We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Latoia Walker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Latoia below.

Alright, Latoia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Any thoughts about whether to ask friends and family to support your business. What’s okay in your view?

Asking friends and family to support your business can be a great way to get started, but it’s important to be mindful of how you approach it. It’s appropriate to ask for their support, but it’s not appropriate to pressure them or make them feel obligated to support you.

Drawing the line can be tricky, but it’s important to respect their boundaries and not take it personally if they choose not to support you. It’s also important to be transparent about your business goals and to be clear about what you’re asking for.

When I announced my business to family and friends, I automatically assumed they will support my business. Whether that was sharing or purchasing. Only because I knew I would have supported them and their business. While some were supportive, others were not, and it made me feel a type of way. I had to realize no one is obligated to support me and to be grateful for the support i do receive. Ultimately, it’s important to consider each other’s point of view and to approach the situation with sensitivity and respect.

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.

Latoia is a Miami, FL native who currently resides in Deland, FL with her husband and two kids, and also her beloved dog Juno, who is like a third child. With 4 years of experience in the entrepreneurial world, Latoia started her own successful business. Her background in sales, management, customer service, and the health food industry have equipped her with a diverse skill set.

Latoia originally started Chic Embellishments out of her love and interest in jewelry growing up. With severe allergies to common materials made in costume jewelry, she always had a hard time finding jewelry that was the right fit for her. Jewelry that didn’t cause any allergic reactions, tarnish or change your skin colors after wearing. Real jewelry can be expensive to afford, and it would always end up getting stolen or lost.

Chic Embellishments started off by offering handmade jewelry that was hypoallergic and customizable to customers’ requests. We have now evolved and offer customizable tarnish free and hypoallergenic jewelry that is solid sterling silver and also 14K and 18K gold plated. We offer a wide range of jewelry from necklaces, bracelets, earrings, rings and more. Specializing in custom jewelry, we also offer custom picture pendants, name pendants and more. These are some of the things that set us apart from other jewelry businesses.

We want our customers to know that they can have jewelry crafted to their uniqueness and perfection. They can express their unique style and stand out from the crowd with our custom and trendy jewelry collections. With our comfortable everyday wear jewelry, we want all of our customers to know that there is jewelry that loves your skin as much as you do. Look beautiful and feel confident with Chic Embellishments jewelry.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I have always had a small personal presence on social media and started off by using my personal page to promote my business. Eventually I ended up making a professional business page just for Chic Embellishments to grow brand awareness, etc. All of our followers so far have been gained organically and we are proud of that. Finding followers and content to post can be difficult but I have learned that everything is content when you have a business. Customers like to see and know what’s going on with you and your business. We are not 100% confident with posting certain things yet but know we will get there eventually.

Some general advice for those starting to build their social media presence would be to identify your target audience, create engaging content that resonates with them, be consistent in your posting schedule, and utilize hashtags and other social media tools to increase your visibility and reach. It’s also important to engage with your audience by responding to comments and messages, and to stay true to your brand or message throughout your social media presence.

How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?

When I first started my business, I did not do proper research and did not know how much money was needed to start initially. I underestimated a lot of things and also thought I can hold off on purchasing or attaining things until the business is successful. It’s safe to say I no longer feel that way and now I make sure I do all the proper research needed before starting anything. Not doing the proper research beforehand has caused me to waste a lot of money. I have always funded my business with my personal money from working or personal credit cards. I am currently learning about business credit, loans, etc and is now on the path to building business credit.

However, there are several ways to raise initial capital for a business, including personal savings, loans from family and friends, crowdfunding, angel investors, venture capitalists, and bank loans. It ultimately depends on the individual’s financial situation and the type of business they are starting.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.chicembellishment.com/
• Instagram: @_chic_embellishments
• Facebook: Chic Embellishments
• Youtube: Chic Embellishments
• Other: TikTok: @chicembellishments