Jamila White
j.blossom and co.
Bowie, MD
Jamila White was
looking for ways to get off her computer. As a successful e-commerce
consultant since 1995 she had spent all day every day in front of
the computer. So she started making her own bath and body products.
She loved experimenting with different recipes and her friends were
always impressed with her products.
Then one day she
was looking for a gift for her god daughter’s fifth birthday party
and was shocked she couldn’t find much of a selection of quality
kids body products that were positive, healthy and fun. So she made
her own – some fun lip balm that she gave away as party favors and
they were a huge hit, many people wanted to buy them. So she started
to think about her hobby a little more seriously.
She did more
research and she found that the products that were on the market
were focused on just little blond girls or portrayed what she felt
were age-inappropriate images. She found nothing at all targeted for
young African-American girls. So Jamila started to put together her
business plan while perfecting the product formulations, and
j.blossom officially launched two days before Christmas in 2006 with
a handful of high quality, natural products for girls.
The labels were
always going to be important for her products. Jamila wanted some
labels that were fun and colorful as well as providing a positive
message for the little girls she was targeting. Every label on every
product contains an affirming message such as "I am totally lovable"
or "I have a beautiful smile." She also knew she wanted high quality
professionally printed labels. Back when she was experimenting with
her products she would buy Avery labels, but they weren’t durable
and looked terrible after being exposed to water.
So before her
company launched she contacted Lightning Labels, after being
referred by a fellow bath and body product maker. In her words, "we
love working with Lightning Labels; the print quality is superb and
the prices are very affordable for small companies like j.blossom.
Not only that, but the friendly and efficient customer service is
outstanding. Our rep, Peggy Nelson, is awesome."
While j.blossom is
still a part time venture, Jamila works in front of her computer
doing her e-commerce consulting business. She does hope one day to
make it her full time job. Right now she does most of the work
herself, but she does enlist support from friends and relatives on
weekends to help with the packaging of her products. She hopes to
hire her first employee in the fall.
In the ingredient list on her lip
balm she lists beeswax, shea butter and other ingredients that you
might expect, but the last ingredient is not something you see on
many product labels: "lots of love." Jamila loves what she does, and
she wants to convey that love to her young customers through her
products. j.blossom really is a labor of love.
