BRITTNEY MARSHALL OF MY BROWN BOX
“You can always refine it along the way, so don't allow the process to delay your progress.”
- BRITTNEY MARSHALL
Brittney Marshall is an entrepreneur and social media and creative brand strategist working and living between Los Angeles, CA and Detroit, MI. Brittney is the mastermind behind and founder of My Brown Box. Inspired by her father, Brittney chose to be an entrepreneur and follow in his footsteps, remarking that entrepreneurship was “ingrained in her DNA.” Brittney’s main piece of advice for other Black women hoping to open their own business is to “fill your own cup first; you can't be of service to others or yourself if your cup is not full first!”.
My Brown Box serves as a safe space for Black women to connect and to authentically engage about all things Black womanhood. Some of the experiences that can be found within the My Brown Box community are digital and offline activations in which women are joined together in person through various events.
My Brown Box stands as a community that aims to achieve inclusivity and innovation by creating their own reality through a range of unique products. My Brown Box also works towards cultivating passions such as art, travel, music, fitness, and food and in doing so, promoting community, self-care, and wellness events.
What inspired you to start my brown box?
Back in 2012, I had signed up for Birchbox, and I was so excited about the Birchbox business model – receiving a box of things that were specific to my needs, only to find that when it actually arrived, there was nothing in the box for me. There was a foundation that didn't match my skin tone, and it was just too light for me. So right then, I thought that it would be really cool if there was something created for women of color – something that provides products that they can wear ranging from makeup to hair care products to lifestyle products because I really wanted to create something that was not associated with black being a “dreadful color” and Black people being a “dreadful race.” This led me to come up with the idea of My Brown Box. I wanted women to receive their box and say “I received MY brown box.” I wanted the box to be an actual brown box for packaging and a happy experience – something that feels like it is an act of self-care delivered to your doorstep. Self-care is something that really makes you feel like you are loving on yourself or loving on yourself a bit harder. It was a combination of me wanting to provide an amazing experience and catering to women of color’s specific, unique beauty needs.
What skills are vital to starting a business, particularly a subscription box service?
You have to have tough skin and a team. When I first started My Brown Box, I was doing everything myself from securing brand partnerships to packing boxes – I was at my office until 6:00 in the morning trying to fulfill orders and handling customer service inquiries. Having a team is really important so that you have someone who can handle the things that you may not be as strong at, and also simply being able to pick up some of the manpower. Being tapped into your audience and knowing your customer – what they want, what they like, what their needs are, what your unique value proposition is – are all of the things that are vital to starting a subscription box. Having a vision is important as well. Knowing your audience and what you want to serve them with and what kind of experience you want to provide to them live within the business.
Consistency, diligence, and being strong-minded are essential factors – with the balance of self-care. There was a point where I was completely burnt out just because I was doing so many of the things, and at a young age, that’s when I started to understand the importance of self-care, what it looks like if you're not taking care of yourself, and if you are trying to pour from an empty cup.
I think that there's a lot of different skills that you need to have when it comes to starting a business – things like being knowledgeable of the business, aware of and familiar with competitors, understanding shipping and the supply chain, and knowing how much things are going to cost are all extremely important things to know. There are tons of mistakes that I made, just like going to the post office and not knowing what options and what resources were available to me. Having the right supplies and tools to be able to make things as efficient and streamlined as possible is crucial.
From choosing products to shipping out boxes to subscribers, how does each monthly box come together?
My boxes are built around themes and timing. For example, if it's a winter box, then we think about things that women need during the wintertime. You want to think about it like this – your skin gets dry, your lips can get chapped, and your hair gets dry. What products would make a really great experience and come in handy for women based on these factors? We might pick a heavy body cream like a body butter and then we think about what scent someone would want. Maybe a warmer scent during the wintertime like vanilla. Thinking about all of those different aspects as we put the boxes together is really important to keep in mind. If your hair is dry, you want a deep conditioner or in the summertime, sunscreen and lotions are needed. That's the initial thought process when it comes to formulating the contents of the box.
Sourcing is also a key part of identifying the brands and partners who would be a good fit for the box. We spotlight amazing Black women in business. They might not have the platform to get the word out about their business like many of the brands with larger companies or budgets, so identifying those companies and then pitching to the brands, both small and large, and telling them how many units of product and the theme of the particular box helps to build the box and finalize the timeline. This is important because if you have a box going out, you have to make sure that you have all of the products, that the products arrive without damages, and that you have enough preparation time because there is so much that can go wrong. From there, it’s fulfilling all of the boxes and creating the unboxing experience— making sure there is an insert card for the customer to be able to read about the products, why they were intentionally selected, and how to use them.
What words of wisdom or tips do you have for a college-aged woman interested in entrepreneurship?
I always say if you have an idea, go for it, get it, and identify the resources that will help you to be able to achieve it. You can always refine it along the way, so don't allow the process to delay your progress.
What are some books, podcasts, newsletters or blogs that you've enjoyed and would recommend to the website readers?
I really like the podcast The Sakita Method (formerly known as Hashtags and Stilettos), Myleik Teele’s podcast (she’s a subscription box owner!), and the Hey Girl podcast. Steal Like an Artist is also a book I love.
Who is a woman leader you look up to?
I don’t want to sound cliché, but I really look up to my Michelle Obama. I like how she carries herself as a woman, and she exudes confidence. She's outspoken and unapologetic in doing so. I also look up to Myleik Teele, who I mentioned earlier. She is steadfast, consistent, experienced, and has grown a lot getting herself to where she is today. She is a great storyteller and has shared her journey with her followers along the way, so you can see her amazing progress.