Carmin Black The Brand

Carmin Black The Brand Founder-led. Story-first. Slow fashion, and life in motion. Exclusively:
New:
Store: 1607 Queen St 28401

We believe giving is living. For every HALF UNITED product you purchase you fight hunger and empower lives. Learn more at halfunited.com

06/06/2026

A few wise words from our founder .

1. You have to be willing to network- the saying its not what you know, it’s who you know is so true, so if you don’t know them, DM or call….b/c to succeed you MUST meet “them”

2. Consistency and Focus are how you win- that’s it

3. Build the business you need, not the business you hope happens. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a founder is that you have to build the business in front of you.

4. Momentum beats perfection. For years I thought successful founders had all the answers. What I’ve learned is that most founders are simply willing to move before they feel ready.I’ve sent the email before I knew exactly what to say. I’ve shown the sample before it was perfect. I’ve taken the meeting before I knew what would happen. Most opportunities in my life happened because I moved while I was still figuring things out.
Xx
Carmin

About a month ago I promised weekly videos teaching you how to launch products and get into stores like Free People, Nor...
05/20/2026

About a month ago I promised weekly videos teaching you how to launch products and get into stores like Free People, Nordstrom, and Magnolia.

…and then I disappeared.

Well, kind of. Instead I posted the most random, albeit fashionable haha, things in what I think was an attempt to maintain some sense of normalcy.

Truthfully, I had no idea what was about to hit me so hard:
IVF.

I can’t even believe I’m writing those letters.

The emotional rollercoaster of trying to build a business, show up online, answer emails, smile normally, and quietly carry one of the most confusing things your body and heart may ever go through has humbled me in ways I never expected.

And honestly?
Asking women to continue operating like everything is normal during IVF feels completely ridiculous.

So, I’m choosing to share.

Because too many women feel ashamed for slowing down.
Too many women feel pressure to quietly “push through.”
Too many women sit in doctor’s offices feeling completely alone. I would sit in this position and answer emails, or negotiate deals. We’re strong and this makes me proud and somehow sad all at the same time.

This has changed me. And I’m glad to be back-
Back to creating.
Back to teaching.
Back to building.

But I’ll probably need some grace while I navigate the highs, lows, pain, fear, hope, and everything in between.

And I will be doing this in my own unique, authentic way.

Behind so many women you admire online right now are stories you cannot see:
Pains,
Sleepless nights,
parking lot tears,
and whispered prayers all throughout the day.

So let’s go easier on each other.
I have more motivation to help you than ever before. Not to work more or harder, but to show up….because you are going through tough things too. This is the least I can do for you. 🫶🏽

You all know I wear many hats. These days when people ask me I tell them I’m a “product designer” or perhaps a “creative...
05/07/2026

You all know I wear many hats. These days when people ask me I tell them I’m a “product designer” or perhaps a “creative director.” They’ll say “what do you design? “Oh handbags, and jewelry, and hair ties.” HAIR TIES!? Haha!!

It’s a funny thing to explain but & a big part of making sure ALL of these products are represented in the dreamy way I envision them is by bringing them to life in photos and videos. gets IT. Why? Well she’s incredibly talented, but I think it’s because she gets…me.

We meet regularly & do we talk photography? Kind of. We moreso talk about faith, and our dreams, our travels, our struggles & then with 30 seconds remaining “oh yeah and the photos…” haha!

It has to be this way with creativity. Why? The magic happens in the moment, and rarely ever have I not been on site to dress, and style, edit and direct… but with her it’s really not needed.

All to say she’s nailed our recent campaign with & is making this Mother’s Day a serious moment!!!

I cried twice this week over a shipment.Not because of the handbags, but because they were a week late… and sitting in m...
05/01/2026

I cried twice this week over a shipment.

Not because of the handbags, but because they were a week late… and sitting in my own town the entire time.

All in a day’s work!

What you don’t see is that these handbags have been years in the making. My partnership with goes back to the COVID days. Nothing about this is overnight.

But business doesn’t care how long you’ve been building.
Things still go wrong. Shipments get delayed. People leave early. Plans fall apart.

This week, I felt it.

Years ago, I would’ve spiraled. Truly.
Now, I cry, take a breath, and get back to work.

So today I called the team in Waco, packed everything up, and by the time I was done… they’d already left for the weekend.

