Proud Howard University Grad turned Entreprenista, Krista Carter of A Loyal Society, speaks on her “Why”

Describe your business in a few words:

I’m Krista and I’m the Founder of A Loyal Society. I create all of the gift boxes and self care relaxation products here that you’ll find at A Loyal Society. I am the mama of an adorable and on the go preschooler. My intention is to create inspiring relaxation gifts for you and those you love, with a sense of elegance.

A Loyal Society is a lifestyle self care gifting company that creates modern gift boxes with self care essentials for fabulous women.

What was your background prior to starting your own business?

I’m a proud Howard University graduate and have enjoyed a 15+ year career as a fashion buyer for department stores.

Did you always know you wanted to be an entrepreneur?

Yes, I have had the dream of being an entrepreneur since I was a little girl. I was always interested in doing entrepreneurial projects even way back then, so it’s a dream come true!

Take us back to when you first launched your business, what was your marketing strategy to get the word out, and did it go as planned?

When I first launched my business, I began by building a small following on Instagram but had to learn a lot along the way. It took a while for things to pick up, but I eventually started getting more visibility and had some great press features that really helped my brand to build momentum.

What is the accomplishment you are the most proud of to date?

I am most proud of being featured as a top black owned self care company in a featured for Self Magazine. I’m really passionate about self care and inclusion in the wellness space, so that really meant so much to me as a founder!

Do you believe in work/life balance? What are some of your best tips?

I believe in a flow to work and life. As a mom working from home, especially in the pandemic, I know that it can be really hard to separate the two. I’ve found more success in this area personally by integrating smaller self care moments into my daily routine vs. trying to wait until work and my parenting for the day are complete to then find time for myself. I try to do at least 2-3 shorter moments of self care each day.

Some of my own self care rituals include doing simple and quick things like sitting outside on my patio for 10 minutes with a cup of tea in the morning or at lunch and just relax with no phone/ no distractions and just listen to the sounds of nature taking place. Most days, I take time to set an intention in for the day as I light one of our candles, which always makes me feel relaxed or I’ll take 10-15 minutes to meditate in the morning or before bed.

A newer routine that I am loving is that I set up a little tray of self care treats that I keep on my bed, including a lavender essential oil, a pillow spray and a nice body butter as a way to remind myself to take a couple of minutes to pamper myself right before bed. That’s been easy to maintain and feels so great after a busy day!

What have you achieved recently that you’d like to celebrate with our community?

I recently launched new gift boxes that I’m so excited about and they’ve been really well received. One is a spa theme box, called Spa Queen and the other is focused on helping women to settle into better rest and is called Dream Queen.

What’s next for your business? What can we expect to see over the next few years?

I’m really excited to continue curating new gift box themes for women and those they cherish to enjoy. I’m also looking forward to begin subscriptions for our boxes and to do more custom work with clients and corporations.

What excites you about being an Entreprenista League member?

I’m so excited to connect with amazing women business owners and to learn about their passions and stories!

Learn more about the Entreprenista League and join today!