We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Nyah Drummond a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Nyah, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you tell us a story about a time you failed?
One of the ways that I network with other business owners, expand my clientele, and make money simultaneously is by vending at pop-up shops and other in-person events. Some of the factors that play a role in how successful one can be from vending at these events include consistent marketing via social media platforms (or other methods of communication), the weather, and a strong customer-base. My recent failure at a pop-up shop was in fall 2023. I had a trifecta of events that I was scheduled to vend at, and my second event went financially sour. I did everything that I was supposed to do to make sure my customers knew where to find me on the day of the event, but it was a rainy day and it was the start of the cold season. That day, I sold 4 units of shea butters that totaled to $75. Minus the $60 vendor fee, I made $15 in profit, so I did not make enough to break even from what I paid for in my vendor fee. Listed below is the sales info from the three events I vended at in that season. This will give you a slight glimpse into the rollercoaster of vending.
1st event (6 hours): $286 revenue – $60 vendor fee = $226 profit
2nd event (4 hours): $75 revenue – $60 vendor fee = $15 profit
3rd event (4 hours): $365 revenue – $75 vendor fee = $290 profit
My hypothesis for why the third event was so successful for me is because this event had an expected number of attendees who bought tickets for the event itself. Vendors were advertised in conjunction with the event, so we knew that people were going to shop with us regardless because they had already paid money to be in the same space as the vendors. That alone played a significant role in the amount of traffic my business received that day. The first and second events were free pop-up shop events, so customers were not obligated to be there. Knowing all of the factors that have been mentioned in response to this question, I have been able to be less attached to the financial outcome of what I can expect to make when selling at in-person events. Also, vending is not solely about the money; it’s about the connections that are made. Even on slow days, the business owners find a way to turn a slow day into a fun one and that’s what I am appreciative of in those moments.
Nyah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
Hello everyone! I am Nyah Drummond and I am the owner, CEO, and managing member of Nurtured, by Ny LLC. Currently, this business is an all natural whipped shea butter company. Essential oils and fragrance oils are infused into raw shea butter and raw coconut oil and the ingredients are whipped together for customers to use in their hair, on their face, and all over their bodies with 33 scents to choose from. I plan to expand the business to provide a variety of products that would include body scrubs, body creams, lip balms, and body oils that are directly targeted to improving skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis.
Honestly, my entry into the cosmetic industry happened on accident. My paternal grandmother had osteo and rheumatoid arthritis, so she and my grandfather moved down to Naples, Florida to accommodate her body and the consistent warmth that she needed. Whenever my brother and I would go down to visit, she always stressed the importance of us wearing shea butter to protect our skin from harsh UV rays since Florida is close to the equator line. I was resistant towards the idea as a child because that generation’s communication style can be along the lines of “Do as I say,” without always giving reason. As I got older and started doing research about what shea butter is and the benefits it provides for the entirety of the body, I became fascinated. Around 2015, I started whipping shea butter for my mother and I to use, then Grandma passed away a year later. In 2019, I took some raw shea butter to school with me (Morgan State University), but I whipped up too much. I showed my roommates at the time the excess that I had and I was going to give it to them, not sell it to them. They each asked me the same question, which was, “How much do you want if you make me one personally?” It was in that moment that I realized that I could make money from this. From there, Nurtured, by Ny was born.
One of the things I am most proud of regarding my business is that it is legitimate in the eyes of the state of Maryland. I never anticipated taking this business this far, but I fell in love with it the more time I spent with it. Some things about business always made me a little nervous: making a website, paying taxes, keeping track of expenses and writing them off, shipping my product to my customers, and more. So, as I started to conquer those fears, the more I realized that I just needed to keep putting one foot in front of the other in order to efficiently and effectively scale my business.
To the current clients and future ones, please know this: There is something here for everyone. I understand what it means to live in a skin that is not always easy to deal with. Sometimes, our skin does not do what we need it to do simply because of what we are putting on it, but I enjoy making products that the body actually enjoys rather than rejects. When people use my products, I want their skin to feel nurtured (pun intended). I want them to be moisturized for the entirety of the day, not just for the first four hours. If you need a shea butter that repels bugs, I have it. If you need a shea butter to help relieve an itchy scalp, it’s right here. If you need a shea butter that compliments perfume/cologne without overpowering them, look no further. If you need a shea butter for babies, visit https://www.nurturedbyny.com. As I mentioned, I do plan to include more products in the future, but for now, Nurtured, by Ny’s whipped shea butter takes the cake.
Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?
Yes, I do manufacture my own products. Before I started my business, I had already been whipping shea butter for about four years. At the time, I was buying shea butter from beauty supply stores and coconut oil from grocery stores. Once I started my business, I knew that I would need a wholesale supplier for these raw materials. I found 4-5 wholesaling sites and compared costs between the raw materials I needed. From there, I made my deciding factor on where I would purchase my raw shea butter and raw coconut oil.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
So far, the best sources of new clients for me have been by word of mouth and in-person vending opportunities.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.nurturedbyny.com
- Instagram: @nurturedbyny
Image Credits
Matthew Evans