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

Alright, Chelsea thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

When I created Chapter 28, I wanted it to be a home for all of my plus-size ladies. That looks just like me and you what I mean by that is different body types, relatable issues and real bodies. I wanted it to be a safe place for us plus-size ladies. Always remember you’re not you when you’re not CONFIDENT!

Chelsea, 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?

My name is Chelsea I am the owner of Chapter 28. Growing up I wasn’t confident at all. I was always the biggest friend I had. The clothes they made back then were terrible well at least that’s what I thought. They all had some type of prints or design and I just hated them or the clothes that were cute and plus size we’re excessively expensive. Leopard print can only go so far. I knew when I grew up, I wanted to do something in the fashion industry to help women feel confident because when you look good, you feel good. I felt like that within itself would have helped me feel more confident. Back then there were no plus-size role models or anyone that spoke up for plus-size women if anything they shamed people for being plus-size.

One day the bell rang while I was in school and it was lunch time I decided to walk over to McDonald’s. This particular day I was very quiet and I love to talk and laugh I’m very goofy. You know how when something is bothering you, but you don’t know quite what it is? Well, that’s how I felt that day. I knew something was wrong but I didn’t know what is was. I then took a drink of my Sprite and you know Mcdonald’s has the strongest sprite in the world. It can literally fry fish.

Then it finally hit me. I just said to myself Chelsea why do you care about what other people think of you? I always grew up with this philosophy if you want to change something then change it, if not learn to embrace it. That’s what I had to do and that was the best thing I could have ever done. This unlocked everything for me because it helped me become confident. Back in the day, I loved taking pictures, but it was selfies only for me and if I didn’t take the picture, I didn’t want to be in it. We all know our angles don’t act like you can’t relate.

When I created Chapter 28, I wanted it to be a home for all of my plus-size ladies. That looks just like me and you what I mean by that is different body types, relatable issues and real bodies. I wanted it to be a safe plus for us plus-size ladies. Always remember you’re not you when you’re not CONFIDENT!

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

I would say in order to be a good boss you must learn to be a good employee. The advice that I would give managing a team is just by staying positive and not just thinking about today. I always think about the next day, the next week, next month, next year, etc….

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Just by being different. When I would shop online for clothes I would never see women that looked like me, so it was always hard to imagine what I would look like in those clothes. When I created my brand I wanted ladies to be able to see themselves in our lingerie while shopping online.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.chapter28.co
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/officialchapter28__
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/officialchapter28

Image Credits
Jennifer Colindres, Shanice Burke and Shay Langford