Tabitha Brown has claimed a new title to strengthen her commitment to small businesses.

In her journey as an entrepreneur, she has leveraged her social media platforms—originally catapulted to fame by a viral video of her enjoying a TTLA (tempeh bacon, tomato, lettuce, and avocado) sandwich from Whole Foods Market—to foster meaningful connections with her community. Through her vibrant spirit and authenticity, she has also cultivated a strong following base, leading her to benefit from customer acquisitions.

That support is evident through ventures such as her natural hair care brand, Donna’s Recipe, which is available at retailers such as Ulta Beauty.

“Social media has been EVERYTHING for my business – it’s how I got my start! I know people say that ‘Followers are not dollars,’ but for me, it has been the secret ingredient to my success,” Brown said in an email Q&A with AFROTECH™. “It has allowed me to build a true community based on authenticity and vulnerability, connecting with people to share not only my passion about my businesses but to also hear their stories as well. The honest connection I have with my followers is a foundation of my success.”

Brown’s portfolio also includes a fragrance company, in partnership with her husband Chance, and the launch of several collections with Target, featuring apparel, swimwear and accessories, home goods, food products, and entertainment products.

She views scaling a business as “cutthroat” but sees a light in the tunnel when teaming up with others who can reciprocate support. One example is her friend and producer, Stephen Love, who was hired to be her manager. In the process, the pair landed 56 deals, as AFROTECH™ previously told you.

“I’ve learned there’s enough for everyone. Building a business can feel very cutthroat, accepting things you don’t quite feel comfortable with and feeling like you need to cast people aside to get ahead. However, you can choose to gracefully build a business in a way that not only allows you to thrive but also strengthens the community around you,” Brown mentioned. “In doing so, you’ll find cyclical support, supporting others so that they can support you. Caring about their business so that they can care about yours. It goes beyond just friendly competition. It’s recognizing that we go farther and make a difference when we work together as a community of businesses.”

Clover’s Chief Empowerment Officer

Understanding the power of community and support, Brown has added a new title to her portfolio as Clover’s first chief empowerment officer. According to a news release, the “all-in-one point-of-sale solution” aims to empower small business owners and has tapped Brown to share untold stories about her journey in business, strengthen connections between its leadership and communities, and engage directly with business owners to present opportunities, among other initiatives.

“I am starting a whole new chapter in my life as Clover’s first Chief Empowerment Officer, which allows me to share my passion for small businesses with my audience across the globe. And together, we can create an advocacy platform for the small businesses that build our communities,” Brown said.

Brown’s contribution aims to improve the outcomes for small business owners. A statistic shows that of the 33 million small business owners, nearly 1.6 million create jobs each year and have $5.3 trillion in annual revenue; however, half will still fail within five years. For this reason, Clover offers mentorship, workshops, and webinars to support learning and networking, along with solutions for inventory management and sales tracking—all while collaborating with Brown.

“At Clover, our intention is to better serve small businesses by equipping them with the world’s smartest point of sale. To succeed, it is vital we understand the inner workings and complexities that small business owners face,” explained Shannon Watkins, chief brand, marketing & communications officer of Clover’s parent company, Fiserv. “By partnering with Tabitha Brown and harnessing her unique perspective, business acumen, and limitless spirit, we can connect with small businesses in a way we never have before. She knows what it takes to build a business that transcends just a balance sheet. These small businesses leave a lasting impact and reflect the communities in which we live and work.”