business. I started to apply for every non-diluted grant that came across my desk. I prepared pitches and started building my network to help me have a successful business. I am always a student!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.emblemoil.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emblemoliveoil/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emblemoliveoil
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/EmblemOliveOil
Image Credits
Dexter Cohen Brandon Jones