Today we’d like to introduce you to Marliceia Chavers.
Hi Marliceia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
As an only child, I have always had a sense of independence, and growing up proved that the pursuit of entrepreneurship would be my destiny. I remember being 6 or 7 years old and telling my mom that I was not going to work a regular job as she and dad did. My mom loved being an educator, but she always had a side hustle, and she and my dad eventually opened their own cleaning service business, so in retrospect, I guess I actually did get the entrepreneur gene from them.
Upon graduating high school, I pursued a music major in Performance Arts and at Dillard University in New Orleans, LA, but my focus quickly turned to business and I ended up graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Accounting. I began my career in commercial real estate accounting and for the past 12 years, I have been in governmental accounting. However, working a 9 to 5 did not suppress my hunger for entrepreneurship. In 2011, I started my first business, which is now known as Marliceia Chavers Artistry. Makeup artistry was my second passion pursuit after music and it has served me well and allowed me to connect to many women. Once the pandemic hit, I was forced to pivot and that resulted in the birth of 3 new entrepreneurial pursuits. These three pursuits consist of my bookkeeping company Right Way Bookkeeping, LLC, my personal branding agency, H.E.R. Image Agency, LLC, and my unexpected blessing Mossy Fusions, LLC.
Now, Mossy Fusions, LLC is so special because it is the business form of what I would call a “pandemic baby”. Sea Moss became really popular on the scene at the beginning of the pandemic and this sparked my interest. As a person who loves holistic wellness, I decided to order sea moss gel from a local vendor to try, then I came up with the bright idea of trying to make the gel myself. YouTube University did not disappoint when trying to discover the right formula. I learned to make my own plain sea moss gel and began introducing it to my family and close friends to help them both maintain and boost their immune systems during this uncertain health crisis.
I later discovered that my precious sea moss gel was going to waste because I was not fond of the earthy taste and I was also not making smoothies every day to mask the taste. Later, I had the epiphany to infuse the sea moss gel with a fresh fruit puree. I began with strawberries and blackberries because those catered to my current Keto lifestyle. As I developed them, I began posting my experimental concoctions on Facebook and people started inboxing me to purchase. I was really reluctant because essentially I was a novice, but we miss 100% of the opportunities we don’t take, so I sold it to them. Guess what?! Everyone loved it! If I am being totally honest, I had absolutely no intention of starting Mossy Fusions, but the health and wellness demand was there, so I stepped up to supply what my friends, family, and community both wanted and needed. Now we have six primary flavors, which include: strawberry, blackberry, blueberry, mango, peach, and pineapple. During the month of December, we have launched our limited edition flavors of Pomegranate and “Merry Mossy”, which are granny smith apple and pomegranate combined. As we prepare for the launch of our website, we will unveil our “Mossy Merch”, so stay tuned. We can’t wait to expand our reach to the world.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not, learning to balance several business pursuits is difficult, especially when they all take off at different times. Mossy Fusions took off before I was ready, especially when people began asking for shipping. This is when I came face to face with my biggest obstacle, FEAR. All I could think about was the fact that I had no idea where to get shipping supplies or how to properly ship a perishable item across state lines. My support system at the time encouraged me to push past my fear and just do it. I can honestly say I am so grateful for that push. It took Mossy Fusions to a different level. Now we have shipped to Michigan, Tennessee, Texas, Florida, Georgia, and of course within Alabama, where we are owned and operated. Every time I get a new state, I immediately thank God. It still blows my mind every single time. Currently, I am maintaining the mentality that fear is an illusion and that in order to truly be successful we have to launch out into the deep and take what is ours. Now we will be launching the Mossy Fusions website in the coming weeks, which will make ordering and shipping an even more seamless process.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I currently work for the government and I audit individuals and small businesses. The most rewarding part of my career is meeting new people and learning about the interworkings of new industries. I specialize in taxes and auditing and although very tedious, it also presents me with the challenge of thinking beyond what I know and obtaining more knowledge.
Being a tenacious go-getter is what I am most proud of. I have never been one to just sit on the sidelines and let life pass me by. Even if I fall down a million times; I put a time limit on my pity party, get back up, dust myself off, and try again.
My authenticity and resiliency are the things that set me apart from most. I am not afraid to show people my trials as well as my triumphs. It gives me strength and provides others hope to see that success is a journey and frankly one I am still in pursuit of.
We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
I wrote an essay on success my senior year in high school that won me a scholarship for college. The title of my essay was “Successful People Live Life on Purpose”. I define success as a formula. It is when divine purpose, faith, and preparation meet opportunity. Opportunities can come in the form of a person, when your name is mentioned in a room you are not privy to, a career opportunity, or the ability to solve a problem that no one else seemingly can.
Success can be as simple as waking up every day and going to work or as big as owning a multi-million dollar company. However, it’s how you create and handle that success that makes it legendary and I am definitely aiming for a legendary legacy.
Pricing:
- Golden 4oz. Multi-Pack – $30 /Purple 4oz. Multi-pack – $40
- Golden 8oz. Duo Pack – $35/Purple 8oz. Duo Pack – $45
- Golden 16oz. – $35/Purple 16oz. – $45
- Golden 32oz. – $65
- Purple 32oz. – $85
Contact Info:
- Email: mossyfusions@gmail.com
- Website: https://www.flowcode.com/page/mossyfusions
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mossyfusions/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mossyfusions/
Image Credits
Professional Photos: D Jerome Smedley
