Brown Sugar Dreams Come True

Written By: Girl Tyler

Izzy & Liv was listed as one of the fastest-growing companies by INC Magazine in 2020 landing at #560 out of 5000, and number 13 in New Jersey, where our headquarters is based. We earned small business love through Beyonce’s BeyGOOD Foundation in conjunction with the NAACP. We saw Lebron James’ baby girl rocking our little girls pajamas – that was nice. In the fall, our founder Nicole W. Brown was featured in Forbes for her vision behind Izzy & Liv. Then in February 2021, Forbes welcomed us into the first class of the Next 1000. And how did we get here? A leap of faith.

Several years ago, it became glaringly obvious to Nicole that Black Women were not being seen in the digital space. The number of digital lifestyle brands centering Black Women as the primary consumer was scarce. She saw a problem and came up with the solution. Despite personal hurdles and many sacrifices, Nicole followed through with her vision. Izzy & Liv was born in 2014. Three years later, we launched the Brown Sugar Box. Today, we reach hundreds of thousands of women around the world each and every month.

“Brown Sugar Babes, I am so proud of what we have become together. I am proud of myself. I am proud of you. We’ve done well together. NEVER EVER did I imagine that we’d create this amazing sisterhood and community of Black Women who support each other on a daily basis. I never aspired to be an entrepreneur but I saw a need to serve Black Women and stepped up—and you responded. For that, I am forever grateful.” -Nicole W. Brown 

May her story invigorate you to follow through with your dreams. Imagine what you can accomplish over the next seven years with determination and a committed team in place. There’s a space for you in any and every industry. Be confident in knowing that people will show up for you. Fear is crippling. “What if I fail?” “What if people laugh?” “What if I make a mistake?” Here is something to consider, what if everything works out in your favor? The first step is to get started. Invest in yourself and the rest will fall into place. 

Identify your purpose. Develop a strategy then execute it. You will encounter obstacles along the way which is a great indicator of growth. Keep going. We wouldn’t be here without you. There’s power in your influence. Tap into it!