We recently connected with Ebonee McNeil and have shared our conversation below.

Ebonee, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

I want to create beautiful tumblers and coffee cups that would not only catch people eye but also keep them happy. Crafting happiness one smile at a time is what I will forever stand by. Making others smile through the art I create is the biggest joy.

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

I’ve always had a passion for anything that involves art since a was kid. I’m always ready to paint and craft no matter where I am. I reconnected with my love for art and the happiness it brings in summer of 2020. I had been working from home since the beginning of COVID. I have been working since I was 15 and that’s basically since I was a little girl and you know growing up, you’re really just thinking about graduating high school and getting a job that pays well and makes you happy right? I started by painting again and creating pieces for my home and kids room. While out shopping for painting supplies I had grown very tired of seeing people walking around with plain coffee cups and not one smile in sight! I mean who drinks coffee and not smile?!

Melanated Mugz and More was born… it’s like a glitter bomb went off in my head , lol. I literally wanted to create beautiful custom items that would put a smile on people’s faces every time they looked at it. I instantly was committed and began to put in the work to bring my ideas and passion to life.

I now provide high quality Drinkware and custom resin art. I provide custom and ready to ship handcrafted glitter tumblers, keychains, trinket trays and more.

I would love for anyone reading this to know whether you’re a potential customer, new follower or upcoming business owner etc. Don’t ever be afraid to bring your passions to LIFE! It is possible and never allow anyone to dim your sparkle! Shine bright and never forget to smile when you’re achieving your goals.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

As I was perfecting my craft and gearing up to reveal my newest and most treasured business to my family and friends. The first thing I automatically thought that all of my family and friends would instantly support my business and share everything I did and created.. WRONG, lol the biggest lesson I learned was that as a business owner, you’re the promoter, customer service, creative consultant etc. Especially when just starting up. There is a big misunderstanding when deciding to jump into the entrepreneurial pool. We automatically think that it’s going to happen overnight and when we wake up everyone is going to know who we are. Nah, baby it takes some work and I’m learning everyday just how much work it takes. Honestly, I’m in love.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Let’s talk about how intimidating social media is! It’s completely different when you’re promoting your products and your content to highlight everything your business entails. I was so caught up on hashtags and trending niches. Honestly the social media algorithm is always changing and evolving. The first thing I learned was to pick a platform that I wanted to master. I was trying to wear so many social media hats and eventually got very burned out quickly. So there was a choice to make.. PICK ONE, lol. So I chose Instagram and TikTok, mainly because I’m naturally a silly person and I knew that if I just always chose to be myself in my content and show my love for my craft, that everything else will follow. If you’re just starting out and don’t know which platform to choose, I say just research the benefits of the top platforms you’re already on. Find the tools that will help not only your business social presence but yours as well. Don’t be afraid to try something new.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://melanatedmugzandmore.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melanatedmugzandmore/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/melanatedmugz
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@melanatedmugzandmore