409: Afro Unicorn Creator April Showers’ Journey To Becoming The First Black Woman-Owned Fully Licensed Brand

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

🗓️ 19 June 2024

⏱️ 57 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week in the guest chair we have visionary creator April Showers, the entrepreneurial expert behind Afro Unicorn. April became the first Black woman to own a fully licensed character brand, putting her with the likes of Disney. Afro Unicorn has rapidly expanded its footprint, being stocked in over 3,500 stores.

In this episode she shares:

How she established a presence in seven major retailers across the U.S. and Canada including Walmart and Target
The ins and outs to becoming a licensed character brand, and the major benefits that come along with it
Why she doesn’t solely rely on social media for marketing and what really helped put her on the map

Check out this episode and others on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links mentioned in this episode

Afro Unicorn Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/afrounicorn_official/
April Showers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gotaprilshowers/
Afro Unicorn Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/afrounicornofficial
Afro Unicorn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/afro-unicorn/
April Showers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilshowers/
Afro Unicorn Website: https://afrounicorns.com/

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Guest Social Media Info

April Showers Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gotaprilshowers/
April Showers LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aprilshowers/

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Transcript

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0:00.0	Picture this, static cars, idling engines, angry horns.
0:08.0	Now, picture you, zooming past it all, light and breezy.
0:15.0	Ah, the sweet feeling of whizzing past traffic.
0:20.0	Book your train journey via Avantante westcoast.co. UK
0:25.0	avante west coast feel good travel You're listening to Side House of Pro, the podcast that teaches you to build and grow your
0:39.5	Side Hustle.
0:40.5	From Passion Project to Profitable Business.
0:43.0	And I'm your host, Nikala, Matthew Suleme.
0:46.0	So let's get started. Hey, hey friends, welcome, welcome back to the show. Today in the guest chair I have April showers.
1:00.0	Entrepreneur, innovator, and founder April is the creator of Afro Unicorn, a fully licensed character,
1:08.2	amplifying representation for women and children of color to celebrate how magical, unique, and divine they truly are.
1:17.0	When Afro unicorn creator April Showers realized that her favorite emoji, The Unicorn, was only available in white.
1:25.2	She was inspired to create a more inclusive, conscious brand.
1:29.6	Shattering the Glass ceiling, Trailblazer April is the first black woman to own a fully
1:35.6	licensed character brand with presents in seven major retailers across the
1:40.9	United States and Canada with 25 categories from apparel and accessories to toys,
1:47.6	puzzles, books, bedding, backpacks, collectibles, and more.
1:52.4	Some other fun facts about Afro
1:54.2	unicorn. Afro unicorn works with over 45 licensee partners worldwide and
1:59.9	over the past year Afro unicorn has grown from 1 to 25 product categories with 500 skews across the USA Canada,
2:09.2	including the number one luggage brand at Walmart and a featured brand at Target with three
2:15.0	pull-togethers in the women's girls and toddler girls categories. Afro
	...

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