Meet Founder of Woosah Bride, Shonte’ Parrish-Norgriff

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MANIFEST YOUR BUSINESS: MEET FOUNDER OF WOOSAH BRIDE, SHONTE’ PARRISH-NORGRIFF

 

What inspired you to create a wellness brand for melanted brides, Woosah Bride?  

This brand is so personal for me. My husband proposed in August 2020, in the middle of a global pandemic, countless people dying, losing their jobs, and people who look like me still being gunned down for no reason other than being black. Although the state of the world contributed to my depressed state at times, I struggled to find balance in taking care of myself mentally while planning. 

I struggled with finding a circle of people who understood that I was excited, I was happy, and I did have and love my wedding planner, but I was in a constant state of anxiety, worry, and frustration. I also struggled with boundaries and being a people pleaser. I was shocked at how there was so much in my 32 years of life, I never knew about how planning a wedding changes the dynamic between your family members, friends, your partners closest loved ones etc. I was shocked about wedding etiquette no one seemed to understand. During my planning process I ordered all types of planners, bridal boxes etc. to help me be organized and excited, however in these products, there was barely any representation of black faces. No black women, no black love, no black weddings! In my bridal groups, brides asked the same exact questions, looking for the same things, and I am here to provide a solution. For US by US.

My wellness wedding planner titled- “Sis, let’s plan this wedding! “is intended for melanated brides who are underrepresented in the billion dollar wedding industry. The lack of options in bridal magazines, bridal fashion and couture, bridal boxes and planners, dress sizes, flattering shades and colors, and bridal expos in 2022/2023 is alarming. Black women and women of color should not have to visualize one of the best days of our lives through the lens or standard of someone who doesn’t look like us. 

My husband and I were married on 12.12. 2021. We celebrated our nuptials at Pattoo Castle in Negril, Jamaica, the weekend before most of the world contracted covid-19 due to the new omicron variant. Luckily, all of our guests made it home and virus free. WHEW! I was so happy with how the wedding weekend turned out, but it stayed on my mind how I struggled to find a community of support for people who looked like me and were experiencing similar issues based on my culture and traditions while I was planning. 

 

 

For these reasons, finding support and being affirmed as a black woman was imperative to my journey and mental health, just as it may be for other brides to be. Although my professional wedding planner was a Black woman and eventually all of my other vendors as well, it was hard to find the support I needed for basic questions I needed to ask about my skin, my hair, my teeth, family obstacles, and even just, “IS YOUR FAMILY ACTING LIKE THIS?!”. 

In a few of my bridal groups, I noticed repetition of similar questions posed and brides in all stages providing resources and answers. No one could find a planner or a bridal box company for US by US, and it was a struggle to find other black-owned resources. When most individuals are engaged, they do not know where to start, and may be flooded with tons of non-relevant information during their initial research. This can make early decisions, even more difficult. Although there are great wedding resources available for all women, we needed something for the melanated woman, with a non-traditional size, with curves and beautiful, thick, 4C hair. And for them to know, they will be just as gorgeous on their day.

This is why Woosah Bride was created. To provide relief so the bride can take a DEEP BREATH.

 

Does hubby help with Woosah Bride and do these planners help men as well? 

My husband is my rock and the backbone of this business. He helped write a section in the planner that is called “Your Partner” which includes a “ groom timeline” and lists some black owned men’s bridal shops. He is also usually right beside me at wedding expos and can explain the purpose of this brand as well as I can ha-ha.

 

How has this been received in the bridal community? 

It has honestly been amazing. You know you experience something and  it creates an idea, because of noticing a gap in a particular industry and you hope that other people will see your vision and receive it the same way. The day that our first packages were being delivered, I was so anxious. I knew at some point, the brand would be tagged on social media, whether it was positive or negative so I just sat and waited for it to come. The reactions have honestly been mind-blowing. People have thanked me for creating it, said that it was exactly what they needed, and I have even had people pray over me and speak life into this business. I’m so happy that we started this and I can’t wait to see how we impact the bridal community as we grow and evolve.

 

Have you always wanted to manifest a business or did you become one when you found a need for your product(s)? 

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit. I founded a government contracting business and an app for creative dates right before the pandemic, but this has been by far the most exciting because as it was being developed, I was literally creating space for this in the wedding industry. If you look on websites that house a list of wedding vendors, like wedding wire, you don’t see health and wellness AND planning assistance together. Most of the time you do not see health and wellness at all and the truth is, it should be a part of every wedding vendor’s package.

 

Which planner is the most popular and why?  

So although the interior of the planners have the  same content, the Glamour planner is the most popular. Recently, the Refined planner/ bundle has sold out because I didn’t order as many, but I also noticed that people have been buying that one up! It is the only cover we have that has a lighter skin bride so I am in the process of having a similar design  created. I want to be a brand known for great customer service and listening to the people so I am making some updates based on some feedback.

 

 

What systems/programs do you use to help with time management and organization to better your business success? 

I am still learning what systems work best for this brand, but currently I have several apps on my shopify store that help track profit and loss, inventory, affiliates and commissions and so much more. I also use Click-up for organization.

 

What is a typical day like for you? How many hours do you spend on your business? Please breakdown by hours (7:00 am, 8:00 am etc.) 

