Meet Our Founder, Nicole
Hey Friend! If you're new here, My name is Nicole W. Brown and I am the founder and CEO of Izzy & Liv. While I tend to keep a low profile, quietly working hard behind the scenes, today I’d like to answer a question that I am often asked, "Why did you create Izzy & Liv?”.
OVER 20 YEARS AGO...
In 2002, I found myself searching for websites for Black women. There was no shortage of sites for women in general, with a few images of Black women sprinkled in here and there, however, I wanted a quality, created with me, a Black woman, in mind as the primary consumer. There was a void to fill so I decided to create it myself. In 2003, I launched a community website for women of color called Mahogany Butterfly (MaBu).
We had an amazing community, but unfortunately, after almost six years of running the site while also working a full-time 9-5 and being a wife and mother to my then three children, MaBu became overwhelming. I had to shut it down. I always regretted that decision.
As the years passed, I could never shake my creative ambitions rooted in a desire to deliver products that celebrated my culture. I knew that I wanted to dive back in and foster a community for Black women but I kept putting it on the back burner. Until...
WHAT DOESN'T BREAK YOU...
In 2012, while pregnant with my fourth child, I developed HELLP Syndrome a life-threatening pregnancy complication causing my body to start to shut down. The only cure was to deliver my daughter via emergency c-section, at just 26 weeks. Born at 1 pound, 5 ounces, she was so tiny, my ring fit over her entire arm! She spent her first four months in a NICU followed by a year in and out of hospitals for surgeries and doctor visits. During that time, I struggled with the emotional toll of caring for her, and also raising my three others. The feelings of guilt over what I felt was my body's betrayal, constant worrying, and sleepless nights were almost suffocating.
Despite the stress, I learned a great deal about the meaning of life, faith, and determination. In times of crisis, sometimes your greatest passion will fully blossom. You never know what tomorrow will bring, so why wait to pursue your goals? Despite everything that I was juggling, I gained a sense of clarity, motivation, and a drive that I had not felt in years. Having two daughters, Isabel (Izzy) and Olivia (Liv), also reignited my desire to provide an outlet for both Black women and little girls who want and NEED to see more of themselves in the mainstream. So, I decided to focus on building a company and a career that I could be passionate about and proud of, for others to enjoy.
In 2014, Izzy & Liv the company was born
BEYOND MY IMAGINATION - IF "BLACK GIRL MAGIC" WAS A WEBSITE
Fast forward years later and sometimes I have to pinch myself! We have serve thousands of customers and ship hundreds of thousands of packages each year. We have fostered a community with our Brown Sugar Box, where once perfect strangers come together to meet up locally each month, becoming real-life sister-friends. Black women of all shapes and sizes wearing an Izzy & Liv tee, spot each other at an airport…at an event…at a grocery store—greeting each other with a warm smile and a “Hey girl hey! I see you.” These moments fill my heart with so much joy! The love and support behind Izzy & Liv has been beyond my wildest imagination,and I have you to thank for it.
My children have been able to see firsthand the value of hard work and chasing your dreams. Icannot begin to describe the joy I feel when my adsons ask if there is anything they can help me with at the office, or when I pick up my daughters from school or dance class and they ask me "Mommy, can we go to our office?". Our office. These girls are growing up with an office space with their names hanging over the door! The beautiful thing is that to them, it's normal. That blows my mind, and it is all because of YOU.
Your support, your patience, your spreading the word, your inspiration, your love, your reviews, your photos, your videos. Your messages letting me know that what I am building is beyond just a brand, more than just apparel and accessories, and more than just a box. Izzy & Liv is a community and a sisterhood. It's our contribution to the Black-girl-magic-take-no-prisoners movement!
We couldn't have accomplished ANY of this without your continued support and I appreciate you beyond words. This is OUR time, y’all!
We are just getting started, and it is an honor to continue to serve you.
Nicole W. Brown
Founder & CEO, Izzy & Liv
@nicolewbrown