We recently connected with Salimah Scott and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Salimah thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. How do you feel about asking friends and family to support your business? What’s appropriate, what’s not? Where do you draw the line?

The support of family and friends goes a long way when building a small business. They were literally my foundation when starting Urban GLŌ. After giving my family and friends samples of my creations and receiving such good feedback, I decided to create 3 solid fragrances and form my LLC in 2019. When I launched Urban GLŌ online in April 2020, I had no problem asking my family and friends for their support and I was so happy to have received it in abundance! However, over time I soon realized that I had to leave the nest when trying to build my brand and grow our customer base. It is not appropriate to EXPECT your family and friends to make a purchase with each product launch or show up to every in-person appearance you may have, or even spread the word about your brand. When you expect these things, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. I knew I had to hit the pavement in order to build new connections with potential customers.

My family and friends did their part by giving me the confidence to move forward with my business. Although they may not always make an actual purchase, I know that I have their unwavering support when expanding my brand!

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I started making candles from home in 2019 after a transitional period in my life. I was desperately looking for ways to decompress and relax after long days of work and caring for my two children. I initially experimented with making candles in November 2019 to satisfy my own newfound addiction to lighting candles nightly. I had no clue how life-changing creating candles would be for me. The level of peace that had began to experience in my life was something that I never wanted to go away. Eventually, I launched Urban GLŌ® online in April 2020 – selling homemade candles and other home decor & self care items. Urban GLŌ candles create a vibe that pairs extremely well with relaxation. Our aromatherapy candles include calming fragrances such as Lavender, Eucalyptus, and Lemongrass. We have over 20 candle fragrances to choose from within our various collections. Our highly fragrant handmade candles will help freshen up your space instantly. All candles are handmade in small batches and hand poured by me.

Since officially launching in April 2020, Urban GLŌ continues to deliver high-quality handcrafted products across the country. One thing that I’m most proud of the fact that I built Urban GLŌ from my kitchen stove to now opening my flagship retail location in Union, NJ (Fall 2023). I’m proud to have created, alongside my Interior Designer Maurice “J” Johnson of EDXLA, a peaceful space where you can enjoy some beautiful aromas and stay for a little while – creating your own custom candle or indulging in our handmade creations and other unique gift items. This journey with starting my business from a place of hurt, confusion, and being uncertain of my future has transformed into something of my wildest dreams!

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

My products are sold on my website, powered by Shopify. I can’t express enough the ease of using Shopify’s products to help manage my online store and now brick and mortar shop. One product in particular that has been instrumental in the growth of my business is the Point of Sale (POS) System. Whether I am processing orders online or in-person at my shop or at events, I never have to spend time trying to figure out how much available inventory there is on my website. It can be a big headache trying to count how many candles I have left to sell while at an IRL shopping experience! The POS system automatically deduct inventory from my website and I have a real-time account of all inventory. Another product that has helped our online store tremendously is the email marketing. This Shopify product helps me stay connected with my customers, which is so important for growing our brand. From inventory management to customer retention, these user-friendly products helps us achieve our business needs and goals.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

In Spring 2023, I graduated from the prestigious Goldman Sachs One Million Black Woman in Business program and currently participate in the Nasdaq Milestone Circle Program as of Winter 2023. I realized that I needed to develop myself as an entrepreneur and participating in these programs have helped do just that. Being apart of the Goldman Sachs One Million Black Women – Black in Business program helped me think like a CEO instead of running my business as a creator. These accomplishments helped strengthen my dedication to crafting not just candles, but elevating my brand through education and mentorship.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.urbanglobrand.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/urbanglobrand
• Facebook: www.instagram.com/urbanglobrandllc
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/in/salimah-scott

Image Credits
Images Credit: Trade Photography