We were lucky to catch up with La-Shonda “Lala” Rice recently and have shared our conversation below.

La-Shonda “Lala” , appreciate you joining us today. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

The craziest thing that ever happened to me and my business is… my business. That’s right! The start of my business was not intentional. I started crocheting at the age of nine. I would never have thought that I would have a fiber business. Back in 2010, I created my first crochet doll it was a design that only the creator could love. My company was called Lala’s Custom Crochet. While pregnant in 2012 I decided to attempt to create another crochet doll I was pregnant with a little girl at the time. I saw a beautiful brown doll online. I attempted to order it from the designer but she had a 6-month waiting list So I made my own & I brought my daughter’s doll to church. Everyone kept staring at me at least I thought they were. They were actually looking at my doll. After service, everyone wanted to know where did I purchase it from. This was the beginning of me taking custom orders. With each year I got better and better. Once I started posting my designs on the internet the orders came in like a flood. I was overwhelmed and no longer loved crochet. I had to learn that everyone is not supposed to have one of my custom crochet dolls. it’s not possible. I also learned I was charging waaaay too low. I was encouraged by a friend to write my own patterns. While all of this was happening. After sustaining an on the job injury, I took early retirement from the New York City Police Department to publish my children’s books and run my crochet art doll business full time. I don’t regret it one bit.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I started crocheting in the fourth grade. My classmate taught me right before the summer break. That weekend, I went to my grandmother’s house and she asked me what I was doing. You see, my friend taught me how to crochet with a pencil. When crocheting, you wrap yarn over a hook and loop it. There are so many different stitches but to start you wrap the yarn over the hook and pull up loops. It is a very old fiber art. You can use synthetic and animal fibers. Hooks also come in different sizes. The larger the hook, the larger the stitch will be when you create your design. When make dolls or requires snail books which takes quite some time. If you know anything about crochet, it is a hook not too long needles. Crochet is often mistaken for knit. My grandmother gave me my first crochet hook she told me that it would be much easier if I was using a hook. For an entire week I used a pencil but when I got that hook it was like someone had given me a magic wand! I wouldn’t stop. I kept crocheting. My mother encouraged my hobby by buying me any yarn I asked for. I learned so many stitches from my grandmother however, she never knew all of the correct names and terms for each stitch. To this day, I can create many designs & stitches, but do not know their correct names/terms. Years later, when I was in the United States Army, I was known as the Baby Shower Queen. I was the “go to” person for expected mothers. I created so many hats and booties and blankets that I lost count. I tried my hand at making a crochet doll, but it was a design that only the creator could love -talk about irregular. In 2012, I was pregnant with my beautiful little girl. I attempted to create a doll again. When we brought it to church everyone was staring at it. After service, everyone wanted to know where did I purchase it. This is when I changed my crochet company name from Lala’s Custom Crochet to The Christian Crochet Addict. Believe it or not, most of my orders are for adults. I am a black crochet doll creator my dolls are created using natural hair designs from locs to braids, to beads, to puffs, to African styles. Did I mention every style is created with yarn . That’s right I use traditional crochet stitches to create African inspired hairstyles. I’m well known for my Women of Faith crochet dolls no detail is spared from the shoes to the church hats suits and modest attire I capture every look. We also have created Muslim designs wearing modest attire and hijab. While supplies are available each Muslims all comes with a mini Qurans as well as my church ladies come with mini Bibles Skin tones are also important to me. I have many shades of brown customers can choose from from the lightest light to the richest darkest cocoa. Every skin tone is represented. Lastly, I am not a gatekeeper. I have several videos of me creating designs and doll details available for free on YouTube, paid patterns on Etsy, as well as crochet classes.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Through this journey I have learned that your biggest supporters will sometimes be strangers. I don’t know about everyone else but I love when someone is sure of what they want to do. I get excited when someone shares their hopes and dreams and business ideas I want to support them in any way that I could even if it couldn’t be financially I want to share their work I want to talk about it with all that being said I had to realize that not everyone will have the same enthusiasm that I have about my business. You see, when I was a New York City police officer and I shared with one of my then co-worker/friends that I was going to start my crochet business full time they told me I hope that you’re not leaving the job for that yarn thing. That is what my so-called friend said to me. I had to realize that my dream is for me and me alone sometimes people will invoke their fears on to you. There fears of not being successful or succeeding has nothing to do with my assignment.

How did you build your audience on social media?

How I built my audience on social media is quite simple actually. Some might say that this is the obvious but believe it or not when I am looking to patronize a business I see oftentimes that they do not do the following. We cannot assume that everyone knows what we do this is why we must post, talk about it, share it with our family, share it with our friends. It is important that we share our own work on our personal pages social media reaches outside of our community and grabs the eyes of an audience all around the world the more we talk about it the more we will be seen. I grew my Audience by going live and talking about it constantly. The consistency has definitely paid off. I always say this to myself, if I go on someone’s page and I can scroll down four posts and not see anything about their business something isn’t right. Lastly, never expect someone to share your business more than you. I think about how many tiktoks, memes and funny videos I receive all day from family and friends your product or service should be shared at that magnitude. I will share my designs with individuals directly sometimes. Keep in mind, when they click on that link it is still foot traffic and that is how I built my audience on social media.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thechristiancrochetaddict.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/thechristiancrochetaddict
• Facebook: Facebook.com/thechristiancrochetaddict
• Linkedin: Linkedin.com/thechristiancrochetaddict
• Youtube: Youtube.com/thechristiancrochetaddict
• Yelp: Yelp.com/thechristiancrochetaddict
• Other: LinkTr.ee https://linktr.ee/thechristiancrochetaddict