When it comes to high-end handcrafted African-inspired handbags, home fashion, and jewelry, few do it better than Penny Clarke.
She is the founder of Millie’s International Creations, an online fashion boutique that specializes in handmade African accessories.
Penny started the boutique six years ago when she became a furloughed government worker in the capital.
Along the way, she has partnered with Ghanaian artisans to help make the company’s products what they are today.
And since then, Millie’s International Creations has grown from earning around $5,000 a month to now over $50,000 a month in the last few years.
Penny was born and raised in Liberia. When she visited South Africa, she chose to embark on her desire and passion to help women worldwide fully achieve their dreams.
She now works with female designers from all over Africa to help her create distinct earrings, headwraps, bracelets, handbags, necklaces, and more.
How The Business Grew
Like plenty of other Black-owned businesses, Millie’s International Creations grew significantly after the 2020 pandemic.
Part of this was thanks to the global push to support Black entrepreneurs after George Floyd’s brutal murder.
However, most of the company’s continuous sales growth emanates from 7th Pro Solutions. This is a digital marketing agency that optimized her websites and runs exceptionally successful Facebook ad campaigns.
Penny revealed that when she began working with the founder of 7th Pro Solutions, Edwin Jardin, he helped her to create a sales funnel that has literally skyrocketed her company’s revenue by over 500%.
Millie’s International Creations now gets sales every day, and Penny’s biggest challenge is keeping up with inventory; a nice problem to have.
Honoring Her Mother And African Heritage
Penny is the youngest of her mother’s 8 children. She named Millie’s International Creations after her mom, who was a principal and schoolteacher in Liberia, and also worked as an entrepreneur, making and selling cornbread.
Penny’s mother taught her and her siblings how important it is to have several income sources.
Unfortunately, her mother passed away in 2014 due to congestive heart failure and breast cancer.
Nonetheless, her legacy of education, hard work, and entrepreneurship lives on through her children.
Penny, in particular, is using her brand to pay homage to a woman and a place so near and dear to her heart.
To further show her commitment to African women, proceeds from each sale made through her website are donated to several nonprofits in both the U.S. and across the world.
You can check out Millie’s International Creations on Instagram @MilliesInt and purchase some of their goods at MilliesInt.com
