Gloria’s mother was from Montgomery, Alabama, and Gloria remembers watching her mother give people a good old fashioned “Rub Down” when they felt unwell. As she got older, Gloria paid close attention to her mother, who took her along to help sick and elderly neighbors. Gloria quickly mimicked her technique and became her second set of hands. Her mother believed that certain foods, oils, and teas played a crucial role in the overall recovery of a person’s ailments. She swore by the wellness healing process.
Gloria prides herself on her mother’s legacy of wellness and wants to provide that for others. Staying true to her mother’s traditions and keeping her recipes in mind, Gloria developed her own line of aromatherapy foot products through Footnanny, bringing that same reliable southern comfort right to your front door.
Knowing what you know now, is there anything you would have done differently in building your business?
If I knew then what I knew now, I would have never had a business website. I would have retailed all my products on Amazon because it allows you to make money while you sleep. It makes shipping to customers easier and faster. The fees are affordable and you have so much support. I especially love when I get emails that I just sold items through Fulfillment by Amazon (FBA), which is the best way to ship in my opinion.
The pandemic has shifted the way many businesses operate. How has your business adapted to changes in consumer behaviors? Have you found any silver linings?
The pandemic allowed my sales to double in personal care. My customers were ordering every Footnanny product available because they have been afraid to go into a nail salon on a regular basis due to COVID-19 safety. To accommodate their experience, Footnanny added a foot quiz to our website. This was an amazing idea and so needed for our customers to get the shopping experience they deserve. The silver lining has been that Amazon allows me to connect my website to my Amazon store and continue the customer experience.
What advice would you give to other women of color who are thinking about starting a business?
Create products that attract every consumer no matter what their race. You are a business woman that understands the needs of consumers.
What’s one thing you think makes a business pitch successful?
Knowing how your industry’s manufacturing sector works and knowing your business numbers. Without knowledge, you can’t succeed at a successful business.
Footnanny is one of over 220,000 small and medium sized businesses and independent authors from across California who sell in Amazon’s stores. More than half of all items purchases in Amazon’s stores come from businesses like Footnanny.