Meet Samiya Berry | Entrepreneur & Full-time College Student

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

Hi Samiya, what is the most important factor behind your success?
The success of my brand is from perseverance and grief. My inspiration solely came from my granny, Ms. Mary Ella Berry. She passed away in December of 2020. I always made a promise to myself to make her proud. She was the initial reason for me starting my jewelry brand. I always wore a memorial pendant with her picture to keep a part of her with me. Many people inquired on the details of my necklace so eventually, I started to sell them to others. This gives them a piece of their loved ones that have passed away. I turned my grief into motivation for a bigger purpose. Overall, my granny is the inspiration for my brand and the reason it thrives daily.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
My business, “The Sammi Shop”, is a high quality affordable jewelry brand. One thing that sets my brand apart is my personal connection with my supporters. I created a safe space for them called “#sammisaints”. This is a group of individuals expressing genuineness and defining themselves through jewelry and more(in the future). I am most proud/excited about how much my brand has grown, I have reached over 15+ states across the nation. Somethings that has contributed to my business’s success over the past nine months have been social media and support from my hometown. It was not easy to get to where I am today, business-wise though. One of the biggest challenges I had to overcome was knowing that there aren’t any certainties when it comes to being an entrepreneur. Your success solely comes from your effort and this is something I’m still learning along the way. I want the world to know that, “The Sammi Shop” is just a testament that anyone can start a business & have success.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my bestfriend was visiting and I wanted to show her a good time, I would take her to a new place everyday. I would take her to Shakespeare Park because we both love nature. I’m sure we’d have a great time and enjoy the view. Later, I would take her to a well known restaurant called “Brin Wings” because they have great wings and southern style food. Tuesday, I would take her to Birmingham, which is about an hour away from Montgomery. There, we would enjoy Top Golf & Hattie B’s Hot Chicken. Wednesday, We would visit museums here in Montgomery to learn about black history. I would take her to “Freedom Rides Museum” and The “Rosa Parks Museum”. Thursday and Friday, I would take her to the Montgomery Zoo and Safari Park. Later that night, I would take her to “Euphoria Bar” where they have great music and food.

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?
My mother, Alicia Berry, is another one of my inspirations. While being a single mother, She always strives to make my life better and does everything in her power to make me a better version of myself the best way she knows how. She’s my biggest supporter in everything that I manage to achieve. She taught me to not let obstacles that I may face dictate my character. She’s the definition of hardworking and persistence.

Website: thesammishop.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thesammishop/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesammishop/

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thesammishop

Image Credits
Photographer: Henri McGuire