Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to La-Keesha Reed. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
La-Keesha, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?
The best thing that I’ve done to show my appreciation for a customer was go above and beyond for an out of town couple. I had this beautiful couple that came to me after being disappointed from invitations that they ordered online. Their deadline was fast approaching but the bride had her heart set on custom invitations that generally takes months to design, order and deliver. However, my team and I were able to curate a custom design for the invitations and mailer boxes within a couple of weeks, get their approval and hand deliver them.
While waiting for their invitations to be processed, I personally was in constant contact with the bride and her maid of honor not only to reassure them that the process was going smoothly but I was also able to connect them with other vendors for other bridal needs such as gifts for the bridal party. I know how special one’s wedding day is and I try to do my best at alleviating any extra stress that they may be feeling, especially after being let down prior to coming to me.
So I made it my personal mission to make them feel extra special. For this couple, we designed a custom keepsake box inscribed with the couples names and wedding date and inside we included one of their invitations for them to keep, a thank you note and a bottle of wine in addition to making sure that each invitation was carefully packaged in its own mailer box for a safe ride back to their destination.
When I delivered the invitations, the bride to be was so excited but the reaction of the groom and his best man was priceless. The couple even face timed the maid of honor to show off the invitations. They were so grateful and elated that they invited me to their wedding as a show of thanks.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is La-Keesha and I am a mother of two beautiful girls, a wife and a lover of design. I originally started in the field of Interior Design with the desire to start my own design firm. Little did I know that years later I would parlay that interest in design of homes into designs of all things paper and other elements for invitations. While in college my boyfriend’s (now husband) graduation was soon approaching and being on a college budget meant that we had to spend our money wisely. So I had the idea of designing his invitations myself. To my surprise they were a hit and at the suggestion of my mother in love, I started perfecting my craft and Chocolate Silk Creations was born. Before long, I was getting requests from coworkers, family and eventually through word of mouth other customers.
At Chocolate Silk Creations, we are a Black Owned Luxe Invitation Boutique where we design Custom and Ready to order Luxury Invitations and Stationery. We offer three exclusive collections tailored to meet the unique preferences and elevate our clientele events to the next level. The first tier is our Vibrant InStyle Creations (V.I.C.) Collection which is an array of our ready to order designs. A set of invitations include an invitation, RSVP, mailer envelope and rsvp envelope.
Our second tier is The Private Party, this collection is a blend of custom and ready to order designs that can be upgraded with options such as UV Printing, foil ,vellum and laser cut just to name a few. Both our custom and ready to order invitations can be customized to compliment the color and or theme of an event.
The top tier is CSC’s Royal Sweet Collection of complete customized invitations. If you can dream it, we can design it. The Royal Sweet Collection is one of our most sought after tier because of the ability to create designs that are totally unique to fit the personality and style of a client’s vision. With the Royal Sweet collection, clients can select from mirror acrylics, velvet, vellum, gold foiling, letterpress and more!
We are currently working on extending our line of accessories to include customized menus, place cards, napkins, table numbers, seating charts and Welcome Signs to help compliment the theme of our clients events.
At CSC our goal is to help alleviate the stress and uncertainty that comes with the process of planning a wedding and other events, particularly when it comes to invitations and accessories. Our mission is to provide the absolute BEST first Impression for our clients, ensuring that every detail is meticulously crafted to their specifications and providing accessories to make sure that their event theme is cohesive and carried out through all aspects of the decor. By taking on the responsibility of designing invitations and curating accessories, we also aim to alleviate the burden of searching and decision-making, granting our clients the peace of mind and assurance that they’re in good hands.
I believe what truly sets CSC apart from others is our unwavering commitment to care and quality. We understand the significance of every event and the importance of getting it just right. That’s why we pour our hearts into every design, ensuring that each piece reflects the style, personality, and vision of our clients. From the moment you engage with CSC, you can trust that you’ll receive nothing short of excellence, from the initial consultation to the final product.
The thing that I am most proud of is believing in myself enough to start my own company and consistently powering ahead through the difficult times, allowing myself grace, staying humble, and learning to pivot when necessary. My journey hasn’t always been easy but necessary for me to learn, grow and most importantly show my girls that with GOD, a dream and dedication anything is possible. I attribute my stick-to-itiveness and faith to keep going not just for my family but for anyone that is thinking of starting a business to know that anything is possible.
I want my potential clients to know that an invitation sets the tone for your event and what your guests are expecting. At CSC, we treat every client as our first and as if your event were our own. You only get one chance to make a first impression, so put your best foot forward by choosing Chocolate Silk Creations to design the BEST 1st Impression for your next event!
Have you ever had to pivot?
Ironically, I had to pivot in business and in life. When I started my company I was also a full time employee as well a student in college. Chocolate Silk Creations was a side hobby to earn extra money and to be honest I didn’t want to put all my eggs in one basket so to speak. So I concentrated more on my consistent paying job with benefits which left little time to apply the focus that was needed to continue to grow my business. Needless to say I eventually allowed CSC to taper off and solely concentrated on my main job.
Although I was no longer giving my energy to my business, I still received the occasional request to design invitations, which I seized the opportunities. However, fast forward years later and now I’m a new stay at home mom, trying to balance life with a baby and still having the desire to create so I started to take clients again. Things started to pick up again, and although as a mom we can multi-task like no one else, working and raising kids was a bit of a challenge. So once again, now that I’m a mom of two I put the business on the back burner, simmering on low.
Unable to completely let go of my passion for designing invitations, I decided that I needed a true plan and to stick to it no matter what! I decided that, since I was a stay-at-home mom, I would wait until both girls were in school. This way, I could dedicate all of my time and energy to the business and focus on my daughters when they were at home. I wanted to ensure they didn’t feel neglected, and I wouldn’t feel the mommy guilt of dividing my attention between them and work.
My refusal to settle but the ability to pivot allowed me to encompass “having it all”. It is a balancing act that I don’t always get right but at this stage, my girls are older and can help or at the very least allow me the time I need to focus on my clients and business. Now my business is thriving as I can fully pour into it as needed.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Like so many others, during and after Covid I had to pivot. Due to restrictions of first not being able to go outside, a lot of couples were faced with having to cancel or reschedule weddings. Which meant that the ordering of invitations was at a stand still. Being unable to provide invitations had a lasting effect on stationery suppliers and the wedding industry as a whole. Thankfully I was not new to having to pivot and my business was able to keep afloat until the ban was lifted.
Even after the ban was lifted and people were able to gather again, people were still limited with the number of people that could be invited, which meant wedding orders were at an all time low. Add to that, more customers were opting to send digital invites instead to stay within their own budgets.
Taking notice of changes in the wedding industry meant that we had to scale our expectations and market our Vibrant InStyle Creation(V.I.C.) Collection to keep up with the influx of the online stationery trend. Overall we at CSC believe that there is still a demand for traditional invitations and by holding on and staying true to our brand and what we provide, weddings and other events continue to be more elaborate and in demand more than before the pandemic.
As we continue to grow and stay true to the classic invitation style, we too are considering tapping into the digital market of invitations as well.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://cscinvites.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/cscinvites/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/csc1nvites/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@cscinvites