Meet Ebony Phinisee, a human resource professional and Founder at Chosen Kids, a Bible-based online kids’ clothing store.
A well-rounded country girl with old school Southern principles, Ebony Phinisee learned the value of hard work and passion pretty early in life. Although a native of Atlanta, she lived in Mississippi with her aunt and uncle, working at their restaurant and learning values that others pay hundreds of dollars for. She was taught finances, how to run a business, how to hire and fire employees, and everything in between. By the time she was in 5th grade, she felt like a magnet who was ready to learn as much as possible. She was rude to a customer at the restaurant once, and her uncle took her aside and taught her a lesson she still remembers to this day. He said, “When you want or need something these are the people that make that happen.” He listed a few things that she liked and made her realize her mistake. Since then, she became serious about her job and what it stood for.
Being a full-time human resources professional, Ebony works 8-5 every day. But she has been a creative person all her life, and her passion to help people led her to start a concierge service (Bumps, Bags, and Babies), a full service to shop for the mom-to-be, set up and organize the nursery and baby proof the home. She started helping her friends with newborns for free, as it was never about the money for her. Things were going well, but she wanted to do something different, something no one else was doing, and that’s how Chosen Kids was born.
Talking about her venture, she says, “Chosen Kids, which is a Christian/Faith-based t-shirt line for kids, is something that I am very proud of. My passion for God has driven me to produce a Christian kids line that speaks God’s word to our children. My inspiration comes from Matthew 22:14 (my favorite verse). This line is to encourage every child with God’s word and his promises. It is to promote love to all, no matter what walk of life or struggle one is born with or going through. I feel this line allows people to see love, humbleness, and care through the eyes of a child.” The idea is to serve people and help children express themselves through bible verses that speak of healing, love, hope, assurance, and strength. Ebony is also a full-time mom with two kids. Her son is autistic, and she has to focus on his care along with the job and her apparel brand. She is planning to start an autism line to spread awareness about it.
During this journey, the greatest challenge Ebony has faced was with her own mental health. Having been diagnosed with ADD and depression at a very young age, she was held back from reaching her full potential at first. But with time, she has learned the ability to deal with it and the future challenges that may come along. Many parents appreciate the quality of her t-shirts and how well they are put together. Also, there are kids asking their parents to contact Ebony to make them t-shirts. This fills her heart with happiness and awe. She is quite overwhelmed with the response and dreams of running Chosen Kids full-time one day.
Sometimes responsibilities and circumstances come in the way of our dreams. This does not imply that you are giving up; rather, it indicates that you are taking your time to come back stronger and more prepared. Ebony is doing the same. Leaving an inspiring message for her readers, she says, “I would encourage everyone that reads this to follow their hearts. I know it sounds cheesy, but it’s true. When that one thing keeps tugging on your heartstrings, listen. We as women have the intuition that comes with being a woman, and we don’t use it enough. It will actually guide you to making the right choice along with a little prayer!”