Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Nicole Lewis. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Nicole, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

The idea for my businesses started from a need to improve my health naturally. In 2005 I was diagnosed with a mixed form of Lupus. During this time I experienced; 2 organ shut downs, my skin was constantly breaking out in rashes, and my joints became riddled with pain. In 2011, not liking to take the cocktail of meds they gave me, I decided to take measures into my own hands, naturally.

I started making my own skin creams which not only treated my pain but healed me of the rashes and breakouts. After seeing my results, some of my family & friends started requesting that I make some for them. That is where COBAB INC began. COBAB stands for Covenant Oils Butters And Balms. After making the decision to start, my business took off. However, making a change in locations caused me to have to rescale my operations and rethink production. The demand was greater than the team, which only consisted only of myself.  In 2020, after getting COVID, I shut down COBAB INC as I became what is now known as a ‘long hauler’. The adjustment made me realize; my body needs to be comfortable while healing. This is where COBAB INC Clothing was born. Our motto is ‘Where Luxury And Casual Meet’.

My mission is to provide comfortably chic clothing with an urban edge. Our pieces are designed for customers who are on the go, experiencing changes with their body, or those who prefer casual wear without losing that upscale feeling.

Nicole, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My preferred name is Nicci Lewis. I am a 49 year old mother of three with eight grandchildren. This is the foundation of my discipline. It birthed a need to leave them something more than my elders left for me. My children and grands are also my sounding board. From time to time they even get involved in creating new pieces.

I was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. With a strong passion for God and His people, I carry my faith into every area of my life. My father taught me to stand for those who cannot stand for themselves and to add to my community, not just take from it. In my spare time I enjoy traveling, fine arts, learning new things and cooking. My motto, especially for anything/anyone not adding growth to my life: ‘We Off That!’ l never allow the bad to keep me from pressing toward the good!

Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?

As an older entrepreneur, I found social media to be an excellent way to keep in touch with my clients. I’m not a big fan of e-mail and text marketing. I find it to be a bit invasive. Instead, I chat with my customers on social media and even do info videos on various topics related to health, faith and pop culture.

In every video I’m wearing a piece of my merch. I even have an 11×13 of my logo that hangs from my wall to make it visible in my videos. The goal is to keep my company on their minds and even spark a conversation about its mission. The more presence you have, the more you’ll stay on the minds of the people.

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

One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned, in my preferred form of marketing, is to just be yourself! In the past I’ve tried to hop on other social media trends because they were catching traction and I didn’t want to miss an opportunity to capitalize off of it. However, I quickly learned that every trend doesn’t resonate with your specific audience.

I have found more success in just being myself and allowing people to relate to my story. Transparency is hard for some, but it’s what the people respect more today. They want to know how can they relate to your path? How can they benefit from where you’ve been? Did you journey produce something great or are you taking someone else’s path and selling it as your own? The more transparent I became, the greater the positive feedback became from my customers.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.cobabincclothing.com
• Other: [email protected] (215)200-2184

Image Credits
First Picture With My Logo: Jill Matthews Photography jillmatthewsphotography.com