Check Out Ebony Bagley’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ebony Bagley. 

Hi Ebony, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I was born in Detroit and moved to Southfield, Michigan in the 4th grade. From a very young age, I immersed myself in the community participating in a ton of activities that helped to make me the person I am today. When I was younger, I was in band, drama, and I also was into technology thanks to my exposure at a young age to coding and tech through DAPCEP. 

In high school at Southfield Lathrup, I continued many of these activities and also at the age of 15 began working as a camp counselor at the Southfield Civic Center I would work there for the next 10 years eventually becoming the youngest program director when I turned 21. 

I attended college at Wayne State University and upon graduation, I worked as a teacher for seven years. During this time, I also freelanced and wrote for a lot of publications including, After 5 Detroit. Due, to my tech background I was able to not only write for After 5 but I also learned a lot about the technical side and how to really utilize social media to drive revenue. This role also helped me to connect and fall in love with the City of Detroit and all it had to offer a young professional. Teaching and working in the public in this way connected me to the people of Metro Detroit in a whole new way and it would spark my next chapter. 

In 2015 I decided to leave teaching and pursue a career in news. I probably would have went into news instead of education but my parents were big on me choosing a specialized field back then. At any rate in 2015, I decided to leave the teaching profession. A lot of things went into this decision including the way the field had changed since I started and the lack of work/life balance. I was recently married and now a mother to a 1-year-old and I couldn’t see myself spending the next 30+ years in the classroom or a school where I felt undervalued. Plus, I had other gifts I wanted to share with the world. 

So, in 2015 I left teaching and enrolled in Specs Howard Media Arts School 15-month program to get my skillset together to enter the news business. Specs paid off and before I graduated at the top of my class from the program, I had interned at Fox 2 and NBC WDIV and upon graduating I was hired as a producer for NBC WDIV-Local 4 News in Detroit. 

Was this an easy transition? Yes and no…my husband and I financially sacrificed during that time to put me through school and although he worked as an engineer I was working part-time when I could doing various jobs such as working as a program director for Birmingham Public schools and tutoring on the side. Thank goodness for the teaching background! Additionally, I also thanks to the internet took e-courses on cyber safety and upon completion started a Facebook page informing people about cyber safety. I also started going around the community presenting on internet safety and cyber awareness. I am a natural hustler. 

The fun part was excelling in the industry and working my way into a producer position in a year. Doing this taught me to believe in myself. I would continue working as a news producer for the next 5 years at NBC and then CBS Detroit. I then gave birth to my second child and desired a work/life balance that the news just didn’t offer. 

I accepted a position with the American Heart Association as a communications director for Southeastern Michigan. The great thing is since I worked in news in the metro Detroit area, I had made a lot of contacts that would help me in this new position. It was around this time when I also was appointed to Oakland County Parks as Commissioner. My life is fully true circle and it is definitely thanks to my ongoing work in the community and past experience with the parks system that I got this prestigious appointment. 

When covid hit like many I was shocked but during a crisis, I always look for opportunity and one thing Covid gave me was time. Time to think build and create and thanks to the encouragement and help of my close friend, another mother who is also a former teacher Joanna Serra, I learned how to start an online business and that is how the Ebony Heritage Collection, LLC was born! 

The Ebony Heritage Collection specializes in creating educational designs that celebrate Black culture. Some of my designs include my best-selling Kwanzaa learning blanket, Lift Every Voice and Sing Lyrical tapestry, and a full line of wall tapestries highlighting key Black figures in history who made a difference. I also have a line of digital downloads and photos celebrating Black culture and history. 

This collection has allowed me to combine many of my gifts from my love for Black history and culture to education. I also am able to use my background in social media and marketing to promote my business. All of my items in my collection are designed by me using computer software and are designed with our families and children in mind. 

Since launching in 2020 The collection has hit over 400 sales and items have been shipped to all 50 states the UK and South Africa. My best-selling item is by far the Kwanzaa learning blanket. 

As a wife and mother to two, I am enjoying working for the AHA and running my online business which helps to celebrate Black culture. 

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?
I would not be living the life that I now live if I did not sacrifice. When I left teaching – although I ended up at Specs Howard I did not know if that would work. I really had to trust my gut and cut out the noise because this was way before covid and most people around me thought I was crazy for leaving teaching – until it worked!!! 

I also want to stress the fact that during this transition to another career even though I wasn’t making a whole lot of money from teaching we still took a pay cut as a household which forced my to pick up side jobs/hustles when I could to maintain my lifestyle. When I first started working in news – news people know!! The pay is low. But I knew that the experience I was getting at two major networks was invaluable. 

A huge thank you to my husband Kris for supporting me through my career changes. When you are doing a lot of things it’s so important to have a supportive partner and village. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am so proud of the Ebony Heritage Collection it is my passion project and as someone who likes to find opportunity when there is a crisis, I know that focusing on my business has mentally helped me get through the pandemic. My collection is inspired because I love my culture. I was raised in a household where my parents celebrated being Black and made me proud and aware of my identity through exposure to Black literature, art, and film. Through, my collection I hope to spread the message of Black pride through design and to normalize it in all spaces. It brings me so much joy when I see my tapestries and designs being used and displayed in homes as well as classrooms because this was the goal. 

Kwanzaa, is also something that was passed down from my youth from my family and I have to be honest back then – in the ’90s? Kwanzaa was not cool! At all! It was something I kept to myself because I was afraid other kids would make fun of me but the older, I got the more important I realized the holiday was. With all of the racial tension in America and across the world I know the importance of education and having a sense of pride. It’s also important to focus on positive and uplifting images. This is what my collection is about – us having pride and normalizing our culture. Sharing black culture. Not being ashamed. This is why one of my first designs was the reversible Kwanzaa learning blanket which not only beautiful and made in traditional red, black and green Kwanzaa colors but also it features the seven principles of Kwanzaa as well and their meanings. It’s an excellent learning tool and an amazing way to spread and share the message of Kwanzaa. 

I also have a line of wall tapestries featuring some of the greats like Muhammad Ali, Nina Simone, and Angela Davis along with a beautiful photo and one of their iconic quotes. These are excellent for classrooms and schools. 

Over the years my love for graphic design has grown through working with media and my skillset has also improved so I am able to design all of the items myself that sell in my ETSY store and online. When you sell on ETSY you are truly a part of a community and I am grateful for the platform and the support. 

What was your favorite childhood memory?
As a child, one of my favorite memories has to be going to summer camp. Moving from Detroit to Southfield my mom would put me in summer camp in Southfield. This allowed me to get to know children throughout the area and make new friends. It was the best time. I must say these experiences is why I fell in love with my community. It’s also why it is important for me in my role as parks commissioner for Oakland County to do my part to make sure this remains an amazing place. 

Pricing:

• Kwanzaa Blanket $40
• Wall Tapestries $30

Contact Info:

• Email: ebonynicolebagley@gmail.com
• Website: www.etsy.com/shop/ebonyheritageco
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/ebsknowsbest
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/ebsknowsbest
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZg18JSjFvTTSPngaV_UxHA