Oakland Couple With A Side Hustle That's Taking Off

Here’s the story of a side hustle created by an Oakland-based BIPOC couple as a result of their passion for travel.

Ashley Sharma (half Latina, half Indian), who manages marketing for a woman’s wellness company, and her fiancé, James Baker (African American) a lawyer, love to travel and they wanted to create a side hustle they could care equally about. James is really into gadgets and finding well-made gear, and Ashley loves fashion and has always been an overpacker. Her Dad worked at United Airlines her entire life so they landed on creating a travel accessory brand because it was something they could actually both use.

A few years back on a flight to New York City, they were changing planes in the Midwest, and as they were running through the airport to catch their connection, Ash’s large purse kept falling off her shoulder and flailing around everywhere. Determined there had to be a better way, they came up with the Cincha Travel Belt — a mix of Ash’s love of style and fashion and James’ passion for gadgets and well-made gear.

Some fun side notes about their business:

• The product is produced in China. They’ve never been and communicate with their manufacturer almost entirely via WhatsApp.
• It takes a village to run a side hustle. The belts are stored in Ash’s parent’s garage, her sister is the product model, and friends and family help spread the word.
• Saturdays are their fulfillment days - they like to put on music, pour a little vino, and pack all of their orders for the week. Their apartment ends up looking like a tornado, but it's worth it.
• The first trip they took a Cincha Travel belt on was Italy. This three-week journey was the best road test for their new venture.
• The first time they got a huge order (over 13 belts), they thought it was an accident and James reached out and asked if the person really wanted all those belts. She politely replied saying she was getting ready for Christmas (6 months early).
• Every time they get an email notification for an order, Ash yells out "ORDDDER!" 
• Ash would love it to be so successful that one day she can do this full time.

 

Thanks for your time and let me know if I can provide any additional information or introduce you to Ash and James.

Best,

Jane Coloccia
JC Communications
917-930-0062
[email protected]