At 7:00 am, I am up meditating and praying and then heading to my workout. From 8:00 am-4:00 pm daily I work my 9-5 but during lunch I take consultations and do research. I am in a business mentorship so sometimes I have class from 4- 6pm, and I check in with my coaches between 7-9 pm. Two days a week my husband, my family, and I pack all of the pending orders and drop them off at the post office. That can sometimes go on until 12-1am. On average I spend about 5-6  hours on this business daily.

 

What is your favorite part of your wellness planners? 

Honestly, the illustrations. It is so important for people to see more positive representations of ourselves, so I love that the illustrations are blackity blackity BLACK.

 

 

Please share the meaning of Woosah Bride… 

Woosah means to achieve a state of calm and relaxation and Bride means a person who identifies as a woman on her wedding day or just before and after the event. So the brand  means learning ways to achieve a state of calmness during your wedding process (through self-care tools, boundaries, and being organized).

 

What books would you recommend for entrepreneurs to read? Any books that inspire you? 

There are so so many books I would suggest for entrepreneurs that my mentors have shared with me: A couple are the following:

• Three Simple Steps: A Map to Success in Business and Life 
• Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century (Think and Grow Rich Series) 
• Built to Sell: Creating a Business That Can Thrive Without You 
• The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth Behind Extraordinary Results 
• The Magic of Thinking Big 

• The Magic of Believing (Original Classic Edition) 
• The Compound Effect (10th Anniversary Edition): Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success 
• HOW TO WIN FRIENDS AND INFLUENCE PEOPLE  BY CARNEGIE, DALE 
• PROFIT FIRST – MIKE MICHALOWICZ 
• The 5 AM Club: Own Your Morning. Elevate Your Life.

 

How did you grow your customer base and following? 

It is still a work in progress! But I started posting on Instagram and Tiktok to see what works best for me and also collaborating with brands for giveaways. Now we have 1,200 subscribers and almost 3,000 followers on IG and I am trying to be more consistent with email marketing and posting things of value. I am constantly following brands who I can learn from and the goal is to be consistent in value and entertaining content.

 

Please share best advice for a bride and best tip for a stressed out bride? 

Everyone’s situation is different so it’s hard to give general “ best” information, but it is important to have positive people around you, be firm on your vision and implement assertive boundaries for family and friends. Remember to prioritize YOU and to take scheduled breaks weekly.

 

 

Woosah Bride encourages brides to set boundaries and have self-care time; how does one do this in the final hour? 

In the final hour set boundaries by delegating others to manage tasks and overlook action items you have already have in progress.. Have someone else respond to guest inquiries because lord knows people do not read and we know you created a whole detailed wedding website.

For self-care, block off time in your calendar to do soothing, mindless activities like coloring, painting, reading a good book, binging a netflix show, or simply just relaxing. And for goodness sakes put that phone AND laptop on DND!

 

DIY or hire a planner: how does a future bride decide? 

I always encourage a professional planner or wedding coordinator. You do not want to rely on family and friends, or even worse, YOURSELF, the day or weekend of the wedding. If you are creative or have someone close to you who is, I definitely encourage DIY as long as it has a quality look. I will never advocate for something that looks cheap. So for me, both!

 

In what ways do you handle dealing with a Bridezilla? 

I think now people are shying away from the term Bridezilla because it implies that a bride cannot have any emotions, and many have implied the word is rooted in sexism and misogynistic ways. It also started to be used way too much in just describing a woman who cares about her wedding or is particular in any way. 

Usually if a planning bride is frustrated there is a deeper reason. These reasons could be feeling anxious, feeling alone, abandoned, having trust issues, and also not being able to accurately articulate the budget and vision for the day, or even not feeling understood and asking a bride a lot of probing questions, can help with this.

 I haven’t encountered anyone who is just plain rude, but I am also not a wedding planner. Usually people are happy to see that this brand exists. A bride literally just left me the most amazing review saying that my wellness journal was everything she needed, and that it changed her wedding planning experience.

 

 

How do you balance social media marketing and the day to day administrative tasks of running a business? 

Whew! Another work in progress. To this day in March I have not sent out ONE email. After I told my marketing guy I would send out SIX. It is not okay. I will probably manage to send out four this month, which is definitely progress. It requires a day or two of literally creating content for social media, brainstorming ideas, and getting them all out and planned. It is extremely overwhelming and all you can do is take it one day at a time and give yourself grace.

 

How do you protect your peace with clients (business relationships); what boundaries do you set?  

I try to keep business and personal relationships completely separate. This can be my social media, personal stories and experiences that may prompt over-sharing or anything of the sort. So far I have had some great clients and customers and I was told I have the best customer service ever so I try to sound optimistic and happy to help, and appreciative of their support, but with boundaries I usually don’t answer emails on the weekend or calls really late at night. I haven’t had any noticeably bad interactions with clients or customers where I needed to assertively set boundaries they didn’t understand.

 

 

What do you hope to manifest next for Woosah Bride? 

I am manifesting consistency and healthy growth. I have a few new collections I am working on for this year, but I am manifesting some major collaborations, or maybe availability in a store we all know and love.

 

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5  Spotlight Questions! 

 

What is your daily self-care routine?

Meditation music, gospel music, a workout and a realistic to do list.

Best advice you received…

Favorite thing to do when you have alone time… 

I am a foodie and LOVE to travel..but also sleep haha

What would you tell your eighteen-year-old self? 

Study business and Spanish, buy Real Estate, and trust your gut ALWAYS!

What would be your natural talent if you weren’t doing this? 

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To connect with Shonte’

 

 

Instagram | Email | Phone: 410-802-0626