Meet Latasha “Lou” Louis of VERBATIM x LNL&CO. in Augusta

Today we’d like to introduce you to Latasha “Lou” Louis.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Growing up, I was surrounded by intrapreneurs and entrepreneurs, without knowing they fit the definition – myself included. Whether it be in the 3rd grade spending my summer creating a neighborhood library because at the time there wasn’t an accessible public library in South Augusta or selling handmade jewelry, logo designs and custom order requests for reworked denim; my parents have always been supportive of my ventures and pushed me to develop a business strategy for funding. In 2006, I started a group in Augusta called The Walking Canvas Movement (WCM). The group was designed to provide a platform for creatives interested in fashion-related careers (designers, models, photographers, etc.) to develop their skills and interest by creating opportunities rather than complaining about what didn’t exist. My entrepreneurial experience has always been focused toward a universal theme of cultivating my ability to identifying feasible and desired opportunities and then designing a way to make it viable, but the progression comes from the development and growth in my confidence to execute my vision.

VERBATIM started after reading $100 Startup by Chris Guillebeau, I developed a business model canvas and used $87.69 from my savings to cover the initial startup costs – website, domain name, business cards, craft tools, etc. For my first product collection (redesigned greeting cards called Organic Convo Starters), I created product photos for the website using mockups made with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator and relied on a made-to-order system which eliminated inventory costs. I used the remaining money left in my budget to print and package samples that I kept on-hand for day-to-day networking. As I acquired sales, I invested the profit back into the business and started a “focus group” of family, friends and early-adopting customers via group text, who offer insights, ideas, feedback and financial support in exchange for access to discounted, exclusive, and/or pre-release products.

Entrepreneurship is a platform I am learning and experiencing as I apply curiosity, courage, and conviction as a functional template of Egalitarianism for solving human challenges in expansive ways. I see my life’s purpose as helping others and my passion and mission to get to the heart of the issue so that people need not be helped at all.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Imposter Syndrome. In a lot of the spaces in which I have been able to optimize and innovate, I was the only person under 30-something, the only woman, the only person of color… VERBATIM x LNL&CO. is an applied solution answering the circumstances encountered throughout my experience as a young, black woman in design and engineering, as well as a consumer with proven cultural and economic influence. An answer for anyone experiencing second class citizenship within the retail industry and other spaces that attempt to extract value from the communities that aren’t properly served.

Eventually, you get tired of pulling out your credentials to satisfy someone else’s insecurities about why you’re in the room – I graduated with distinction from John S. Davidson Fine Arts Magnet School, received a Bachelors degree from Southern Polytechnic State University (SPSU) in Apparel/Textile Engineering Technology (Fashion Design and Product Development), attended Mercer University’s Masters of Business Administration – Innovation as a graduate student, completed a residency in Silicon Valley where I forged relationships with startups and companies like Apple, Ernest, Evernote, Kiva, and Andreessen Horowitz, presented research twice at the International Association of Clothing Designers and Executives (IACDE) World Convention, earned a Lean Six Sigma Green Belt Certification, qualified for Mensa… *giggles* I belong in any room that I enter, but this is America. There is no smooth road for a young, educated, emotionally-intelligent black woman living by The Golden Rule. Protect your imagination.

Tell us about your business. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of? What sets you apart from others?
– What do you do?

VERBATIM is a portfolio of product brands designed by LNL&CO. to identify and articulate feasible, viable and desired opportunities -introducing fresh products to elevate life’s everyday experiences. We design, produce and engineer product brands that concentrate on satisfying functional, aesthetic, and psychological needs but leave room for the user’s self-expression. Less but better. Our products share truths and cultivate memorable moments of genuine human-interaction, which in turn reminds us all of the simple facts that we are never alone and our existence is with purpose.

– What are you known for?

The first product brand introduced to explore the application of our vision was the redesign of greeting cards. The goal was to create something so organic that the card itself disappears into the experience and so relevant that it builds stronger relationships; with Organic Convo Starters, that vision is now available for purchase.

