We recently connected with Genghe Carmichael and have shared our conversation below.

Genghe , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the best thing you’ve ever seen (or done yourself) to show a customer that you appreciate them?

As the CEO of my-self named business GENGHE LLC, where I offer luxurious bonnets and scented candles; I found that my customers took a liking to receiving personalized notes and customized orders.

So in 2020 at the height of the pandemic when I started my business I focused on catering my products to my customers wants and needs. This made my customers feel valued, acknowledged and empowered! I gave people the option to order my bonnets with an elastic band closure or a drawstring closure which, reassured my customers that they were purchasing a quality bonnet that would fit them well unlike beauty supply bought bonnets. In addition to that, I took the time out to write personalized notes where I complimented my customers and thanked them for doing business with me!

I often times meet people with a variety of hair types, hair textures and hairstyles that are looking to invest in well made bonnets. Some of my customers have kinky curly hair or straight hair while others have long beautiful locs. And depending on their hair type they need a customized bonnet. See some of our reviews below.

Genghe , 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?

Thank you for creating CanvasRebel, as it has given me the opportunity to share my story as a business owner with your readers.

My name is Genghe Carmichael, I’m a mom, multifaceted creative and an entrepreneur. I attended Columbia College Chicago where, I studied Fashion Business and now I’m pursuing entrepreneurship full time! As mentioned above, I’m the CEO of my-self named business GENGHE LLC where, I offer luxurious bonnets and scented candles. We have two different color ways for the bonnets, one of them being a double layered orange satin lined kente cloth bonnet and the second one being a pink satin lined pink velvet bonnet. Additionally, our scented candles come in the aromas of Teakwood Delight and Rosé. And as I like to say, remember hair care is self care and indulge in aromatic bliss!

The bonnets we offer at GENGHE are non-slip, they prevent split ends, maintain the natural hydration of your hair and they maintain natural twist outs for 2-3 days along with a variety of other hairstyles. If you’re looking for a quality long lasting bonnet, GENGHE is the right investment for you!

Speaking of investments- investing in myself and my ability to sew makes me very proud! Sewing was once a hobby for me that literally got me through the difficult time of the pandemic. But eventually, I turned my hobby into a business, sought out mentorship, won some grants and built up my network. Ultimately, I want to encourage other people in the Black and Brown communities to create businesses of their own- let’s create ownership y’all! I want to be a resource to other up and coming entrepreneurs, I want to create jobs for other people and establish generational wealth! And that is why, I have also created CARMICHAEL + Associates. We are a creative branding, marketing and business development agency that offers our services to a diverse community of business oriented clients. The cumulative theme here, is that both my brand and my businesses were created for the betterment of the individual and for generations to come!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

Something that I’m actually in the process of doing is strengthening my e-mail marketing. It’s a very crucial component to running a product based business especially, when it’s done well. I find it very beneficial to focus on the tools that I have in front of me, nurture the relationships I’ve cultivated and refine my systems; because those elements tend to endure loyalty!

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

More often than not we experience lessons and blessings. I would say that a lesson that I’ve learned is that, what I need is already within me. The tools that I need to succeed aren’t in the hands of someone else. Rather, it’s in my faith, the principles I’ve created for my business and the collaborative efforts that I’ve set forth as a means of sharpening the saw. I read The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People and that’s where I picked up on sharpening the saw. Also, I’ve learned that having a strong elevator pitch that you can then present to people in your network, could position you to see growth in your business. Issa Rae said it well, “we have a tendency to try to like when we network, network up and it really is about networking across like who’s next to you, who’s struggling, who’s in the trenches with you, who’s just as hungry as you are and those are the people that you need to build with…” I think it’s important to work with other people, do your research on the area of business that you’ve established and be willing to do a lot of the work that your business entails- solo and ask for help when your vision is clear. The blessings will come!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.genghe.co/
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/gengheofficial_

Image Credits
Dexter Brown Photography