5 Ideas You Can Execute on Today to Buy from Black-Owned Businesses for the Holidays This Year

Lots of us buy special things for clients, co-workers, family and friends as the seasons start to shift toward the holidays. Here are 5 ideas you can execute on today to buy from Black owned businesses.

Why this focus?

Real economic health and vitality requires that we close the wealth gap in the United States. We have an unsustainable national crisis situation and our purchasing and investment habits can be part of the solution. I will let Wikipedia explain in greater detail as well as how it plays out along racial lines. Or perhaps you prefer this infographic from the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis. Where I live, the Black Economic Council of Massachusetts (BECMA) is pulling together data, building networks and insisting that as a region we move the needle.

Holiday chocolates won't save the republic.We need key policy changes and new patterns of both public and private investment in things as disparate as housing, public transportation, education, career readiness, sustainable energy infrastructure, supply chains, and tax reform.

But while the nation is working that out, you should not underestimate the powers of wine, chocolate, watches, luggage, chutney and hot sauce.

I am not being entirely facetious. One of the most influential roles we play is that of customer. There is a critical opportunity - and obligation - to be a conscious customer in order to drive outcomes we desire. As American artist and culture shaper Andy Warhol said, "[t]hey always say time changes things, but you actually have to change them yourself."

Here are 5 ideas you can execute on today to buy from Black-owned businesses right now and as part of your personal and professional gift buying this season.

ONE: Wine

As they say on their website, "Hop on the Brown Estate bandwagon." Brown Estate is the first and only Black owned winery in California's Napa Valley, and has established a national following built on their reputation for zinfandel (Achieved a score of 91 on Wine Spectator) but they now offer a whole range of choices. This is a family operation and is turning heads. It is still small enough for you to really impress your network when you bring them onto the bandwagon. Here's another challenge: Are they on the menu at your favorite restaurant? Are they on the shelves of the wine shop you go to most often? Be the one to make the connection. Just do it.

TWO: Chocolate

There are companies that signal their appreciation by sending clients chocolate every year. It is hard to argue with the wisdom behind establishing a tradition like that. When you order from Chocolate Therapy which ships all over the United States and to many locations abroad, you are really sending a message. This the good stuff. It is offered in Nordstrom, Bloomingdales, and Starbucks as well as in the Framingham, Massachusetts store, pop-ups around Boston and of course online. Your purchase is an investment in proprietors David and Pam Griffin. As the Bay State Banner reported in 2016, "[t]he Griffins’ philosophy is to get creative in combining ingredients for delicious but also health-conscious products — and to invite the customer along for the ride."

THREE: Watches, Wallets and Luggage

A recurring favorite of mine is Talley and Twine located in Portsmouth, Virginia. I wear their watch, carry their wallet and bought my wife their luggage and fully endorse everything about all three. I love the products and the comments people make when they see them always start a conversation that leads to reinforcing the kinds of messages I want to associate with. Just listen to how founder and CEO Randy Williams describes the brand: "We like to operate outside of the "norms" and away from the long-standing gatekeepers of the watch industry..We want to set the standard for future generations, and we want to look good doing it. The number seven on the face of our watches represents completion and serves as a reminder to always finish what you start."

FOUR: Chutney

I am no foodie though I really like things that taste good and are made with simple, fresh ingredients. I have to confess that before I met Celeste Croxton-Tate, owner of Lyndigo Spice, I didn't really understand what a chutney was. If that sounds like you - I have two things to report. One is that I looked it up (definition from Merriam Webster is "a thick sauce that is made from fruits, vinegar, sugar, and spices") and two is that friends, clients and family members have given Lyndigo Spice chutneys as hostess gifts and holiday gifts - to rave reviews. And as Celeste says on her website, "I began making the Pineapple Chutney to cool down the heat of my Jamaican Jerk Chicken that I would make for my clients and their guests. Not Everyone can handle Jerk! They would always ask me if they could purchase the chutney in stores. My response was always "not yet." At every event most people would be leaving with Pineapple Chutney on a small plate to enjoy later. Now several years and many recipes later I have created a line of chutneys, relishes, fruit spreads and spice blends for you to enjoy!"

FIVE: Hot Sauce

Hillside Harvest makes the exact kind of item you want for a creative, premium quality gift: Hot sauce. I tried three different kinds of Hillside sauces at the Mass. Black Expo just yesterday, where founder/owner Kamaal Jarrett was exhibiting and sharing samples with the care and curation only an artisanal foodie could deliver. It was awesome. The products are in upscale gourmet shops and farm stands alike - kind of the perfect mixed metaphor for his recipes and history: an MBA and former finance guy who has channeled a family legacy and appreciation for natural ingredients and strong flavors. This Boston Globe review captures the details. A package of three different hot sauces for your friends and clients around the holidays? Now that is an inspired idea.

Getting the picture? Every one of these businesses is owned and operated by an entrepreneur who has a commitment to core values and a vision for how he or she wants to grow. And these are leaders whose choices are emblematic of their commitments and their brands - from ingredients to marketing channels, causes they support and how they hire and contract with vendors.

When you think about your business (or your family, or yourself) are you being intentional? Be a conscious customer. See where that takes you.

And again - let me be among the first to say, happy holidays!

Andy Tarsy is founder and principal with Emblem Strategic LLC.