Exploring Life & Business with LaToya Simpson of The Candidly Speaking

Today we’d like to introduce you to LaToya Simpson.  

Hi LaToya, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Growing up, I was always told to finish school and make enough money to take care of myself. Being raised by a single mother, the advice of joining the workforce and being secure made a lot of sense to me, so that’s what I did. I entered the workforce and while working towards climbing the corporate ladder, I attended and graduated from college. I knew that I was going to school for myself at that point because gone were the days of promotions being offered based on obtaining a college degree. My degree didn’t unlock the next level in my career, but it helped me in other ways. Around 2017, I started to lose interest in everything and had to find something to be excited about that would challenge me to step outside of myself and share my experiences with people who could relate. It was during that time that I began blogging about anything that I could think of. From corporate woes to friendships to pop culture. I talked about it. Even though I loved blogging, over time I was starting to lose interest in that as well. I knew that I still wanted to express myself through writing but couldn’t figure out how. One day I was looking in my nightstand for something and found myself digging through old greeting cards. When I was a teenager, I worked for a greeting card company, and ever since then, I’ve loved cards and I keep them for years. I pulled all of the cards out and started reading them like Celie did when she found all of Nettie’s cards that Mister had hidden from her over the years. As I read the cards, I laughed and got emotional because the personal messages took me back to the moment that I received the card. That day, the lightbulb went off and I began drafting my first greeting card. 

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?
The road to entrepreneurship has been as smooth as Greenfield Road! You know, some spots on Greenfield feel like brand new asphalt on a nice sunny day and other spots feel like you’re being sucked into the earth. Because I’ve worked in corporate for over 20 years, some things come to me easily. Customer service, communication, and sticking to what I want is easy. It’s making the right decisions for the business that becomes challenging. Am I participating in the right vendor events to promote my brand. Did I select the proper wording for this card? Where the hell am I going to get money from for this new project and the biggest challenge has been myself in the form of imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome shows up randomly and tries to talk me out of moving forward, but somehow, I’m still going. 

As you know, we’re big fans of The Candidly Speaking. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
The Candidly Speaking is a woman-owned greeting card and stationery company committed to celebrating the voices, images, and experiences of black culture. I made my first sale in April 2021 and since then I have been building my brand so much so that when people see me out, they say, “Hey, you’re the card lady”. I create greeting cards to promote inclusion in a space where people who look like me have been underrepresented. For years we have had to settle for the greeting card for the baby shower or the wedding that may not completely fit the recipient but because we didn’t have any other options, we picked from what was available. Not anymore. The Candidly Speaking uses language that we are familiar with. Things like “I’m not one of your little friends” or ” You got McDonald’s money?”. These sayings are synonymous with being raised in a black household and my goal is to celebrate our experiences. There are other greeting card companies that provide beautiful art and words that touch the heart, but my cards, paint a familiar picture and instill pride because the card is like family. Because I’m a new business owner, I’m always looking for ways to promote my brand. I’m currently in two Detroit-based stores and I sell via my website. To date, I have my most success at vendor events. What makes me proud is when I see a little girl pick up a journal that has an image that looks like her, or when someone picks up the Birthday B card and starts dancing, or when someone reads one of my zodiac-themed cards and either agrees with what was written or waits to debate because they don’t see themselves that way. The feedback and reactions make me so proud of myself and encourage me to keep going until my cards are on every shelf so that these feelings or laughter or connection are shared as far as possible. The Candidly Speaking offers greeting cards for every occasion, and journals and we will be introducing planners and other merchandise this year. 

Any big plans?
My future plans include The Candidly Speaking being available at all retailers. This includes stores, museums, hospitals, etc. Anywhere that you will need a greeting card, you will be able to find us. We will be introducing planners this year as well as other merchandise and next year we are looking to introduce a forum that will encourage, speaking candidly. 

Pricing:

• greeting cards are $8.00
• journals are $15.00

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thecandidlyspeaking.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecandidlyspeaking/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thecandidlyspeaking/

Image Credits
Shopify