We placed reality in the words of each design, through the use of authentic language and themes that capture the complexities and commonalities of people. No exploitation. No appropriation. We intentionally represent culture through the eyes of all, by providing a diverse and inclusive selection of illustrations with various skin-tone options, facial features, hairstyles and textures for every design. Inside each card, you’ll find a blank inside for crafting that keepsake-worthy “it” factor with your own words —use it as naturally and as often as you would a text message while doing a whole lot more than you would with one. And although we concentrate on delivering the essentials, we still believe there is a social responsibility to conserve resources and minimize physical and visual pollution throughout the lifecycle of products. From the mailer packaging to the envelope, to the card stock and inks – we take everything into consideration. This redesign put us in the hundreds of subscription boxes curated by Ujaama Box, secured an opportunity to complete Georgia Tech’s ATDC startup academy, landed us an opportunity to pitch for 1 Million Cups and positioned our product with a feature at TEDx Augusta, along with several Holiday Gift List features.

Since then, we’ve launched AUGUSTUH, a limited-edition apparel brand reshaping the way people see and speak of their community. It has been well received by our community, so much so that we recently celebrated our 500th online order. It serves as a reminder of the capabilities of smalltown-ish types of cities. We plan to launch at least four more product brands this year: ADULYMPICS – an adulting award ribbons for millennials making the most out of a complicated relationship with adulthood, OBJECTS – products designed to enhance every day experiences, PETAL POSEUR – a floral arrangements subscription with no green thumbs needed, and LEMON SQUEEZE – a monthly “AA-style” roundtable meeting and podcast for Creatives, Entrepreneurs and Influencers unpacking mental health.

We recently (July 10, 2019) launched, Read On Receipt, a digital illustration series on Instagram deciphering the difficult relationship between technology and communication. It serves as apart of our #WashTheBrainWednesdays campaign to provide the community with content that shifts thinking and challenges other creatives, entrepreneurs and influencers to develop a process for creating a body of work based on the values they believe in, as well as to take responsibility for their influence and the impact it has on humanity. Wash the brain, don’t brainwash.

– What are you most proud of as a company?

VERBATIM exists for one reason – to connect people. We have built a voice around shared issues and experiences that people can understand, laugh at, and relate to. Our curiosity, rooted in a desire for meaningful change, has aimed to discover these truths and share them with the world. By diving into the unknown, taking risks and starting hard conversations, upfront and face-to-face, saying what we mean, owning our mistakes and pushing towards what is right, we’ve created a balance by challenging false assumptions. There is so much value in transparency and the ability to serve people, especially when you are utilizing design to solve challenges and shape the human experience to create a better community for us all.

We will continue to learn from exploring culture, utilizing simple design to solve problems and sharing the truth. I have some ideas about what that looks like over time but you can definitely expect us to design a way to give back by exposing others to creative careers that they may not have considered based on access, exposure, and opportunity.

– What sets you apart from others?

Given the perception shift happening within America, there are so many opportunities to add value to consumer packaged and durable goods. Due to the lack of diversity and inclusion within the teams of potential competitors, we have a distinct advantage in filling that gap and focusing on supporting and sustaining the vision and voices of our targeted demographic; 25-34 year old, Black, witty communicators with a heart for serving others as an opportunity. VERBATIM will volunteer as tribute.

By utilizing lean startup techniques and testing our assumptions by creating minimum viable products and product collections for early adopters; we have positioned ourselves to also design, produce and engineer products and product collections for business to business distribution as the data and insights we’re collecting become extremely valuable.

I firmly believe that when I began my journey, I was faced with two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I took the one less traveled, however, I welcome competition because it’s good for business, but it’s better for all of us – for the future of our world.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I’ve never been a believer in “luck.” I believe in faith and favor.

Contact Info:

• Address: 100 Grace Hopper Lane STE 3700
  Augusta, Georgia 30901-0010
• Website: www.verbatimlnl.co
• Email: lnl@verbatimlnl.co
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/verbatimlnlco
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/verbatimlnlco
• Other: www.instagram.com/loulnlco

Image Credit:
NikolaStevens.com

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