This is my story, {NAME}. A Small Biz Saturday Thank You

plus, 40% OFF Sitewide ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ It's Small Business Saturday and I'm getting personal. Plus, 40% OFF Sitewide is still on. [Izzy & liv]( Hi Beautiful! It's Small Business Saturday! As a small business owner, in recognition of this day, I'm getting a little personal and sharing a bit of my journey - answering a question that I am often asked, "Why did you create Izzy & Liv?”. Some of you already know my story, but for those of you are new to our community - My name is Nicole W. Brown and I am the Founder and CEO of Izzy & Liv. ============ 20 YEARS AGO... In 2002, I found myself searching for websites for Black women. There was no shortage of sites for women in general, with a few images of Black women sprinkled in here and there, however, I wanted a quality, created with me, a Black woman, in mind as the primary consumer. There was a void to fill so I decided to create it myself. In 2003, I launched a community website for women of color called Mahogany Butterfly (MaBu). We had an amazing community, but unfortunately, after almost six years of running the site while also working a full-time 9-5 and being a wife and mother to my then, three, children, MaBu became overwhelming and I decided to shut it down. I always regretted that decision. As the years passed, I could never shake my creative ambitions rooted in a desire to deliver products that celebrated my culture. I knew that I wanted to dive back in and foster a community for Black women, but I kept putting it on the back burner. Until... ======= WHAT DOESN'T BREAK YOU... In 2012, while pregnant with my fourth child, I developed HELLP Syndrome a life-threatening pregnancy complication causing my body to start to shut down. The only cure was to deliver my daughter via emergency c-section, at just 26 weeks. Born at 1 pound, 5 ounces, she was so tiny, my ring fit over her entire arm! She spent her first four months in a NICU followed by a year in and out of hospitals for surgeries and doctor visits. During that time, I struggled with the emotional toll of caring for her, and also raising my three other children. The feelings of guilt over what I felt was my body's betrayal, constant worrying, and sleepless nights were almost suffocating. Despite the stress, I learned lessons about life, faith, perseverance, and determination. In times of crisis, sometimes your greatest passions will begin to blossom. You never know what tomorrow will bring, so why wait to pursue your goals? Despite everything that I was juggling, I gained a sense of clarity, motivation, and a drive that I had not felt in years. Having two daughters, Isabel (Izzy) and Olivia (Liv), also reignited my desire to provide an outlet for both Black women and little girls who want and NEED to see more of themselves in the mainstream. So, I decided to focus on building a company and a career that I could be passionate about and proud of, for others to enjoy. In late 2014, Izzy & Liv the company was born and in 2015 we got our first sale! ======= BEYOND MY IMAGINATION Fast forward seven years later and sometimes I have to pinch myself! Over the years, we've had the privilege of serving tens of thousands of customers and have shipped hundreds of thousands of packages. We've fostered a community with our Brown Sugar Box, where once-perfect strangers come together to become real-life sister-friends. Beautiful Black women of all shapes, shades, textures, and sizes wearing an Izzy & Liv tee, spotting each other at an airport…at an event…at a grocery store—greeting each other with a warm smile and that gives that familiar “Hey girl hey! I see you.” These moments fill my heart with so much joy! The love and support behind Izzy & Liv has been beyond my wildest imagination, and I have you to thank for it. My children have been able to see firsthand the value of hard work and chasing your dreams. I cannot begin to describe the joy I feel when my 21 and 17-year-old sons ask if there is anything they can help me with in the business, or when I pick up my 9 and 12-year-old daughters from school or dance class and they ask me "Mommy, can we go to our office?". Our office. These girls are growing up with an office space with their names hanging over the door! The beautiful thing is that to them, it's normal. That blows my mind, and it is all because of YOU. IT'S BEEN A ROUGH YEAR - THANK YOU FOR CONTINUING TO BE MY WHY Your support, your patience, your spreading the word, your inspiration, your love, your reviews, your photos, your videos. Your messages remind me that what I am building is beyond just a brand, more than just t-shirts, and more than just a box. Izzy & Liv is a community and a sisterhood. It's our contribution to the Black-girl-magic-take-no-prisoners movement! This is OUR time, y’all! Your support uplifts and keeps me going in the times that I feel overwhelmed, or defeated. Thank you for supporting this business. Thank you for the love. Thank you for being wind beneath my wings. #cantstopwontstop. I need you all to know that I appreciate you from the bottom of my heart. I do not take you or your business for granted. Please know this. THANK YOU for being the reason I am able to celebrate today - Small Business Saturday! Happy Holidays Y’all! Stay Beautiful, Nicole W. Brown CEO, Izzy & Liv @nicolewbrown No longer want to receive these emails? [Unsubscribe](. Izzy & Liv LLC 437-E State Route 34 Matawan, NJ 07747 ‌