Diamond Edwards also popularly known by many as “Dime” is all of that and then some. She is truly a jewel of a woman. She served her country as a former officer in the Army who has spent time being deployed in Kuwait, Iraq, and Jordan. While overseas she discovered a great need for herself & her female counterparts unexpectedly during battle when she noticed a shortage in feminine care supplies available. As if worrying about bombings and being under constant attack & threat from the enemy was not enough, she found herself also having to worry about a basic female need of finding organic feminine health items. Not content to just accept this lying down, she decided to find the time in the middle of battle, to do something about it.
What was birthed out of necessity has now become a lucrative 7 figure business. We were able to chat with her about her ambitions for the future expansion of ‘Her Candy Shop’ this year. She also plans to open an exclusively online store specifically for women soldiers to be able to purchase feminine care products and have them directly shipped to them.
You discovered your Passion for feminine health products while serving overseas on deployment pre-covid era due to finding a short supply of options in the base stores known as AAFES in Theatre. What was it that fueled you to decide to do something about it and help service the need by launching your own holistic line of feminine care products?
In life, I have always been a leader first. Since joining the military, I have always been told key phrases such as “if there’s an issue, instead of complaining find a solution”, & “bring solutions, not problems “Realizing there was an issue with the feminine care product availability, for natural products, I immediately knew it was my job to provide a solution versus complaining about the problem. I was fully aware that a complaint would not make any difference as I am only one person, but rather focusing on a solution, is a difference I would be able to make as one person.
What would you say has been the biggest lesson you’ve learned on this journey of pivoting from military life to now launching your very own intimate care brand?
The biggest lesson that I have learned is to remain disciplined. Discipline plays a major role because it ties into everyday operations, relationships, the success of my team & I, etc. the lack of discipline can & will open the door for issues that are avoidable.
While enduring a 20-plus-hour flight you were able to witness firsthand the issues your female colleagues faced alongside yourself. Tell us how did you go about conquering the research that was needed, as well as spreading awareness about your line?
The 20+ hour flight was just the beginning but was also the easiest era of business. Although our Wi-Fi was not the greatest, I was very strategic about the timing I chose to work on the business. Imagine thousands of individuals using the same Wi-Fi, & how slow it will be. With this in mind, I decided to do my research during the hours in which everyone would either be sleeping or out and about around the base, participating in extracurricular activities. This was a strategic move on my part as I knew that the network would have fewer people surfing it, which meant both faster connection & less frustration for me while working. I would even skip out on “hanging out” to ensure I was putting in the time needed to gather all the information I found necessary to be successful.
In your opinion, how important is intimate care in today’s society and why is it important to stay up to date on the different problems the female body is alerting you to pay attention to?
Intimate care for women should always be a top priority. The lack of education surrounding intimate care has taken a serious matter and turned it into a taboo topic everyone is uncomfortable discussing. In my opinion, if more women were open to discussing intimate care, and spreading awareness about the most experienced issues, it would be a lot easier. The uncomfortableness surrounding the topic creates barriers, that prevent the spreading of knowledge that can be helpful due to the feeling of embarrassment being associated with such issues as PH imbalance. Staying up to date, or simply being aware of what’s going on with your body will help women recognize early on, when something is not right with their bodies or when their body is rejecting things, they may be using, eating, and or the compatibility with a partner.
What do you think are some important tips that every woman should know as it relates to intimate care?
One of the most important tips that every woman should know is, issues experienced often start with our lifestyle. Being able to identify our troubled areas and find the underlying issue will allow us to take better care of ourselves. Understanding that our diet plays a big part in the issues we experience can eliminate some of the issues we as women have to cope with.
Lastly, What do you hope to accomplish in the near future? What are your upcoming goals?
We are planning to open another brick & mortar location, here in Atlanta, Georgia. We are also looking to expand into retail. Our goal is to become the go-to brand for feminine health as we are making great efforts to make products available that target many of the most common issues woman experience.
Starting out Instagram was my “Playground” to bring awareness to my brand the ladies fell in love with the content I posted, which would include things such as me riding the bus around the base with my M-4, our chow hall, gym sessions, etc. which allowed them to get to know me as a person. They fell in love with me first, and from there, the products spoke for themselves, and the rest was history. This is how “Dime” in her own words describes how her line has become the dominant force to be reckoned with, in just a little over 3 years.
Diamond Edwards is real and relatable. She saw an important need and due to her wit & military training, she saw fit not to complain but to get busy researching & filling the void as she was conditioned to do. She is a perfect ten across the board, and I know her female troops and women, in general, are both thankful & proud of her for stepping out on faith & finding the time to launch her cruelty-free brand of Feminine Hygiene products.
To quote another one of her favorite inspirational lines “If God is within her, she will not fail”. Her brand is definitely on the rise so be on the lookout for much more to come from her soon.
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