by James Coulter
When Teresa Lewis gifted vegan influencer and author Tabitha Brown with an inspirational T-shirt during a book tour, she assumed she was simply giving her favorite celebrity a birthday present.
Little did she suspect that her small business would experience a significant boom in orders and potential customers after Tabitha promoted her T-shirt on social media.
Nearly a week ago, on Mother’s Day, Tabitha Brown shared a Facebook reel where she was wearing the T-shirt Lewis made for her. The shirt had the Bible verse Jeremiah 29:11 and the words “I Know” printed on the front.
The Facebook reel received 9.6 thousand likes, 1.6 thousand comments, and 2.3 thousand shares. It also caught the attention of Lewis, who was stunned in a state of overjoyed disbelief.
“I could not believe that someone like that would have on my shirt,” Lewis said. “This is someone who has been to esteemed places. She is now in movies, her own kids’ show, and a lot of big things. Sometimes, I cannot believe it. I am excited this is happening.”
Even more of a surprise was the influx of orders her business, 3Ts Creations and Designs, received following the social media post. Within one week, she received more orders for her merchandise than when she first started her business.
“My business has taken off again because of that,” Lewis said.
Lewis started her business, 3Ts Creations and Designs, during the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic. Originally, she started sewing masks as a hobby, which quickly turned into a business with her making masks for individuals, nurses, and other professionals in the healthcare field.
Later, her business transitioned into designing custom t-shirts with inspirational messages and artwork. However, following the end of the pandemic, her business began to decline, which made the sudden boom within the past week even more spectacular.
“As people started returning to their jobs and a sense of normal life with COVID, my business took a nose dive,” she said. “My sales were not on top. So, business has been like a struggle.”
During the pandemic, she also began to follow the content of Tabitha Brown, a vegan influencer and author.
“With everyone being inside and using social media more, she tells her story about her being vegan,” Lewis said. “She is a very inspiring woman who talks about and shares candidly about her rise to fame. She has become a very regarded social media influencer.”
So, when Brown published her new book, “I Did a New Thing: 30 Days of Living Free”, Lewis was more on board with attending her book tour, which included a stop in Clearwater.
Even more interesting, Brown was hosting the book tour during her birthday. So, Lewis, being a huge fan, decided to make a custom inspirational T-shirt and presented it to one of Brown’s attendants at the book tour.
What started as a humble gift for a favorite celebrity influencer quickly became a huge marketing asset for her faltering business. To not only be recognized by someone she admires but also for that recognition to earn her extra profit through her struggling business, was nothing short of a pleasant surprise.
“The inner thought came to me to make one [a shirt for her for her birthday, the Holy Spirit told me to make a shirt for her,” Lewis said. “Also, in regards to the t-shirt that says I know. We may not know the path we are going down, but spiritually, God always knows, So I embrace this new journey, this new opportunity with my business, and I am looking for bigger and greater things to come.”
