Tara L. Paige had seen the number of members growing on the online community she created to share outdoor living and decorating but didn’t realize its full reach until she went to purchase a stool another member had posted about. Then, the cashier told her the store was sold out nationwide, because “some Facebook group” had made it popular. A few weeks later, a floating wine glass she had seen and wanted was sold out for the same reason – her Facebook group.
After creating and growing the group, Black Women Who Love Outdoor Living Spaces, for the past six months, Paige saw its potential to be more than a place to share ideas, but as a place to build a community based on shared interest and shared backgrounds as Black women. So last month, Paige took the BWWLOLS concept and launched her own lifestyle brand and online community called The Patio Chic.
“When doing that I started looking for inspiration online, I found every one of the people who look like me and I was like… I wanted to have an option and there was no option,” Paige, CEO and founder at The Patio Chic, told NTX Inno. “So I was like, ‘I wonder if there are other women like me that want to do something like this,' and I created this group.”
BWWLOLS was created almost as a pandemic project in early April, after Paige and her family had moved into a new home. As the pandemic forced many to shelter in place, Paige began sharing decorating ideas for one of the spaces she found most calming in the new house, the large back patio.
“The pandemic hit and everything came to a halt. Everything stopped. And so I was talking to my husband and I was like, ‘You know what, I’m going to go and do my patio,’” Paige said. “I love being outside, I enjoy the nature sounds, I enjoy just being there.”
Within a few months, the group gained more than 200,000 members, adding nearly 10,000 new members and garnering more than 3 million impressions each week. And at this point, The Patio Chic was born.
“What I teach is that everybody has their own secret sauce, so whatever you do always be your authentic self,” Paige said. “It literally organically took off like wildfire and people enjoy the space. It’s a calming space. It’s a space of love. It’s a space of peace. It’s tranquility, it’s inspiring, it’s empowering.”
When entering The Patio Chic’s site, users are greeted with Paige’s signature “hey, Suga” greeting. And beyond, they can find blogs and various aspects of outdoor living and decorating, as well as ways to connect and share ideas with other enthusiasts. In addition, Paige has launched her own The Patio Chic line of products, which currently includes shirts, glasses and face masks. However, she eventually plans to add outdoor accessories like pillow cases, umbrellas, gardening gloves and fans.
Currently, Paige is working with retailers to get The Patio Chic products on the shelves. She said she has already landed some sponsorships through Sam’s Club.
“It’s all about togetherness, it’s all about love, it’s all about enjoying each other and bringing everyone together,” Paige said. “It’s a neutral language for everyone and we all enjoy doing that, sharing recipes, sharing laughter, sharing love… the patio is just a nice place to come together and it breaks barriers, and I love being that person who is able to open that door.”
Paige said the core mission is to help bring people and families together by sharing and enjoying their outdoor spaces. However, she added that she hopes it can also be a community for other Black women to help break barriers or find a place to recharge and escape from some of the emotional toll the current crisis and social movements for racial equity have created. Paige also hopes that by becoming a public face of outdoor living style, the space for other Black influencers online can be widened.
“The group is more than just a space just for Black women who love outdoor living spaces, it’s that empowerment space because… it's heavy out there right now. For me it’s been heavy my entire life, being a Black woman,” Paige said. “It doesn’t always have to be so rigid. It doesn’t always have to be so heavy. It can be all love. We can all share different thoughts and processes, but we can love each other all the same. We can sit out with a nice glass of wine and some great laughs.”
What started as the BWWLOLS project has now become a full time job for Paige, where she oversees a team of about 20, along with 26 moderators who keep the social media discussions running smooth. Entirely bootstrapped, Paige said she hopes to continue to grow The Patio Chic into a household name.
“The one thing about women… is when we invest in something we really invest in something and we take it to heart. The women in the Patio Chic group, these women aren’t just putting in cushions, these women are putting in pools, these women are laying concrete,” Paige said. “When you realize you have another place to extend and you can add the beauty of outside, then you want to spend more time. It’s self care, it’s self healing. That for sure is definitely trending, that people can just go outside and it’s a really comfortable space that they have created… that’s an extension of their home.”
