We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Stephanie Amponsah. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Stephanie below.
Stephanie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.
I had the idea to start a clothing line in 2005. I love fashion, shopping and my Ghanaian culture. The idea was to have a brick-and-mortar store with my older sister and twin sister selling contemporary African print clothing. Yet, the demands of work and other responsibilities never permitted us to get it off the ground. And quite honestly, the fear of failure and not having a steady income stopped me from pursuing this dream. Yet in hindsight, I feel like God was always preparing me for this business. My love for African fashion and entrepreneurship came from my mother, Ivy who came to the states from Accra, Ghana. As a child I frequently worked with my mother’s business-The Master’s Touch Cleaning Services. As I cleaned with her on weekends and over summers, I learned about business—pricing, liability, customer service, and marketing among other things. I also saw how she was able to serve the community and other women through her efforts. Here I learned the value of women’s entrepreneurship, agency, and community. My mom was intentional about helping other single mothers by paying them a livable minimum wage; despite it at times meaning less for her. Not that money wasn’t tight, but entrepreneurship afforded us a safe home, educational opportunities, and a sense of agency and self-reliance. It was also an example that through entrepreneurship you could help other women and families attain the same for themselves. As an adult, I see how formative the experience was and in 2021, I launched Yaa Chic with the goal to afford the same opportunities to other women.
When I first thought of the clothing line back in 2005, it was to share my Ghanaian culture and fashion with friends. They would often comment on the outfits that were made by my aunts and other seamstresses in Ghana. Finally, in 2018 one of my sorority sisters suggested that I just start the business selling clothing I would design. She challenged me to work through my fears and to begin planning and held accountability meetings with me every week. As I began to plan and when I thought about the brand and its representation I immediately thought about my family and friends. I realized much like my mother; and friends these women were all using their individual God given gifts in service to impacting their communities. They were executives, doctors, entrepreneurs, educators, public servants, engineers, lawyers, mothers, wives, sisters, homemakers, volunteers, mentors and much more. They are women living in purpose. I resolved that I wanted the brand to represent purpose driven women- like my mother, my friends and the women she worked with—who used what they had not only for their own benefit, but for the wider community.
In the name, Yaa Chic this communal spirit is reflected. The name Yaa Chic represents my two sisters and me. We are three bold African women, living in purpose. “Y.A.A.” represents my sisters, my best friend and I Ghanaian names. Yaa (Thursday Born), Akweley (First Born Twin), Akuorkor (Second Born Twin). Chic is defined as elegantly and stylishly fashionable, which represents the design and aesthetic of the clothing brand. African fabric is rich, bold and filled with bright colors and patterns. Each African print tells a different story of particular significance and represents different cultures. Each woman who wears Yaa Chic has a story!
In 2023, two years later, Yaa Chic is a socially conscious clothing brand that is an expression of the purpose driven women making a bold statement in life and fashion.
With Yaa Chic I am most excited that I can showcase the beauty and diversity of African culture while also creating economic opportunities for local artisans and women entrepreneurs, and using profits to support nonprofits. I love that we can use fashion for the purpose of women’s empowerment and afford me the opportunity to give back to both Ghana and America.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers
I am a Ghanaian- American woman with a career in social entrepreneurship and love for African fashion. I love God and really believe he has a plan and purpose for everyone. My formal education is in human relations, counseling, social entrepreneurship and nonprofit management. I always knew I wanted something to represent these passions. I wanted a brand that would represent women’s empowerment, fashion and purpose. I was so afraid to start Yaa Chic, because I didn’t want to fail. It took me 15 years to get started and honestly one day I just made the decision that I was going to do this. That the problem I was trying to solve was far greater than my comfort and that God was with me in every step.
At Yaa Chic we sell African print clothing and accessories online. Our clothing is designed to be comfortable, stylish, and versatile, making it ideal for everyday wear or special occasions. We are a brand that believes in the power of fashion to not only make people look and feel great but also to drive positive economic change locally and in West Africa. We say that clothes may not change the world but the women who wear them will.
We leverage the power of fashion to create jobs and support local economies. Yaa Chic invests a portion of our profits back into local and West African communities through initiatives that support job creation, mentorship and education. We work directly with women-owned dressmakers in West Africa and source high-quality materials while also incorporating modern design elements to appeal to a global audience. Giving customers a unique shopping experience to make an impact through every purchase. While creating a community of like minded women living on purpose.
We are a women’s empowerment brand that loves creating community. We encourage each other to be bold in style and bold in purpose.
Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?
I would suggest the following books: “Profit First for Minority Business Enterprises” – Susanne Mariga
“The Power of Broke” – Daymond John
“We Should all be Millionaires”- Rachel Rodgers
Podcast:
“How I Built This” – NPR Guy Ruz
TV Shows:
“Shark Tank”
“The Profit”
In terms of resources I would suggest investing in a coach. My mother gifted me by paying for my coach who specifically owned an African print clothing and accessories brand. This was a game changer. If you can’t afford it, see if family or friends can support you. Also, The 3rd is an amazing organization dedicated to building a community and capacity for WOC-owned businesses in Maryland. Through my membership with The 3rd, I was connected to Pacific Community Ventures which provides coaching and mentorship. Additionally, SCORE is a national resource that provides mentorship and resources for small business owners and research online for accelerator programs as well as local colleges and universities. Finally, I suggest outsourcing things that you aren’t skilled at. I use Fiverr and Upwork for videos, sketches or other related projects I don’t have time or the skill for.
Do you sell on your site, or do you use a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc?
I sell online and highly recommend Shopify. It is user friendly, affordable and aligns with other apps (ie. QuickBooks, MailChimp, etc.) The app is super helpful and they have great online guides. Putting the initial website together does have a learning curve but you can hire someone on Fiverr to support you or take your time to learn.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yaachic.com
- Instagram: @yaachicstyle
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yaachicstyle
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/mwlite/company/yaa-chic
Image Credits
Noel NanaYaw Nyarko and Jerome Bell