We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kinyatta E. Gray. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kinyatta E. below.
Kinyatta E. , appreciate you joining us today. Naming anything – including a business – is so hard. Right? What’s the story behind how you came up with the name of your brand?
I love this question because it drives home the point that I enjoy emphasizing to others – and that is, your real life will inspire the next best thing.
I came up with this business name after taking a much-needed international vacation. Most people wear comfortable slide-on shoes or sneakers when traveling and walking through the airport. However, I felt particularly fancy traveling one year and decided to wear stilettos to the airport. I was met with smiles and looks of bewilderment because people questioned whether or not I was comfortable. The answer was yes, I was!
Later that month, I decided to join a travel club and was required to come up with a login ID. I immediately thought about my last trip, and I knew if I were to travel again, I would travel in stilettos. That’s when I instantly said, Flights In Stilettos! I thought the name was cute and catchy and decided to name my business Flights In Stilettos!
Kinyatta E. , 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?
It’s my pleasure to share how I began my journey with you.
My path to becoming the Founder and CEO of FlightsInStilettos, LLC and a best-selling published author are two different stories.
In brief, I founded FlightsInStilettos after not being able to find a beach towel that resembled my aesthetic. I wanted a glamorous beach towel with an illustration of a stylish, fashionable, and sophisticated woman of color in a swimsuit on it.
So, I began searching on the internet for beach towels fitting that description, and I could not find what I was looking for. Typically, you won’t see illustrations of people on beach towels, and illustrations of black women on beach towels were even rarer.
That’s when I decided I’d design the luxurious and inclusive beach towel I was searching for! In 2022, I received several awards for designing inclusive beach towels.
I became a published author in 2019 to honor the legacy of my mother, Beverly E. Carroll, who passed away in 2018.
She was a noted writer and playwright but had never completed her dream of becoming a published author. Therefore,
I became a published author of five books in a little over three years to honor my mother’s legacy and to fulfill her dream.
In addition to becoming a published author, I wrote, designed and published a collection of over 20 guided and blank journals for men, women and teens covering topics ranging from grief and loss, to pregnancy and dating.
Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?
In 2022, I decided to expand my online business by being the first woman in my area to install a luxury specialty vending machine in Bowie, MD, at the Bowie Town Center that exclusively sells my Flights In Stilettos Beach Towels and journals.
When most people think of a vending machine, they think of snacks and drinks, but there’s a new movement in the vending machine industry where innovative people such as myself are adding your heart’s desire to vending machines! Business owners are highly creative and are adding products such as hair extensions, eyelashes, and other beauty products to make acquiring these items quick and affordable!
My long-term goal is to add a Flights InStilettos Beach Towel & Journal Vending Machine in locations and destinations frequented by beach goers!
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
Yes, I have partnered with both Amazon and Etsy to sell Flights In Stilettos products. These partnerships are beneficial to socializing my brand and business to their vast customer base.
I encourage small business owners to research these platforms and consider partnering with them.
For example, Amazon offers the Black Business Accelerator Program, which provides coaching support and resources to small business owners to help them thrive in such a competitive marketplace.
Etsy is an excellent platform for selling my unique, one-of-a-kind products.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://flightsinstilettos.com/
- Instagram: @flightsinstilettos
- Twitter: @fstilettos
Image Credits
Ksenia Pro Photography