Today we’d like to introduce you to La Tetra Metts-Owens.
So, before we jump into specific questions, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In 2015, I started Aliwaza’s as a single-seller business from which I sold my own handmade, crystal waistbeads. As I began networking, I encountered a lot of Black women entrepreneurs who were providing similar products and services on and offline. It seemed as though we were all attracting and competing for the same pool of customers and clients; and as time went on, the pool got smaller and smaller and the customers and clients became less invested in our individual businesses. It was a cycle I wanted to break.
Coupled with the desire to restructure the way we showed support to one another, the need for a space where Black women were never overlooked really pushed me to share my own platform with other Black women and femmes.
So I thought to myself, “What if there was an online marketplace for Black women?” I imagined an Etsy-like marketplace where we could support each other without going out of our way. Just by participating in the space and bringing attention to it, an Aliwaza’s seller would be able to introduce customers they would have otherwise never seen.
Today, Aliwaza’s is just that. Black women and femmes can sign up to sell their products and services on our site. Every seller has their own shop, dashboard, and access to their own customers.
Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been easy to convince strangers to trust Aliwaza’s. At the beginning of 2019, we had six sellers. I was three of them. I told myself that if by January 1, 2020, I did not have 100 participants signed up to sell, I would consider Aliwaza’s a complete failure.
Aliwaza’s is a selling space for Black women and femme-owned brands that everyone can enjoy. I initially thought that I would get a lot of pushback from people who did not like that I created a platform for Black people. One of our main struggles, however, is that the term “femme” turns off some heterosexual cisgender women who are hesitant to share a space with women who are not. That was something that I had to accept to move forward and continue building the platform for those who wanted and not for people who did not see the value in my vision as-is.
As of today, Aliwaza’s has 95 approved sellers. So I would say that even with the multiple unforeseen struggles, we’re doing pretty okay!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Aliwaza’s Market – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of and what sets you apart from others.
By profession, I am a life coach with an aptitude for business, technology, and social mobilization. This combination of skills helps me use my multiple businesses to build platforms that solve problems. While I am mainly known for Aliwaza’s Market, my marketplace is just a product of my general passion to serve Black women.
I am most proud of the way I have been able to reach and service people I have never met. A few years ago, I would have never been able to imagine a career that allowed me to provoke daily change outside of my immediate sphere of concern.
Ironically, what sets me apart from others is that I am not trying to “other” myself. My best work is done when I am acknowledging and expanding the common ground between myself and the people I serve.
Pricing:
- It is free to sign up as an Aliwaza’s seller. However, we do have premium packages available.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aliwazas.com
- Email: aliwazas@shedreams.co
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/aliwazas
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackgirlpopup/
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