Meet the Maker: Brianna Downing of Stoop & Stank
The Sable Collective is all about celebrating our makers since they're the main core of our brand and values. The "Meet the Makers" series is about telling the stories of the people behind some of your favorite Sable brands. With the holiday season right around the corner, we wanted to know how our makers is handling the chaos of the holiday season and which of their products would make as great gifts. Stoop & Stank is a local Black woman owned brand who is behind some of your favorite black pop culture pieces including the "African Proverb Thanksgiving Sweatshirt" that is now available on The Sable Collective. We had a chance to speak with Brianna Downings, owner of Stoop & Stank to learn a little more about the person behind the brand.
Brianna Downing, Owner of Stoop & Stank
As a small business owner, how do you prepare for the holiday season? How do you manage all the chaos that comes with the holidays personally and professionally?
I wing it and survive off of wine, coffee, and Jesus! LOL! It’s a lot of long days and nights for me because I also have a day job as a communications consultant. It’s a busy season at work and for my business. To be completely honest, it’s a struggle for me right now. There’s just not enough time to implement and execute on all the ideas and plans I had for BFCM. But I also realize that what is for me is for me and I only got one body. I have a shirt that says, “A black girl will save the world,” but I am not superwoman and some days there will be no magic and that’s ok. I am very blessed that folks love Stoop+Stank and buy consistently year-round. So I look forward to sharing new content, executing new sales strategies, and seizing any opportunities I may have missed during the holiday season.
Via Stoop & Stank
What traditions/rituals do you or your family have for the holidays that you would like to share?
Funny you ask, because this year I do NOT plan to cook! I’m preparing both for BFCM and a weeklong business trip, so, unfortunately, this year I have to sacrifice the turkey. I’m still gonna make the macaroni and cheese though! And probably a pound cake. But my husband said he will cook Thanksgiving dinner. My youngest son is like, are you sure?! I hate the days of cooking prep, take pride in cooking a big dinner every Thanksgiving for my family and seeing the joy on their faces. BUT, I don’t think I’ll miss it this year! *laughs* Mama is tired. I’ll be ready to bake the Christmas cookies next month though!
Via Stoop & Stank
Which products from Stoop and Stank would make for perfect gifts for this holiday season?
We’ve introduced several new soft premium crewneck sweatshirts as well as hoodie versions of some of our most popular tee designs. Most people love being snuggly and warm in the colder months, so I think these would make great gifts. We also have onesies for all these cute pandemic babies and toddler and youth tees. Also, we have hoodies for the dads! Don’t forget dad! I think they would love a Black Dads Are Dope hoodie.