Not ideal. Still handled the best I could.

Because this is what it looks like to build something real. Not perfect days, just showing up anyway.

Keep going. One day it has to pay off. 🥳💃❣️🫶🏽🫶🏽🫶🏽

magnoliamarket womeninbusiness startupjourney keepgoing realbusiness founderstory hardworkpaysoff

04/16/2026

I have to be honest with you…I really thought jewelry design was in my past.

That’s the thing about life though, isn’t it? Never say never, ever.

A trip to , a few upgrades to some of my favorite original motifs, some very fun meetings with the iconic later, and she’s back!

People keep asking me- are you doing jewelry, or designing handbags to sell exclusively at , or helping people online with brand building, or focused on - to which I say “yes!” 😀

Like the remarkable I consider myself a - a fancy, and tongue-twisting word that refers to someone with multiple roles.

I like living my life this way. Don’t get me wrong, consistency and focus are THE keys to success, but for me as long as each one compliments the other we’re in business!

It’s so fun to be back! I hope you cherish these designs. I took great joy in making them for you. ❣️

I tried to be cool and just post random brand building content whenever the spirit moved. What a flop. I just can’t do i...
04/06/2026

I tried to be cool and just post random brand building content whenever the spirit moved. What a flop. I just can’t do it! I don’t have it in me to give you less than my best! So if we’re going to do this together. Let’s do this well!

On a whim, I shared a video recently about my experience building businesses and selling into:

Nordstrom, Free People, Whole Foods, Simons, Wegmans, Belk, Buckle, Altar’d State, CVS, Magnolia, Johnny Was, South Moon Under, The Paper Store, and over 900 independent retailers across more than a dozen countries.

And then I tried to just… wing it from there. Post here and there. Share thoughts as they came. A true FLOP.

So I stepped back and here’s how we’ll build this the right way:

1. CARMIN’S CLASS
Free, structured lessons delivered through my broadcast channel.
This is where I’ll teach you, step by step, how to build a product, price it, position it, get it into stores, and scale it.

2. CONTENT HERE
This will be more fashion, lifestyle, and brand insight.
What I’m seeing, what I love, what works, and what doesn’t, along with behind the scenes of building HAIR DEUX in real time.

3. CARMINBLACK.COM
You’ll be able to see everything come to life, the products, the positioning, and how it all actually works in the real world.

4. IN PERSON CLASSES
By Fall 2026, I’ll be offering small, focused sessions for those who are serious about building a real, scalable brand and getting into retail.

If you want the real, step by step guidance, the kind that actually helps you move forward, join my broadcast channel now. I’ll be sharing everything there first when this launches.

This isn’t theory.
This is what I am doing right now. 🥹🫶🏽

And if you’re building something, or want to, I’m really excited to do this with you. Excited for this!!!

04/01/2026

& so we begin!
Let’s make like author of “7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” where he explains that you should clearly define your desired outcome before taking action, whether in business, life, or relationships.

👉 Know where you’re going before you start
👉 Define success first, then work backward
👉 Make decisions aligned with your long-term vision

So today make a list of the top 100 DREAMS you hope to achieve before you die. these should be both personal and professional ambitions so that when we compile these into shorter 12-18 month goals you understand and can see how one may fund or fuel the other! That’s all for today!

Here we go!!!! 🏁🏁🏁🏁🏁

03/26/2026

A day in the life building : I promised to give you brand-building content so I tried to make this video voiceover completely true and authentic.

It looks so boring! But I have to tell you (and Queen would too) life and business really is based on the rule of thirds.

1/3 fun
1/3 boring
1/3 challenging

Not everyday looks exciting, but I promise it’s in the mundane that the magic happens!

DailyGrind

03/21/2026

Class is in session this week!!!! Join along! We begin NOW ❤️❤️❤️
🎉🎉🎉

Happy 💕May we love and value ourselves deeply, chase our dreams boldly, and be so kind to the people around us that th...
03/08/2026

Happy 💕

May we love and value ourselves deeply, chase our dreams boldly, and be so kind to the people around us that the little girls in our lives (like my niece here, and my others as well) grow up hoping to be just like us. 💕

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1607 Queen Street Suite 101
Wilmington, NC
28401

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Wednesday 10am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 5pm
Friday 10am - 5pm

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