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

Morgan , appreciate you joining us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

Morgan Creates was a concept or a phrase developed by someone I was dating at the time in 2018. I always had a passion for cooking so when I’d cook something new, he’d say, “What did Morgan create today?”. It became a tag line. Fast forward t0 2020 and a pandemic, I found myself working from home with a lot more work/life balance to focus on starting my business. I had toyed with the idea for two years of publishing a cookbook but I had no clue where to start. Once I convinced myself this was something i wanted to do, I reached out to A childhood friend of mine who had recently relocated to Atlanta with his production company. I asked if he would help with photography for my cookbook and to my surprise, he was SUPER excited to work with me. I didn’t have a budget but I was prepared to make an investment. Luckily, and fortunately, we were able to barter; he took the photos, and I let him keep the food. I was really nervous because he’d never had my food and I didn’t know if he would actually like my food! Fortunately for me, he loved it and the pictures came out great! Both of us had never done anything like this before. After the photographs were finished I had to source a copy editor, printer, graphic designer, and order all these supplies from Amazon to ship out books. I had no clue what I was doing and Google was my trusted advisor! I didn’t have the network in the areas I needed to make this happen so sites so like Fiverr, Upworks etc. were helpful in finding people to help with each component. I leaned into my friends and family and got advice from my friends mom who was and still is in the printing business and I really understood the value and importance of networking. I filed my articles of incorporation as a business and cracked on. If it weren’t for Covid and the pandemic, I honestly wouldn’t have had the extra time. I stayed up later to work on my business and started a MBA program the same month I launched. Everything I earned from my full-time job, I invested it back into my business and at one point, my salary was cut by 20% due to the pandemic and that really put a battery in my back to create my own little something. My salary being cut delayed my launch but ignited a fire–it had to pay off! I saw the need of prioritizing yourself and doing what you can from the comfort of your home whether it be cooking your own meals because restaurants are closed or prioritizing the way you take care of your body when the world is in chaos. Fast forward we launched a pre-order in October 2020 and sold over 100 books in the first month! I was astonished and amazed by the support! The books shipped out in January of 2021 and my business took off with expanding my offerings from candles. body scrubs, body butters, body oils, cutting boards, merch and more! Now, at Morgan Creates, we are improving lifestyles at home and supporting overall wellbeing by aiding our clients in creating elevated sensory experiences through food, body care, and home products.

Due to the pandemic and shutdowns, my company saw a need to help people prioritize their wellbeing. In knowing that, we created products centered around three pillars of wellbeing: mind, body, and food. If you don’t prioritize self-care, you can’t show up as your best self. We show people how to show up for themselves.

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

At Morgan Creates, we are improving lifestyles at home and supporting overall wellbeing by aiding our clients in creating elevated sensory experiences through food, body care, and home products.

Due to the pandemic and shutdowns, my company saw a need to help people prioritize their wellbeing. In knowing that, we created products centered around three pillars of wellbeing: mind, body, and food. If you don’t prioritize self-care, you can’t show up as your best self. We show people how to show up for themselves.

Morgan Creates’ goal is to provide client satisfaction from the ingredients we use to the level of service we provide. All our products are made in small batches to allow for quality control, and we use premium and favor ingredients derived from nature when crafting our products. We are a small business, so we have greater personal connections with our clients and our products are customized. You won’t find the same scents and ingredients used in our products as big-name brands. You will also see the and feel the difference using our products. Morgan Creates exists because the big brands don’t have as much flexibility with innovation and creativity. We listen to our clients and create products based on what they feedback to us. As a small business, we provide a level of care and detail that is unmatched by big brands. We know our clients very well and as a result we add value to our clients experience in our offerings. Lastly, we are passionate about wellbeing and make sure we do everything we can to foster our clients in the spaces they call their own. Check out out at www.morgancreatesllc.com !

We also have a cooking competition launching this year: Morgan Creates: Beyond The Plate ! It is a cooking competition where two contestants (home cooks) battle it out for 15 minutes in creating a dish of my judge using only a hot plate! It so fun and I can’t wait for you to see it! Subscribe to our site so you don’t miss our launch and check out our swag at www.mcbtp.com !

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

I listen to my clients. I listen to what they want and respond to. Some of my clients are my friends so I often takes polls. I make sure that I put care into whatever I do, from the packaging, labels, and quality of ingredients.

I have a built an email list and strong following on social platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, and TikTok. I try to post as much as I can. I also attend vendor events to sell in person since my business is online.

I also reward my clients with deals and VIP specials so they can get more treats. I also give back. I often do giveaways for my clients and for my followers.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I wanted to add body scrubs to my line, I found a manufacturer to partner with to make the product. I was still learning the ropes about business in general and I foolishly paid retail price for wholesale products. This really messed up my margins because the branding was expensive and it was hard to make a profit.

Also, I wanted to create content for my clients so they can see the process and that wasn’t possible with this method. So, I took the product in house and ended my business relationship with the manufacturer. At the time, I was still in graduate school struggling in analytics and going through change management at my full-time job so it was a hard time for me in general.

I decided to make it myself and it saved me SO MUCH MONEY! Also, I can control the supply and demand and not have to wait for my manufacturer. My clients were so pleased because the formula did not change and the branding got updated so it was a big win for me! It also allowed my margins to improve and the selection of scents to expand. This also opened up another stream of income for me being a wholesaler. I was reluctant to take this process in house but I actually enjoy being a maker and creating new products. That said, most of the products from Morgan Creates are made locally or by myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.morgancreatesllc.com and www.mcbtp.com
• Instagram: @morgancreate and @mcbtp
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/morgancreatesllc/ and https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089169994496

Image Credits
Jordan Reyes Jerel Thomas Jabari Blackmond Morgan Lewis Caslyn Branding