We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Elizabeth Chatman a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Elizabeth thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Almost every entrepreneur we know has considered donating a portion of their sales to an organization or cause – how did you make the decision of whether to donate? We’d love to hear the backstory if you’re open to sharing the details.

It is important to give to others and it’s especially important to me. As a former single Mom, I chose a local Community Center that has an amazing preschool. It blesses me to help other single Moms.
Also, we support Meals on Wheels because after my parents passed away, I started cooking for some of their elderly friends. And there is such a need amongst them to receive help.

Elizabeth, 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?

I have a wonderful husband, we have 2 married children and a 14 year old son, and 3 grand children. I worked 20 years in the community and absolutely loved it. I started Urban Chic Living 10 years ago by refurbishing furniture and selling it to young professionals, college students and anyone on a budget. That led me to a briefly doing staging and design. Then I begin designing lifestyle products that celebrate women of all shapes, sizes, ages and hues; especially Black and women of color. I believe that representation is so important so that younger ones can see themselves as beautiful, intelligent and capable.

I am proud that I officially got an LLC for my business at age 49 which proves that it is never too late. I pray that I inspire women, especially older women to pursue their goals and passion. My Mama inspired me to be creative and both of my parents were givers. My Mama was a well rounded woman – Renaissance woman if you will who encouraged others with her sense of humor and wisdom. And my Daddy was a former Sales man. My husband has always had an entrepreneurial
spirit and is encouraging me.

With my background in Non profit world, it’s important for my brand to give back. Baxter Community Center, a local community organization is very near to my heart so we give a portion of our sales to them.

Have you ever had to pivot?

I originally attained my reseller’s certificate and bought some products to sell. I had an opportunity to sell in a couple of stores and do pop ups. Some products were successful and some were not. This really showed me that I do not want to hold inventory and take a chance on loss. I still have several boxes of Macrame Plant Hangers that I am trying to get rid of. Ha!

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

We have an Etsy store. The pros for Etsy are the built in traffic, people are already there and you can be found by buyers from large companies. The cons are the fees, your customers are really not your own and the competition to be seen. I still love Etsy because It overall it has helped me grow my business and brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.urbanchicliving.store
• Instagram: Urbanchiclivingllc
• Other: Etsy: Lizsurbanchicliving

Image Credits
Elizabeth Chatman