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

Randa, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

My eyewear journey truly began when I was 14-15 years old. Every year when I would get my eye exam, I noticed there weren’t many frame options, and they all seemed very bland and boring. This in return made me feel like I had to stick with one pair of frames year after year. As time went on, 2018 approached and I lucked up on a traveling job that allowed me to see the majority of the U.S. During this time, I met 2 genuine individuals that would fuel the business ideas I had floating around in my head. As they start their own business, I sat and thought for a few weeks on what kind of business I wanted to start. I had briefly went to college for Marketing, but dropped out once I felt as if it didn’t serve me any justice. One day, the light bulb kind of just went off in my head, EYEWEAR! I began to quickly research how to start a entity, the legal side, how to find manufacters, my target audience, and so much more. It didn’t take long for this process to become overwhelming. During this time, I didn’t let any information defeat the goal One of the first things I had to figure out was a name. So, I’m a very laid back, chilled person but can also throw a little shade here & there. Also, I’ve been called by nickname “Randa” very often. The name of “Shade by Randa” had a ring to it, and fitted my point of view perfectly. This eyewear business had officially broken ground in 2018 inside of a hotel room in Kentucky.

After a name was born,I had in mind, to sell fun, funky, stylish, & progressive eyewear. I began setting up my website, getting my documentation in order, and finding the perfect MFGs for my new venture. I wanted my presentation to stand out, so I started brain storming the cases for the eyewear. It took some time but I thought of a clean, but different concept of a wooden case for each frame. The case would be all black, engraved in gold with our logo, and has a magnet drawer for easy accessibility to your own frame. I remember the day I received the sample case, as it was a feeling of relief and happiness. Once it came to what type, and style frames I was going to sell, I began to notice they were made out of different materials. This fascinated me. A lot of consumers don’t take into consideration the materials in which each frame is made out of. One specifically, Acetate, which is organic, made out of wooden pulp, and hypoallergenic; making it great for those with sensitive skin. I knew this would be a hit as most people are concerned about what products will affect their skin. Launch day was approaching in late of 2018, and I began to take photos of all my eyeglasses. This made me very excited and nervous due to constantly questioning myself, will these optical and sunglasses actually sell? My goal was for my customers to feel confident, bold, and stylish in each and every frame they have. Surprisingly, the collection did so well that I had to order more frames. Customers kept inquiring when a certain frame would be re-relased. I was ecstatic, and proud of myself and capabilities. As the journey continued, I discovered more materials such as buffalo horn, which can help reduce high blood pressure, and this frame molds to your face overtime. As you can see, my focus is to help provide health conscious eyewear, and help you feel amazing in them. As time went on, I had the opportunity to meet different music artists and offered them a pair of frames in hopes to gain traction to my business. Overtime, I saw this did not work, and I noticed a stagnant traction with my business. I didn’t let this stop me, and was able to sell my eyewear at Flying Solo’s Soho store in NYC. This opportunity was huge for my business and i. This also put more eyes on ‘Shade by Randa’.

Randa, 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 name is Miranda, better known as Randa. I’m a Memphis, Tennessee, native, who has a passion for fashion and accessories. Specifically, when it comes to eyewear as I’ve has worn glasses my entire life. This passion became a business in a hotel room in the middle of Kentucky in 2018 when I decided to go all in after wanting to start a business for sometime. Shade by Randa offers a multitude of materials, but specializes in acetate eyewear, which is organic, eco-friendly, more durable than your regular plastic frames and hypoallergenic; making them great for sensitive skin.

I’ve has developed a special place in my heart for classy and hip frames. This is only the beginning and I’m truly looking forward to sharing my vision with everyone across the globe. Shade by Randa has already seen growth within the company, as I’ve has designed eyewear for H.E.R, Algebra Blessett, Dennis Graham, Nik West and more. Whether you’re purchasing a luxury frame to enhance your vision, dress up an outfit, or just for fun, Shade by Randa is sure to have a style that fits your needs.

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

I had to unlearn to stop looking at everyone else’s journey and stop comparing them to mine. One of my competition companies are a black owned, eyewear company, whom are twins, and they have so much success. So I would often question why isn’t my business not as successful as theirs? I learned that we all have different avenues, backgrounds, and experiences. I don’t know what they had to go through in order to gain a staple name in the industry. It also doesn’t matter how long you’ve been working towards a business. It could take 2 or 10 years to build it up exactly how you dreamed of.

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

I began building my presence by using one of my personal social media avenues where I have a good amount of following. I also looked to make sure that platform had people that actually wore glasses. Once I seen that I would constantly post during certain times of the day to catch their attention and to have them follow my business social media platform. Hashtags are also helpful when trying to build your social media presence. Also, connecting with other like-minded creatives whom don’t mind wearing your products and willing to tag your business in their post. I personally connect with people that I know, and use word of mouth to gain more traction to my social media platforms as well. Another great idea is to add a QR code to your business cards. This gives quick access to your handles, allowing them to “follow” within a click of a scan.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.shadebyranda.com
• Instagram: Shadebyranda
• Facebook: Shade by Randa
• Linkedin: Shade by Randa
• Twitter: @Shadebyranda