463: From $300 Side Hustle to Seven-Figure Scent Empire

Side Hustle Pro

Nicaila Matthews Okome | Side Hustle Pro Media

Nicailamatthewsokome, Blackwomenentrepreneurs, Sidehustle, Blackpodcast, Sidehustlepro, Marketing, Sidehustles, Business, Smallbusinesspodcast, Sidehustleshow, Blackownedbusiness, Blackwomenownedbusiness, Blackwomen, Blackentrepreneurs, Smallbusinessshow, Businesspodcast, Entrepreneurship, Smallbusinessowners

4.8 • 1.8K Ratings

🗓️ 21 May 2025

⏱️ 54 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week in the guest chair we have Maekaeda Gibbons, Trinidad-born founder & CEO of Brown Sugar Babe, the cult-favorite fragrance and body-care brand whose body oils like Wild Card and Rich Auntie just keep selling out.

In this episode she shares:

Turning a $300 paycheck into a side hustle that now ships 10,000+ orders a month
Her exact growth playbook: pop-ups at Atlanta’s Ponce City Market, a 20,000-member Facebook group, and influencer collaborations that went viral on the internet
How she approaches exploring various side hustle ideas as a multi passionate side hustler

Highlights Include:

00:00 Intro

06:00 Personal connection to scent

09:00 Turning a business to a hobby

15:00 Marketing strategies

21:00 Financial growth and investment

30:00 Importance of discipline in business

40:00 Navigating debt

46:00 Breaking the stigma around money

53:00 Managing tariffs and business costs

55:00 Tips for entrepreneurs

Watch episode 463 on YouTube and listen on all podcast apps

Links mentioned in this episode

Brown Sugar Babe Website: ttps://www.brownsugarbabe.net/
Shopify (e-commerce platform) – https://shopify.com
Ponce City Market Makers Market – https://poncecitymarket.com
Asia Evans, Financial Therapist – @asiatherapy on Instagram
Brown Sugar Babe Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brwnsugarbabe/

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Transcript

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1:02.4	Yeah, like you really have to adjust your thinking. You have to adjust your plan because like,
1:09.7	you know, if your goal, oh, I don't want to be in debt,
1:12.0	I don't want to be in debt, then you really have to have a conversation.
1:20.3	You're listening to Side Hustle Pro, the podcast that teaches you to build and grow your side hustle
1:26.2	from passion project to profitable business.
1:29.4	And I'm your host, Nikaela Matthews Okome. So let's get started.
1:35.5	Hey friends. Hey, welcome, welcome back to the show. It's Nikaela here and you are in for a treat
1:41.2	and an awesome, vulnerable, real conversation with Makata Gibbons today.
1:47.0	So let me get right into her bio.
1:49.4	Makeda Gibbons is the founder and CEO of Brown Sugar Babe,
1:52.5	a fast-growing fragrance brand known for its natural, high-quality fragrances, and body care.
1:59.3	Dub the internet's favorite body oil, the brand has captivated audiences through its social
	...

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