We were lucky to catch up with Shantelle Patton recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shantelle , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

That Brown Bag is a black business directory born in 2018. Its purpose is to serve as a community resource providing consumers, allies, and businesses alike with a one-stop shop to locate black owned businesses and black led organizations in the WNY area. There are close to 500 black owned businesses listed in the directory between Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Rochester NY There are even a couple of listings from our neighbor to the north in Toronto. These businesses are flourishing, serving their communities in various categories. From where to get a great meal, to where stop for a cigar, or if you need to see a chiropractor…. black owned. From where to get your hair done to getting some therapy, both mental and retail…. black owned Artists, educators, musicians, photographers, doctors. We do all that & more, answering the call for multiple customer needs.
All while being beautifully unapologetic in our dreams and That Brown Bag is the vehicle to get consumers to all these providers.

Shantelle , 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?

Shantelle Patton, CEO That Brown Bag,
President Urban Chamber of Commerce Buffalo
• In 2016 I co-founded an artist development company known as The Dopeness Project to support the Buffalo hip hop artist community. This experience afforded me with the vision to see the true power of networking and relationship building.
• In 2017 I completed the Open Buffalo Emerging Leaders program where I gained the tools and most importantly the courage to voice my why.
• In 2018 The UB Citizens Planning School Champions for Change program, reinforced, enhanced, and refined the skills learned the year prior.
• Later that year, armed with all the tools imparted by these two programs I launched That Brown Bag Minority Business Directory and have spent the last 5 years promoting, and supporting as many Black Owned Business in WNY as I can find.
• Fast forward to 2022, and the publication has expanded to add the Brown Bag Business Association, a membership-based group centered around providing a pipeline of information and support to the businesses listed within the publication.
• And all of that, that brings me my current roles as CEO of That Brown Bag Minority Business Directory and Association and President, Urban Chamber of Commerce-Buffalo
• That Brown Bag is a black business directory born in 2018.
• Its purpose is to serve as a community resource providing consumers, allies, and businesses alike with a one-stop shop to locate black owned businesses and black led organizations in the WNY area.
• There are close to 500 black owned businesses listed in the directory between Buffalo, Niagara Falls, and Rochester NY
• There are even a couple of listings from our neighbor to the north in Toronto, ON.
• These businesses are flourishing, serving their communities in various categories.
• From where to get a great meal, to where stop for a cigar, or if you need to see a chiropractor…. black owned
• From where to get your hair done to getting some therapy, both mental and retail…. black owned
• Artists, educators, musicians, photographers, doctors. We do all that & more, answering the call for multiple customer needs.
• All while being beautifully unapologetic in our dreams and I wrap them all up in the beautiful publication known as That Brown Bag

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

That Brown Bag was born on social media. Scrolling on Facebook and being able to respond to the numerous requests for recommendations in various categories with businesses owned by people who look and live like me. From my initial status asking for people to tag business owners to the inception of the Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter pages, That Brown Bag has seen a steady organic growth in its followers, connections, reach and engagement By creating engaging and relevant content I have been able to gain a loyal consumer base through social media. Ensuring the growth of my social media following comes from consistent content, engaging directly with followers, and providing useful information at every turn. Knowing what my customers are looking for help me solve their gains with my service/product.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

My reputation is built upon providing unbiased referrals to local Black owned businesses providing exemplary products & services. I do more than just represent my brand, I represent the brands of the business owners that entrust any level of their marketing to me. Building this level of trust on a B2B and B2C level takes integrity and consistency. Being able to communicate both properly and effectively with all parties involved is a top tier skill that allows me to hear the need and address it to the best of my capacity.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.brownbagcertified.com
• Instagram: thatbrowbag
• Facebook: thatbrownbag
• Linkedin: Shantelle Patton
• Twitter: thatbrownbag

Image Credits
Shantelle L Patton