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

Jacqualyn , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I launched Royal Collection in May 2020 at the height of the pandemic. I was working at a company that I was in love with but they were doing layoffs because of the pandemic. I was told my position would no longer be there (even though I moved to Baton Rouge in February of the same year for the job, with the intention of moving to Dallas in a year or two). I launched with accessories at first and realized I really had a knack for being my own boss. The business grew quickly, life circumstances changed and Royal Collection grew to become the “smell good shop” it is today largely because of my son. I knew the business would work because of my customer’s consistency. Throughout all of the changes, I’ve had some extremely loyal clients that love everything I put out. Freshies and carpet freshener became the go to items of my brand because I became a stay at home mom and honestly, cleaning became sanity! Scents really helped me get through postpartum. I spent a lot of time in the car going to doctor appointments, visiting family, etc. and the constant through all of that was my Black Ice car freshie oddly enough. It just reminded me of consistency throughout the changes and my car was still MY space, if that makes sense. The freshener was girly, put together and reminded me of my pre-pregnancy self… it was a way to be the girl who knows her worth and adds tax even on the days I felt the worst. I became excited about the idea more because of my former manager, Carmen. I sent her a picture of one of my “Material Girl” freshies and she said “girl you’d making a killing if you sold that”. That’s when it hit me that there are so many more moms going through what I was experiencing and needed a feel good, simple constant. In the freshie community, there aren’t a lot of POC businesses, so that inspired me even more to bring this niche to my community too!

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve always been creative but never considered myself to be crafty ironically. Some of my product photo props are actually previous crafts that I made for my home. I came across the “freshie” industry during one of my YouTube rabbit holes and thought they were the cutest thing! I began making them for myself and found it very therapeutic because of the repetition. One of my friends/former manager suggested I should sell them. I never thought I could shape my entire business around it. I offer freshies (air fresheners), freshie tins, miniature freshies, and carpet fresheners at the moment. Everything is designed to look good and smell better. I specifically formulated my carpet fresheners to have a natural base rather than the chemical base. My son and fiancé both have eczema so it’s extremely important for me to have items that I can use without irritating their skin. My grandmother is actually the one who gave me the initial carpet freshener idea, she always used a little baking soda and essential oils in her carpets (when she had them) because traditional carpet powders go beneath the surface of the carpet. The carpet of my childhood home was pulled up when I was about 16 years old and I was shocked to see leftover carpet freshener under it! I pride myself on the quality of my products. I get so many reviews via website, direct messages, emails, texts etc. complimenting the longevity and quality of my products. They make people feel luxurious without breaking the bank, in ways that most wouldn’t think of. I mean honestly, who sits and says “yes my car freshener needs to be sparkly or in the shape of a diamond?”. Most of us aren’t thinking about all of the ways we are exposed to aluminums on a daily basis either. Those things seem small but make a huge difference in your day, your life, and mental health… that’s the bigger picture for me. Im going to continue to grow this business and expand with new items, such as room sprays (coming soon), to continue providing products that are meeting the needs that most didn’t even know they were missing. We all deserve to be happy with whatever space we are in, whether it’s your office, car, or laundry room, If my products help your space feel like royalty, then my job is done!

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media building is so important. I stopped focusing on gaining sales and began focusing on building a community. Tiktok has been the best platform for me. I went from maybe 100 followers to almost 4,000 active followers this year alone and 362.2K hashtag views! I started showing my face more in the videos, being myself, and educating people about my products. I am constantly interacting with my audience on tiktok! They know that if they comment on my videos, I’m replying back! I follow accounts back as well and I record content as much as possible. I strongly suggest focusing on the social media platform that fits you and your niche! Be yourself, I know that sounds overused but people honestly shop with people! If someone comments and says “your product is beautiful” reply with a video thanking them and show them more! I even make reply videos just talking to my audience. I know some of them by name and I remember what state they live in. Going viral isn’t the goal, community is.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

My customer base knows that when we say “welcome to the royal family” we mean it! I include hand written thank you notes for all orders because I’m forever grateful. I also include motivational stickers/cards in packages because giving a compliment can make a difference in someone’s day! I know it makes a huge difference in mine. Additionally, I have a newsletter, text club, close friends on Instagram and Facebook vip group! The Facebook group and close friends is super intimate. Those “royal babes” are able to assist in my creative process. I let them see exclusive behind the scenes content, pick new scents, vote on new shapes, etc. they know that they are the business. Everything is created with my customers in mind and they have say so on what’s added. My customer service is impeccable, I must say! My time as a college program cast member at Walt Disney World and bra fit expert for Soma Intimates heavily influences the customer service/brand loyalty of my business to be honest. I don’t want my customers to be a number… they’re people with names!

Contact Info:

• Website: Royalcollectionplug.com
• Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/royalplug158
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/royalplug158/
• Twitter: Www.Twitter.com/royalplug158
• Other: Tik tok: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTdw6UbV4/