We recently connected with Donnya Negera and have shared our conversation below.

Donnya, appreciate you joining us today. Can you share a customer success story with us?

As a mother, I love receiving reviews and personal direct messages from customers who took their time to express their gratitude. We have this one customer who direct messaged us through Instagram after a couple of weeks with her YUUMA diaper bag. She stated that people kept asking her; “Where did you get your bag?”, while out with her children.

They were also amazed that it was a diaper bag, making bystanders even more surprised. She thanked us here at YUUMA for designing a diaper bag that was stylish and timeless for all of her wardrobe pieces. She also thanked us for our customer service because while shopping, she had trouble deciding which color to choose. As a woman myself, Onyx has always been a staple, so I recommended that color for her wardrobe.

This is what it is all about. It is not about just making sales, and being a business owner. It is about the community of moms we are aiming to nurture. YUUMA was created to help modern-day moms celebrate their individuality within motherhood. There are days when we may feel lost in it all, but something as simple as a bag to call your OWN truly changes a mom’s overall mood and confidence for the day.

We have had many customer reviews along the same line as this story. It truly brings me so much happiness to know that my desire to express myself outside of motherhood is not in vain.

Donnya, 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?

With my hobby as a Motherhood & Lifestyle creator, I was able to grow a community of mothers through my influence. My story also reached Parent’s magazine, giving me a place in the “Top 10 Black Mom Bloggers” to follow on Instagram!

Behind the scenes, being a mother has always been my first priority. After my first child, I knew that there had to be a better diaper bag design that offered more freedom and space for mothers. So I designed my own! YUUMA’s vegan leather diaper bag not only looks sleek and stylish but has loads of pockets and storage.

Our faux leather diaper bags are tailored for mothers through all stages of motherhood. Whether you have just one child or are a mother of two toddlers, our vegan leather diaper bags are suited for YOU. We also have accessories ranging from wet bags to Clutch sets to encompass all aspects of a mother’s life.

YUUMA was created to share that, “Life does not end once motherhood starts”. This was a motto that I actually created once I took the leap to start my creator journey. I was in a period of my life where I felt lost. I was consumed in motherhood and literally felt as if who I am was disappearing. After starting my youtube channel, and sharing my thoughts, I found moms who related to my experience. From my story, I aimed to share my life as Donnya first. Being a mother and a wife was an added bonus to who I was when putting myself out there. With five years in the industry and a new business, I am amazed by how impactful my message has been to others.

Our diaper bags are unique and different by connecting you to our culture. YUUMA stands for “Mother”, and it is from a Nigerian tribe. It is also stated in a respectful tone when approaching a mom. Our brand name alone signifies how powerful and unique we are. Do not ever let anyone dim your light.

Looking back on this journey, I am really proud of launching in the middle of a pandemic. I was set to launch around April, but once the lockdown happen, I was forced to stall. I also had a humble launch with only one diaper bag in two colors: Onyx and Cinnamon. They really meant it when they said to just start, even when it is not perfect! Our launch blew me away! Literally, once the clock hit 12:02 am, we had two orders placed in mid-September of 2020.

When followers and visitors stop by yuumacollection, we want them to know:
_ Woman-led business (from our suppliers to your doorstep)
– Stylish designs without comprising the necessities needed as a mom
– Black-owned business
– Vegan and sustainably sourced

Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?

Spotify is our main eCommerce platform. It was the best choice for me when starting because of the awesome 14-day trial. Within the 14 days, I was able to customize and set up the website with no rush. Once the trial was over, I was ready to go live. There are also amazing apps that can be used to provide your customers a great experience from mobile-friendly themes to pop-ups to keep them engaged with your brand.

The shipping carrier options are also more affordable since Shopify offers discounted shipping rates compared to actually walking into UPS, USPS and more. Probably the only con I can think of is that one can get intimidated into downloading too many apps that one does not need. Too many apps will slow down your store, and it can get costly.

But overall, the customer service, themes, and great dashboard of analytics make Shopify the best for me. I do plan on venturing to Amazon as another option to diversify our presence online and offer customers an easier way to find us.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

COVID-19 really changed the trajectory of this business. I had planned on launching around the summer of 2020. Due to the pandemic, I had to push the launch date back. I also had to setback my expectations on what products I had to launch due to the lack of funds. So, instead of launching with several products with their respective variants, I had to launch with one product and one accessory.

The pandemic led me to tap into our savings, and it was a bit daunting at first. I did not know if it was possible to launch in 2020 but I was able to pull through.

I was not sure if this brand would launch in 2020 but I had the idea of creating another source of income. Through my talents, I was able to pivot and raise some capital, leading to our official launch date in September of 2020! I sold an ebook mid-pandemic to teach others how to monetize their platform. I was able to influence my audience, and sell many copies in order to fund this brand, pushing us forward to launch.

The pandemic truly impacted many. As for me, it has taught me to utilize ALL of my resources and talents to make it work.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.yuumacollection.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/yuumacollection
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/yuumacollection
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/yuumacollection
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/yuumacollection
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@yuumacollection

Image Credits
None, I am the photographer