From Welfare to Walmart: Former Detroit Judge Pivots After Losing Everything And Lands Retail Deals
Brianna Laren
G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs is a line of all natural body scrubs that are available in Walmart and Target stores throughout the entire country. Founder, Tiffany Cartwright, was an Assistant Attorney General and Administrative Law Judge for the State of Michigan before lay offs in 2012 and 2016 left her jobless. She was suddenly unemployed, with no health insurance, and no plan.
However, that didn’t keep her down for long. She soon developed a line of body scrubs by mixing natural ingredients she began using to treat her daughter’s eczema. What once was a home remedy and holiday gifts for friends and family turned into an empire she named G.L.A.M. Body Scrubs.
Cartwright successfully pitched her body scrubs in Walmart Open Call, an annual initiative targeting products made in the U.S. Her products did amazing online at Walmart.com, which led to G.LA.M. making to the the shelves of 400 Walmart and Target stores across the country. Tiffany was featured in Entrepreneur Magazine for this achievement.
The mission behind G.L.A.M Body Care is even more amazing than the products themselves. Tiffany has made a commitment to employ and provide resources to women who have been victims of human trafficking in Detroit. She also provides resources to women reentering society after incarceration. We were able to talk to Tiffany and learn the inspiration behind starting her brand, diversity in the beauty industry, and more.
Q: What inspired you to start your business?
A: What inspired me to start my business was the fact that I lost my job my home my car and ended up filing for bankruptcy and had nowhere to go but up.
Q: Do you feel there is representation of Black women business owners in your industry? Why or why not?
A: Black women are severely under represented in this industry which is evident by the fact that right now African-Americans only occupy 6% of the retail space.
Q: How can the beauty industry continue to provide access to diverse women business founders?
A: The industry can continue to provide access to diverse women business founders by affording them the opportunity to pitch their products for retail shelves and then providing the additional training as well as funding for marketing and promotion which are crucial part of staying on the shelf and being successful in retail.