Today we’d like to introduce you to Liz Chatman.
Hi Liz, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I worked in the non-profit community for 15+ years which I loved. I worked primarily in affordable housing with people who were low to mid-income. I was previously a single parent, so I could relate to a lot of things they would go through. About 10 years ago, I was watching HGTV and I decided to try repurposing furniture. I bought a piece from a garage sale that I painted and it turned out beautifully. So, I began buying pieces from the thrift store to flip. I sold mostly to college students, young professionals, and anyone on a budget. Without realizing it, I had created a brand, Urban Chic Living, that was recognized for taking Vintage pieces and making them modern and reloved with paint. I eventually left work to take care of my mother who is sick at the time and began redoing furniture full time. A year afterward, the pandemic hit but thankfully I was able to redo and sell my inventory without having direct contact with people. I also opened an Etsy store where I sell lifestyle products and printables such as digital menu planners and other lifestyle digital items. My husband was on medical leave after having Covid Pneumonia where he almost died so our income changed. I then decided to get a National certification in Home Staging and Redesign and Edesign. This made me realize that I actually love creating a vision for people’s spaces and providing them with shopping links that are perfect and make having an interior stylist affordable. Edesign is my passion! My sister-in-law, a Realtor, gave me my first opportunity to stage a home that she was selling and I fell in love. It was always a dream of mine to sell home decor so my husband encouraged me to get my resellers license which I did. So, we are in the process of rebranding our website to launch home decor and lifestyle products soon on Amazon, Shopify, and our own website. Along with our Etsy shop.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Not at all. Post pandemic there are still supply chain issues. Some of our items have been slower getting here because of logistics which unfortunately a lot of businesses are experiencing. But our mission is to source primarily from other small businesses, especially women of color so as to diversify our offerings. And this helps to not depend on outside countries for items. Plus, we support each other’s businesses.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
We are known for mixing vintage and modern items to create a beautiful space that tells a story. We tend to target women between 18-64. I’m grateful to God for all of the opportunities He’s giving us. My faith in God is what caused me to go from a single Mom to now a business woman who is excited about the future.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
I’ve always laughingly said that I want to be the Black Joanna Gaines. I admire her and her husband’s creativity, down-to-earthiness (if that’s a word, ha), and business acumen. I’m grateful to be working with my husband who is now my business partner and brilliant at business. We want to eventually scale the home decor product line and expand to other areas including food since we are huge foodies too. I’m grateful that at 50+ years old, we continue to dream big and take risks. We are excited about the future!
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Urbanchiclivingllc
- Facebook: Urban Chic Living
