Source: McKenna Patterson Photography / McKenna Patterson Photography
Celebrities like Lizzo and Rihanna have challenged the beauty standard, thus shifting it to prioritize body positivity. Their advocacy encourages women to defer from conforming to societal pressures and honor the bodies they were born with. Diversifying beauty standards and being more accepting of our curves helps women become confident with who they are from the inside out. Jodyann Morgan, Founder and CEO of CTOAN believes in appreciating all body types and she is doing that through candles.
CTOAN is a candle business that intentionally celebrates the human form in all its glory, no matter the gender. The candles promote body positivity and are designed from a completely gender-neutral perspective. With this brand, Morgan hopes to encourage other people like her to see their bodies as a work of art, not a burden that needs to be changed. According to the Black queer entrepreneur with CTOAN, she is re-molding how we see beauty and plans to shake things up in this space.
All bodies matter
Source: McKenna Patterson Photography / McKenna Patterson Photography
“As someone who always struggled with my own body, I had to realize that everyone is not cookie-cutter. We are all different types of people and very diverse. Just because you have a smaller figure compared to others, that doesn’t automatically make you a better person. It is about who you are on the inside that matters. I really wanted to create a company that represents who I am as a plus-size, queer, and Black female. I believe representation matters, and I want to put people who look like me and who are in my community at the forefront,” Morgan says.
With CTOAN, Morgan took a new candle-making approach to monetize her multiple collections. Discovering that more types of bodies needed representation became the mission behind this growing brand. But as you can imagine, being a business owner can have its challenges. The founder shared with HelloBeautiful that it is always best to have a team and a sense of community to help bring her vision to life.
“My biggest challenge has been trying to keep up with the demands in the orders. I have had to find the right team to help me with packaging my products and everything. But I will say, in entrepreneurship, just because you may experience a bump in the road, it is not the end of the world. There are ways to troubleshoot the problem and learn to fix it.”
Source: McKenna Patterson Photography / McKenna Patterson Photography
In addition to promoting body positivity, the inspiring CEO also likes to prioritize self-care. As an entrepreneur, it is essential to find balance to be a better person in business.
“I try to walk around the block throughout the day as much as possible. I don’t do it a lot, but I am getting better at reminding myself to take a break. My favorite self-care practice is hiking and being out in nature because hiking makes me feel powerful. For myself and people who look like me, we need to take up space outside in the world,” Morgan expressed.
With businesses like CTOAN, other entrepreneurs remind consumers that we do not need to fit inside a box. We, especially in the Black community, are not monolithic and deserve an opportunity to be seen and valued. Morgan hopes that other big companies become more open and acknowledge that there are different ways to be beautiful. With all of the different body shapes and sizes that exist in the world, the idea of providing more access to industries such as fashion or modeling should be top of mind. This will contribute to the empowerment of all people in society tremendously.
“I want people to remember that we are all different and we are all the same. We are all meant to be here. I want people to look at our candles and think, if they can see beauty in wax, they are able to see beauty in themselves. It’s all about love and self-acceptance.”
Visit the website HERE.
DON’T MISS…
Plus Size MUA CeeJaye Uses Her Platform To Advocate For Body Positivity and Inclusivity
Lizzo Shut Down Candace Owens’ Fatphobic Comments With An Affirming Instagram Reel
