Profile: KC Black Owned Grows
KC Black Owned is growing in more ways than one– read on to hear all of Chelsey’s exciting updates in her mission to connect more consumers with local Black-owned businesses.
Photos by Kenney Ellison with Three Shots Photography
We first sat down with Chelsey, the founder of KC Black Owned, nearly one year ago: and since then, her movement has grown to encompass an entire directory of diverse Black-owned businesses, events, education and more.
Welcome back to Explore! We loved interviewing you when you launched KC Black Owned– and wow, have you grown since! Can you catch our readers up a bit?
Hello, friends! I have added business, partnerships and a B A B Y!! Yes, KCBO baby is on the way! There are many partnerships that KC Black Owned has fostered over the past year, and we are growing daily as we strive to help people in our community. “Locate, Support and Repeat” remains the process!
Your Black-owned directory now features over 200 local businesses– what was it like growing the directory? How have the businesses benefited from your service?
Growing the directory has happened organically: there are individuals in the community who have shared our website, or Instagram page and as a result of that we have had business owners who have connected with us. With our membership model, businesses are directly impacted by our service as they are connected with our consumer base, while we continue to host events in the city.
Recently, you've been featured in By Design Magazine, hosted all kinds of pop ups throughout the city, gotten comfortable in front of the camera for video features, and more– you could have a whole PR team! But you manage it all yourself– how do you do it? Any advice for entrepreneurs on how to get good press?
Yes, it is I, I am KC Black Owned, Lady KCBO! In my experience, I have seen that the press want to share a story that will resonate with their viewers. In the beginning, there were times when I did not hear back from reporters, but I honestly continued to build community and share my story from behind the scenes. It wasn’t until KC StreetCar and I worked together on our River Market Stop that there was an uptick of media requests for me. To any entrepreneurs who want good press, I would suggest you keep working, grinding, because others are watching. There are moments when you might feel undervalued or that your story is not worth sharing but it is! When it is your moment, you will shine and the light won’t burn out!
This month, with your Black Herstory feature, you've been highlighting all sorts of female business owners making change in their communities. As a woman-owned business yourself, what has it been like connecting with other female leaders in the city?
Powerful! Ever since the pandemic started, women have made drastic decisions for their households, whether they quit their job or started a business in addition to household duties that they must uphold. I find that women are powerful, especially the women connected to KC Black Owned. They are movers and shakers handling the daily changes that are brought to them. I thought it would be important to highlight them this month, as most of our businesses in our directory are women-owned– men actually only represent a small percentage of our directory.
Part of your mission is to keep your clients up to speed on social media trends to better connect them with their customers– how do you keep up?
Instagram is ever changing as it should, based on trends and data. As a result of the changes, I decided to create an E-Book with the help of some friends from Made In KC. This ebook has tips, tricks and strategies for business owners who are selling products digitally. Social media and technology in general is growing– and the best way, in my opinion, to connect with various audiences and customers is to create a digital footprint and leverage those platforms in order to gain a higher level of visibility.
What are your goals for KC Black Owned this year and beyond?
This year, we are striving to continue growing our directory and memberships. We are also connected with some partners this year who are interested in hosting a variety of events throughout the city. KCBO members and I will continue to work together to increase their social media footprint digitally, through workshops and other networking gatherings. As we continue to build, a team will be necessary, as I cannot juggle this too much longer on my own (especially with a new baby!) So, we are looking for opportunities to apply for grants and earn capital to grow and scale KCBO.
How can our readers support your work?
Readers, I need your support. If you know a black business owner, please email me at kcblackowned@gmail.com or you can have that owner contact me directly or visit our website www.kcblackowned.org. Readers, also come out to our events, and share events from our Instagram page! Supporting black owned businesses is not a movement, it is a lifestyle. Continue to support as best you can. Support may look different for various households, but do what suits you best. If you would like to donate to KCBO, we would appreciate it!!!
