Today we’d like to introduce you to Kimberly Jenkins.
Hi Kimberly, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I was born with sickle cell anemia, a genetic disease that causes excruciating pain episodes. Before the pandemic, I was teaching elementary school and the district I was in, KISD, did not approve my work accommodations from my doctor. Being that I was immunocompromised for Covid according to the CDC, a work accommodation was necessary to protect me from getting sick in the early stages of the pandemic. This kept me at home on leave, left to come up with a master plan. I did a lot of research on entrepreneurship for years and even more during the pandemic. When my job as a teacher was in jeopardy, it felt like that was the right time to go for it! January 2021 came and I hadn’t been to work all school year since I was on leave. A close friend of mine, Coach Jay from the Coach Jay foundation in Miami, did a week long cleanse with his close friends across the country via zoom. It was a time to get centered, fast, eat healthy, and manifest what we wanted out of the future. This is when I started back with taking sea moss daily. That same weekend I couldn’t get my normal medicines from the pharmacy that I take for my sickle cell and I was without. It took about two days of me taking sea moss before I noticed how well I felt and how great it helped me with my condition. I didn’t even miss my medication. That had not happened in years, or ever! At that time of fasting, the vision about what I needed to do and wanted to do to start my business had become so very clear. God placed it on my heart that I needed everyone dealing with health issues to get natural healing relief from sea moss the same as I had in that weekend and beyond. Within a month, my business was up and running, black history month at that.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My health is always a struggle and I have to take it into consideration in anything I do. Being a vendor at markets, the extreme weather can be a trigger for pain crisis and sometimes I am working and the pain hits. I have become so used to masking the pain until I can get home and try to remedy the situation. Sometimes I have to go to the ER, stay a few hours, and leave to make it to a market or complete tasks regarding my business. That will probably always be the biggest struggle of mine. Even traveling can be a struggle because I must prepare myself to do so. Plane rides can cause pain because of the pressurized cabins and the flow of oxygen in my blood, road trips are a concern because of the threat of blood clots from sitting too long and making sure I have somewhere to go in case I need medical care when I get to my destination. So for a very long time, I had fears of traveling long distances for these reasons. There were places I wanted to go to do the research before starting my business and once I stepped out there to travel abroad and it was successful, I knew there were really no limits for myself. All in all, God has kept me and I lean on him to get me through. I always have.
As you know, we’re big fans of Kimberlalei Co. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Kimberlalei Co. is moving in a direction where I want to offer many quality products within the health/beauty realm.
I started with the sea moss gel and waist beads. Sea moss is grown in the Caribbean waters only and I make it into a gel here locally. At the rise of the pandemic, it became very popular because of its effectiveness to boost the immune system as another defense against Covid and the common cold/flu. I believe it is truly amazing for all bodies. Sea moss contains 92 minerals out of the 102 our bodies are naturally made up of already. When we replenish these minerals almost in totality, our bodies thank us by now doing what it is supposed to do. Your levels are regulated now and whether or not you have diabetes, your insulin levels are regulated. Same with high blood pressure, it regulates it. Many of my customers are able to forgo their medications and use sea moss as a natural alternative. It is also amazing for congestion as it clears mucus, regulates digestion, promotes weight loss because it regulates metabolism and pain relief as it is anti-inflammatory. Sea moss is considered anti-aging as well because it can be used topically for acne, psoriasis, and eczema. Some other uses include extra nutrients in plant water, a deep conditioner in hair, safe for kids and dogs and recommendations for pregnant women.
Waist beads are a tradition that comes from the women in the African culture. They wear waist beads for many reasons like waist training, posture, femininity, womanhood, fertility, body positivity, and body goals/weight loss. For weight loss, the beads are tied high and as you lose inches in your midsection, they start to fall to the hip. This helps to measure body growth goals. Pregnant women also wear them to see how their body changes over time. Many people feel empowered and an extra sense of confidence wearing waist beads that they never thought they would have. I started selling them because the beads I bought from others would always break within weeks. My beads are great quality and I have now had my longest beads on for about 15 months!
I want people to know that my brand will always be about quality and not quantity. I am very serious about providing my customers with the best products. There is fake sea moss on the market because some people grow it themselves which defeats the purpose of all the natural benefits from the ocean. I do my research and I know that this is a concern in the sea moss market. Some individuals that sell it do not know the difference between real or fake sea moss or that it even exists. I could never be so negligent in asking people to support my business and I have not done my due diligence.
I started from my own personal health journey, so it is always important for me to keep that in the forefront of why I do what I do. Money is not a motivator as much as my customer’s overall health is a priority. Celebrating my one year businessversary this February is exciting and I have a few new products that I will be offering at markets as well as online, a recycle program and a loyalty program for my customers. Stay tuned!
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I have lived many lifetimes. As a kid, I participated in beauty pageants, dance teams and was very scholarly in school. I graduated from a historically black college and university named Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta, GA where I majored in mass media. After college, I worked for many years at the Walt Disney Company the Home Depot HQ in African American marketing and sales, and I did some acting on popular tv shows/movies.
Pricing:
- Medium Sea Moss (16oz) $20
- Large Sea Moss (32oz) $40
- Waist Beads $15
Contact Info:
- Email: Kimberlalei@gmail.com
- Website: www.Kimberlalei.com
- Instagram: Instagram.com/kimberlalei.co
- Facebook: Facebook.com/kimberlalei.co
Image Credits
Product photos of sea moss are both from CP PHOTOS The photo of myself and my son selling at the market are from Texas Farmers Market at Mueller. The rest are from me.
