We recently connected with Nicole Alston and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nicole, thanks for joining us today. We’d love to hear the story of how you went from this being just an idea to making it into something real.
I had an idea to start one of my brands: Cultivated in the midst of the pandemic. For the most part I did my research, I wanted to create and curate products that were hand made and something that people would love. Outside of them loving the product, I wanted to also focus on how the products made them feel. I gave myself a deadline on when I wanted to launch and built upon that. I started a mood board and pinned ideas and tried different product combinations until I was satisfied. I even called some friends over to be testers for the things I created. I had to figure out labels, product containers, prices, and vendors. I wanted everything to look a certain way, so with that being said: I created my own logo, site, and even labels myself. All of my advertisements I made myself, as well as images and product shots I took myself as well. There literally wasn’t a team, I was the team. It was stressful however I was determined. Lastly, I decided to get an LLC to establish credibility and just to secure the legal side of things.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a self published author, I started writing in elementary school. Mainly poetry is what I write as well as affirmations/journal prompts. I also have a business called Cultivated, LLC which specializes in self care products: shea butter, hand cream, lip glosses, and bath soaks. My products are meant to heal individuals, make them feel good about themselves and my books are meant to heal on a soul level. I am also a floral design artist, (Bloom By The Hour) I love and live for flowers. My arrangements make people feel luxurious and seen in a different light. Bloom by the hour is elegance meets eccentricity. Expression is a big part of who I am and my core customer and value base. Everything that I create is made for myself before showcasing anything simply because if I don’t endorse my own creations no one else will. I am most proud of my originality. I believe we all have ideas which have been done before, however I truly stick to my style and individuality and people cannot help but to see the light that I emit through my products and books.
How did you build your audience on social media?
I built my presence on social media with graphics and networking. I found a lot of groups on Facebook and Instagram who have creatives and entrepreneurs like me. My focus is to engage so when I launch anything there’s a roll out and there’s videos that I incorporate to create buzz. I also extended my socials to family, friends, and friends of friends, However I feel as though most of the time those people are not your customer. I have a lot of support from people I don’t know by just networking and sharing interests. I also looked for events/pop up shops to showcase and sell things. At those events, I have met a lot of individuals who sell and promote things just as I do and have been invited to other events because of it. Also, marketing and advertisement which you can pay for online also help boost and promote your page and business.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
I work a 9-5 and also am a mother of three children. My other businesses take second to my current lifestyle. At first it was an adjustment being able to juggle it all but I learned to pivot. Bracing myself and working at my own pace helped me a great deal. In addition to not comparing my journey to someone else’s via the internet. The internet has a way of sometimes making people feel inadequate but we all have a purpose, passion and journey of our own and that makes us unique. I had to learn to be comfortable within my own business and endeavors.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nicolealston.com
- Instagram: @_nicolealston