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

Hi Unique, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I’m a huge advocate of risk taking. Over the past year since starting Sheatoven, I’ve started listening to motivational speeches as apart of my morning routine (Eric Thomas, Gary Vee & Les Brown just to name a few) and every speech mentions risk and taking a risk in some shape and form. Some people think they are playing it safe but every day they are taking a risk. When you walk out your door to commute to your destination you’re engaging in a safety risk. Working on a job is a financial risk ; as the company could let you go at any time with no reason. Every risk I took has led me to this moment. When I decided to start the business, the thought that pushed me further to fruition was ” I’ve been working since I was 14. If I can give companies my all for majority of my life just to retire with a fraction of my worth. Why can’t I bet on myself for five years and really give this business my all? That’s seem fair enough, right ?

Every risk we take is either a lesson or blessing. Taking the risk  to start Sheatoven has taught me the importance of effective communication, time management and networking. Being bold enough to travel out of state to attend various trade shows, pop-up shops and networking events has benefited me tremendously. Social media is a great way to meet people. However, I’m learning business requires face to face interactions and these interactions makes a world of a difference. Being able to see someones body language during customer engagement segments, business meetings and potential partnerships, takes away minor communication discrepancy and allow you to get a feel of the person and interaction.

Another risk I took was starting the business with my own working capital. Bootstrapping really does teach you how to do so much with so little. I started off with just saving $100 each pay period from my day job. Once I reached the required dollar amount for various business needs, I would then make the purchase. If I could leave any aspiring entrepreneur a tip on risk, it would be “Always bet on yourself. No one is coming to save you. Only you can save you.”

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?

Sheatoven is a hemp-based skin care brand. At Sheatoven, we thrive to provide a luxury skin care experience that can be used by everyday people. What sets our business apart from others is our product cultivation and how we engage with our customers. Before we begin production we choose the highest quality products for your skin. In addition to this, we provide an educational experience for our customers. We inform you on where our products come from, how they are made and we use our social media platforms to educate our audiences on industry changes that we have set up from google alerts. 

Sheatoven got to where its is today by RESEARCH, RESEARCH AND RESEARCH. So many people assume the Hemp/ Cannabis industry is something you can just jump into. While many of us have been consumers of cannabis for years. We have a misconceived notion that we can jump into it with little to no research or money. But this industry requires so much research and investigation. It helps having people who has more years of experience than you. As well as having people in different sectors of the industry from distribution, shipping, analysis, finance, marketing and customer retention.

One of the biggest lessons, I’ve learned  is packaging and branding matters. Before rebranding, my original brand colors were fuchsia pink, purple and a stripe green. All of these colors are fun and stands out in the skin care industry. Which means that they are bound to catch the eye of any consumer. Due to federal legalization want for Hemp suppliers to  cut down on the consumption of under age patrons. We’ve revamp and rebranded in order to remain federally compliant (our brand colors are now black and gold) . The next lesson learned is  the importance of finances, while other industries can open a banking account at any banking institution. We have to be mindful of where we open our business accounts many banks are weary of working with a Hemp/ Cannabis business. I use a small local bank now, however we are beginning to see a rise in banks allowing entrepreneurs in the Hemp/Cannabis industry to open accounts with them.

When the world sees Sheatoven, I want them to know you can use hemp products without the fear of being high to help heal your body. I started Sheatoven as ode to my mother. She has a medicine cabinet that would put CVS Pharmacy out of business. While she has been prescribed one prescription after another. I see little to no increase of her health getting better. This problem not only furies me but it’s a pain point in the black community. We have to get back to how our ancestors lived and use what we can grow from the Earth to heal us.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If my friends were visiting, I would take them to Slutty Vegan to eat. I’m addicted to it their food and I go there every chance I get. I’m not big on bars or clubs but we would definitely hit up one of the Afro Soca Love shows, I love a good fete. Saturday would be a good day to go visit the museums particularly the Botanical Gardens, the beautiful scenery and bar option during happy hour is great combo for fun and great photos. Lastly, we would do brunch on Sunday at Buttermilk Chicken.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
There are so many people that I have to thank for this opportunity. First, I have to thank God because without him guiding my intuition I wouldn’t be able to continue to push through. Especially on those days when it’s just me in the lab creating and I feel alone. Next, my sisters: Khitasha and Kyemah all those fights growing up and now they get to see their little sister lead the pack. My granny and my parents  for accepting my ability to stand out at a young age and help me step into who I am and feel comfortable. My Tribe, they push me every day, they also remind me that I’m human and it’s okay to take a break from work and and enjoy life. Thirdly, I want to give a special shout out to an Incubator Program I partook in called R.O.B.I. (Resident Owned Business Incubator) it’s based in Washington, DC and its owner Raquel Jones who is a sheer genius. A black woman who has taken on a journey to not only save a million moms from welfare but also to create successful entrepreneurs by providing basic business necessities for two years (ex. business licensing, website and domain hosting, logo and slogan creation, marketing education, business credit education, legal and trademark assistance, pitching and business plan creation, mental health and wellness as an entrepreneur and the importance of collaborating with other entrepreneurs. Raquel, LaToya, Aquilia, Moira, Monette & Marquitta (all women mentors in the program) worked overtime not only to help me bring Sheatoven to the masses but also, they paired each entrepreneur with a mentor in their respective industry big ups to James Canty. Without this incubator program, I would still be thinking small scale instead of taking huge risk on my business and branching out. Lastly, I have to thank everyone who has purchased, retweeted, like or share any works related to Sheatoven. You guys are a driving factor of our exposure and each click brings us closer to our target audience and providing results.

Website: www.sheatoven.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com_sheatoven/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/sheatoven

Twitter: https://twitter.com/simplyiunique

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

Image Credits
Product Photos: @Soona Headshot: @TravisHouZe

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