One of the unforeseen consequences of George Floyd’s murder was an intensified focus on Black-owned businesses. Some, like Susan Clayton’s WhitePaws RunMitts, found new demand created an immediate need to scale operations.
"Being a small business owner is a lot like running a marathon. Your passion is the ignition that gets you up and training. You have a clear goal and the determination to work through whatever obstacles might come your way. You pace yourself; you don’t want to work yourself too hard at the very beginning and burn out. If you’re lucky, you also have people supporting you, cheering you on as you cross the finish line or, in entrepreneurial terms, as you make your very first sale. My team is the city of Baltimore, where my small business, WhitePaws RunMitts, is based. As you can probably tell, I am an avid runner and served for several years as a coach with Back on My Feet, which organizes early morning runs with the homeless community across the city. During harsh winters, my hands got extremely cold on runs. One day, I saw a friend running with socks on their hands and thought, “I could probably make something better than that!”
That’s when the idea for WhitePaws RunMitts — a patented glove designed to be convertible, thumbless mittens with inside pockets for hand warmers – was born.
My business didn’t really take flight until 2020. When George Floyd was tragically murdered, there was an intense rallying cry for consumers to support Black-owned small businesses. As one of only two outdoor winter gear companies owned by a Black person at the time, interest grew from prospective customers and the media about my product. It wasn’t until outdoor retailer and co-op REI wanted to sell my product at select stores that I realized I needed to scale my business operations quickly and efficiently.
Fast forward to 2022, when I received my biggest order to date. It was also during this time that GoDaddy — a brand that I rely on for my small business technology — started filming me for the fourth season of their inspiring docuseries, Made in America. Prior to this, I participated in an entrepreneurship training and networking program in Baltimore organized by Empower by GoDaddy – GoDaddy’s global social impact program partnering in local communities to support small business owners – and Impact Hub Baltimore.
That program helped accelerate the way I use technology to manage and grow my business. Empower by GoDaddy became extremely vital in guiding the development of my small business website and e-commerce platform, so the opportunity to work with GoDaddy to tell my entrepreneurship journey really excited me. This season of Made in America follows entrepreneurs in Baltimore as they overcome business challenges and achieve success. For me, this meant exploring how I would raise funds to fulfill my biggest order to date to supply 80 REI stores. I entered Baltimore Homecoming’s Crab Tank pitch competition for a chance to win $25,000. There was so much riding on this competition; it would change my life. With the prize money, I could secure financing for manufacturing and scale my business to new heights.
Despite nerves, I remained my authentic self throughout the entire pitch process. That shone through and when I was awarded the funding, I truly didn’t believe they picked me. It was a turning point for me and felt like the beginning of the next phase of my journey.
Through my business, I want to continue to give back to the Baltimore homeless community and people living in shelters by not only donating my products but inspiring others with the idea that you don’t need a big, world-changing idea to start a company; it can simply be about building a better future for yourself and those around you."
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