Upbeat products emphasize the positive
About a year ago, Crystal Hill decided to create her very own small business, Chill’s Customized Creations, that offers eye-catching personalized products. Although running the business requires hard work, Hill says she finds it liberating and exciting.
The website of Chill’s Customized Creations announces Hill’s business passions with bold white lettering on a cardinal red background: “You dream it, you make it!” Hill carries that outlook in bringing customers’ creative ideas to fruition.
She successfully developed an impressive product line, and customers can choose from a wide variety of options. She focuses on creating empowering t-shirt designs aimed toward uplifting women of color, sparkly earrings, coffee mugs, and her signature wine glasses.
Chill’s Customized Creations has a common theme of cheeriness through positive affirmations. The words are geared toward encouraging and enriching the lives of Black women and women of color in particular, who are often underserved and underrepresented.
Hill is passionate about enriching the lives of women because of the trials and tribulations that women of color experience, including herself. She expressed the challenges of being a woman-owned business and how trust isn’t automatically given, but rather how it must be earned from customers, because her business is new. She finds it hard to pursue her dreams as a female of color because of resistance and lack of support.
Products on Hill’s website exhibit nothing but support: a t-shirt displaying an outline of a woman who is rockin’ a natural updo, ruby red lips and a fancy gold message on her shirt boldly stating “Unapologetically Me” and “#Queen” right in the corner of the shirt. A classy water bottle is also carefully positioned next to the shirt that says “Embrace Who You Are.”
Another product that stands out shows a powerful image of a woman with a faint blue-hued afro and mocha-colored neckline placed upon a sunny yellow t-shirt. The positive message is illustrated as strands of hair interwoven throughout the encouraging words “Confident, Strong, Talented & Powerful.”
It’s important to highlight the hot item Hill can’t seem to keep in stock — her swanky, upscale wine glasses.
Success in business is related to one’s attitude. Hill’s cheerful disposition exudes optimism and she’s very passionate about living her dreams. “Having an opportunity to get up every day and love what you do makes me happy,” she said.
Hill is dedicated to her craft, as well as ensuring customer satisfaction. She values business ethics and wants to ensure customer satisfaction in creating professional, entirely custom creations at an affordable price.
Furthermore, Hill utilizes art as a way to express her creativity in her own unique way, and it provides an opportunity for her to provide for her family. Each order essentially helps her put food on the table. She also hopes people will support all local small businesses and “be supportive, give everyone a chance.”
As for what motivates Hill, she said it would have to be her family, including a one-year-old Chihuahua who weighs 12.5 pounds and serves as the dog model. The poised pup also inspired the new line of dog bandanas she’s currently working on.
As well as being an online retailer, Hill has taken Chill’s Customized Creations on the road as a vendor for various events. She’ll be at the Faith Lutheran Craft Fair/Block Party at Evangelical Lutheran Church Sept. 8, the Autumn Market Place at the Anoka County Fairgrounds Sept. 28 and 29, and the Holiday Craft & Vendor Fair at The Legacy of St. Anthony on Nov. 16.
For more information, visit www.chillscustomizedcreations.com.
Ashley Lauren is a contributing writer at the MN Spokesman-Recorder. She can be reached at alauren@spokesman-recorder.com.
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