On Growing As You Go: An Interview with Ndi Jeru Of Tribe And Sol
On June 20 and 21, we hosted craftHER Market (At Home), a virtual marketplace amplifying 60+ women and nonbinary small business owners impacted by COVID-19 closures. Throughout that weekend, we had more than 5,000 virtual guests show up and more than 50% of our vendors used their booths to fundraise for racial justice orgs, too. As we build off of that momentum and continue to navigate a global pandemic, we’re going to spend the next few months profiling some of the small business owners who joined us. This week, we’d like you to meet Ndi Jeru, a repeat vendor at craftHER Market (both online and off).
As the founder of the Tribe and Sol vintage, Ndi curates and creates a wide array of vintage goods—ranging from earrings to woven trays. In this interview with with bbatx committee member A’nysha Aileen, Ndi explores her inspirations and the challenges she has faced as a side hustler and small business owner amid the pandemic.
ABOUT NDI JERU AND TRIBE AND SOL:
Tribe and Sol is a curated brand of elevated loungewear and jewelry offerings that celebrate the traditions of powerful women. Embracing all cultures and curves to enhance the ease of life, Tribe and Sol engages in intimate moments as a ceremony to elevate luminaries who adorn their bodies with ever-evolving style.
Through Tribe and Sol, Ndi honors her mother, a vintage maven, and pulls from the methods of her youth by rebirthing size-inclusive silhouettes that carry the stories of her ancestors. Discovering the value in heirlooms, Tribe and Sol treasures the inheritance of material history as a legacy across generations.
Ndi also creates for the effortless woman drawn to color, texture, and culture—women that are artists, style influencers , and world travelers who live intentionally, love abundantly and walk in power, watering everything beneath their feet.
Can you tell me about the origins of Tribe and Sol?
Tribe and Sol was created to honor the women in my family and the legacy of my Ghanaian roots. From an early age, I’ve had a love for jewelry, invading my grandmother Mattie’s jewelry box of strung pearls, vintage pendants, and clip on jewels. Mattie would sit me on this brown dresser during the try-ons and compliment how beautiful I was. I watched as she crocheted these divine articles of clothing to adorn her daughters.
My mother was really into vintage and would take me to thrift stores and fire sales when I was young to help her merchandise her brick and mortar—and that set the stage for my future, too. I “have an eye for cool things,” as someone once told me. I love to feel the softness of fabric paired with the textures of jewelry. In remembrance, I curate vintage loungewear and create jewelry full of color, texture, and lyrical design. It connects me to home where I’m secure and can abide in my sanctuary as free as I want to be. It gives me a sense of wholeness and I can feel the presence of my beloved Mother with me always.
What drove you to make Tribe and Sol your side hustle?
It’s been a road of unraveling the layers of life, to find my purpose. One day, I went through a really rough patch in life. I had a financial struggle that led to homelessness and I lived in my car for about a year. I knew I had to do something so I prayed. I promised God that if He would restore my stability I would embark on this journey of using my gifts and abilities for His glory. During those times to myself I remembered that being a maker is in my lineage and in 2016, I took a leap of faith (after years of working in retail and being uninspired, not feeling creative at all). I did my first outdoor market in April 2016 and never looked back. I’m motivated by my passion for design and curation discovering different processes keeps my mind on learning and evolving.
In pushing Tribe and Sol forward over the past four years, what has kept you motivated—and what advice do you have for other up and coming Black makers?
Some sound advice for up and coming Black makers—and any artist, really—is be your authentic self. There are millions of people who do cool things. Don’t think you have to copy or mimic another brand just because it works for them. (I see it too often in the maker community.)
People will support who you really are, and who you are is necessary. Stay focused on what is in front of you. Use the resources that you have, and you will be led to the path that is for you. Don’t think you have to wait, either. Start with what you have and where you are, and things will fall into place. Grow as you go. Be confident, speak your truth be open to collaborating with people. Don’t let the fear of being the only one stop you. And for Black makers and small business owners in particular, go out and make your Black voice heard. We need you.
Speaking to resilience in our current moment, what kinds of barriers have you run into with the pandemic?
I was laid off my nine-to-five as a marketer in March due to Covid-19. I didn’t have income for over two months. I was extremely stressed out about the uncertainty of my business and livelihood, not wanting to have old circumstances resurface. On top of that, all of my sales events for Tribe and Sol were canceled. I also applied for small business loans and was denied. I’m trying to find ways to connect with my customers through social media, though. It’s been slow but steady, and I’m hopeful about that.
What exactly does that pivot look like?
The challenge of sustaining myself through the chaos of this world has allowed me to take better care of myself and brand at a pace that feels right. Everything has slowed way down and I don't have the same pressure to produce and meet deadlines. I have been able to take time to get to know the evolved me and understand what I give my audience in the most effective way. Lately, there’s also been an increase of visibility and online sales and activity, which I’m overwhelmingly grateful for.
What is the best way for the community to support you right now?
Right now, I’m investing in my business and taking my art full-time. I would love to have community support by donating to my GoFundMe or sharing in the event if they’re not able to give themselves. It’s not something I would normally ask, but in the last few weeks, I have seen the impact of what community can do. That is what I asked God for the most—support, engagement, connecting with my audience on all levels and those things are beginning to happen for me. I know it’s time to deepen the development of my brand.
Where can people learn more about Tribe and Sol?
To learn more about Tribe and Sol follow my Instagram. I post on my IG stories mostly, and in the highlights on my profile weekly. Subscribe to my monthly newsletter at the bottom of my store’s site to get updates about new products and happenings in the Tribe and Sol community.
