Meet Briana Thompson | Natural Hair & Beauty Enthusiast

We had the good fortune of connecting with Briana Thompson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Briana, as a parent, what have you done for you children that you feel has had the most significant impact?
I think the most important thing I’ve done is show up! Show up and show out. I love that she can watch me make products and how excited she is when I let her try new things. I remember growing up my mom had a wellness spa. I would sit for hours and watch my mom deal with her customers. She was also so soft spoken and loved what she did. I learned so much from her and it stuck with me growing up. Today it’s like when I step into the kitchen and get ready to make something new or even just when I’m creating content she’s always right by my side and it gives me so much joy. I’ll never stop for reasons like those. I want her to know she can do anything she wants to do and I’ll be right by her side through it all.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I started my business actually when I was in College. I started making lip glosses for all the ladies and everyone really enjoyed it. I wasn’t really giving my all to it because I was going through so much in college. I was in a really dark place for a while. Once i relocated and moved to Maryland I got my groove back. I felt good. I was ready to show up again. I started making glosses again and then I found out I was pregnant. That changed everything in my life. I took a complete pause from my business and dedicated my life to My daughter. Ivy is actually my daughters name, J being the initial for her middle name. Ivy J definitely came about because of her. I sat long and hard and thought on it for a very long time and I knew I wanted do more. It wasn’t easy at all. On top of just having a baby I was trying to start a new business in all. I started making Body Butters, facial oils, got better packaging. I felt really good about it but I wasn’t contempt. Around September 2021 I opened Ivy J Online Beauty Supply. I felt like this was perfect for me because all my life I’ve been such a curl enthusiast and me and my curls have been through some things. I live in the beauty supply store so why not have my own. I started doing pop up shops branding my new name and trying to get out there so people could actually see me. If there is any lesson I learned it’s to have patience and be consistent. Those two things will take you a long way. Many times I wanted to throw the whole store away but I knew I had to be patient. Staying consistent is a big thing too. I struggled with this in the beginning. You tell yourself no one is really watching, no one cares if you miss one post. Those posts matter, you showing up everyday matters.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I love trying new things so I’m always looking for a good brunch spot in DC or just enjoying the scene in general. I don’t go out often but when I do you can find me at a nice outside lounge or at brunch on U st. I like to take trips. I would personally take a friend zip lining or hiking. Definitely an outside girl.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I’m going to have to give that Credit to my mom. She’s a master of all. I feel like I wouldn’t be anywhere if it wasn’t for her. Even now as I grow and watch her grow. She finds her niche and settles into it so nicely. It’s so refreshing watching her make a piece of art work, or bake a cake for a birthday party. She’s always stuck with her gut no matter what.

Website: www.ivyjiselle.com

Instagram: @ivyjbeautysupply

Other: ivyjllc@gmail.com

Image Credits
Briana Thompson