The Chicago Journal

Your Gateway to the Heartbeat of Chicago

How Cookies N’ Kicks Become the Heart of the Sneaker Industry

The modern sneaker era began 50 years ago. Since then, many different shoe brands have risen to claim that they produce the best sneakers. At present, people can find sneakers at every price point, but people still want to invest in high-quality ones. On a mission to dominate the shoe industry for the right reasons, Cookies N’ Kicks launched last April 13, 2019, carrying the most in-demand brands like Nike Air Jordan, Adidas, and Vans. 

Being new in the shoe industry, CEO Eli Hayman has his mind clouded with a series of mixed thoughts. Despite this, he continued to open his doors to the complexities and competition that goes hand in hand with opening a shoe store. This physical store is located on Melrose Avenue. 

Cookies N’ Kicks is popular for buying and reselling carefully chosen sneakers. This growing popularity accompanies an instant escalation of its followers in different social media accounts like Twitter, Facebook, TikTok, and Instagram. Now, the shoe industry recognizes Cookies N’ Kicks as one of the biggest stores and the most popular one on the internet. What makes Cookies N’ Kicks even more impressive is the delicious cookies they offer free of charge with every purchase. This marketing strategy is why they are making a noise in the shoe industry and the media.

A year after its inception, Cookies N’ Kicks has flourished in ways that Eli Hayman did not expect. At first, he was overwhelmed. But then he began to accept how the sneaker culture has become the heart and soul of people’s lifestyle and realized that Cookies N’ Kicks is where it needs to be. 

Although the COVID-19 outbreak has compelled many businesses to shut down, the crisis has only driven Cookies N’ Kicks to step up its game. Having tripled its previous years’ revenues in the past few months, the company has shown everyone that it is a force to be reckoned with. “Customer experience is what we prioritize above all else. I think our focus on creating a community for our customers, and social media growth is the reason why we’ve been so successful during a time where most businesses were failing,” said partner Luca Schnetzler. 

Indeed, Cookies N’ Kicks also knows how to value their people, which is one of its most vital points. The company treats every staff member like family, and gatherings are always present to strengthen the bond these people have. Businesses still thrive and expand when working together to achieve the same goals, which is evident in Cookies N’ Kicks and its management. The way Cookies N’ Kicks operates reflects the way people see it.

Cookies N’ Kicks will not only make shopping convenient in its physical store, since it also has an online store where people can choose from the available brands for sale. The online store is accessible 24/7. This method of selling helped Cookies N’ Kicks reach a global presence. People from different countries will still be able to catch a glimpse of what this merch has in store for them. 

Years from now, Eli Hayman wants Cookies N’ Kicks to revolutionize and dominate the shoe industry by making a global footprint in the media or business. He sees himself expanding Cookies N’ Kicks to cater to more people and gain more patrons. With a mindset like this, Cookies N’ Cookies will bring another era of the shoe industry to become an integral part of people’s lives and stay there for many more years. 

“Ever since I was young, I’ve always loved creating things on my own. Whether it was for art or class get-togethers, my main objective was affecting the environment that surrounded my life in a positive way,” shares Eli as he recalled his beginnings. 

To catch a glimpse of Cookies N’ Kicks, you may visit this official website. 

De’Andre Salter Unlocks Secrets to Sustainable Wealth for People of Color Through His Book “The Culture of Money”

For financial expert De’Andre Salter, one of the essential civil issues that need to be addressed today is the evident racial and economic inequality that continues to plague society at present. It is undeniable that the glaring wealth gap anchored on racial differences gives rise to deeper societal imbalances passed down from one generation to another. Due to this reality at hand, Salter came up with The Culture of Money, a book that serves as a blueprint for people of color in unlocking the secrets to sustainable wealth.

The book, The Culture of Money, goes beyond giving financial advice; it embodies several ideologies geared towards establishing sustainable black wealth and attaining financial freedom. Fueled by his relentless passion in fighting for economic empowerment and equality, De’Andre Salter guides readers in identifying negative behaviors and mindsets that ultimately hold them back from building generational wealth. “This book will change the way you think about your finances. It will help you wake up and learn how money has affected your past, is a driving force in your quality of life today, and will be the largest determinant of your future lifestyle,” explains the rising author.

Behind The Culture of Money is the visionary author, De’Andre Salter. He is one of the most celebrated entrepreneurs in the field of commercial insurance in the United States. At present, he serves as one of the leading black senior executives with over three different Fortune 100 insurance companies. He is also responsible for the establishment of the largest black-owned wholesale insurance brokerage in the country. Moreover, he is an inspirational speaker, pastor, and renowned financial expert. He obtained his bachelor’s degree from Drew University and pursued a master’s degree in Theology from The King’s Seminary. Today, he is pursuing his Doctorate of Ministry and serves as the senior pastor of Impact Church in South Plainfield, New Jersey. On top of this, he is a consecrated Bishop of Administration of the Macedonia International Bible Fellowship. 

At the early age of 21, De’Andre Salter learned the difference between “making money” and “building wealth.” While the realization ended up with him declaring bankruptcy, he was determined to change his behaviors and become a better version of himself. Equipped with extensive knowledge of finance, he went on to build a stellar career as a senior vice president for three Fortune 100 insurance companies. By 30, he was already building a multi-million dollar company.

De’Andre Salter strikes the perfect balance between entrepreneurship and faith. While his life in business and the ministry has been extremely blessed, the path towards success was never easy. However, the obstacles and challenges molded him into the iconic maven he is today. Bearing this in mind, he hopes to remind readers about the striking scripture: “A righteous man passes down wealth to his children and his children’s children.”

With an unbending faith and a relentless passion for economic equality, De’Andre Salter strives to address the overwhelming racial wealth gap by building a black wealth movement founded on community-shared values. Through his latest book, The Culture of Money, he guides readers to know more, own more, and pass down more wealth. Essentially, The Culture of Money paves the way towards measurable financial healing that will last from generation to generation.

To know more about De’Andre Salter and The Culture of Money, please visit their official website.

Eblouir Group (Switzerland) Pioneers Skin Repair

The beauty industry is a highly competitive one, but it is also one of the world’s biggest industries with an estimated $532 billion worth. And within that market, the 182 major beauty companies fall under the massive umbrellas of seven huge manufacturers: L’Oreal, Jonhson & Johnson, Shiseido, Estée Lauder, Unilever, Procter & Gamble, and Coty.

How do brands differ from one another? Eblouir Group, a Swiss dermo-cosmetics lab based in Geneva, has been pioneering Minimalist Skin Repair since 2014. Switzerland is famous for banks, luxury, and healthcare, and pharmaceuticals. Being half medical and half beauty, Eblouir Group has remained true to the “Made in Switzerland” by introducing medical-grade skincare to the beauty business. Co-Founder and Group CEO, Mr. Vu-Hoang Lê, confirms “The focus on dermatologically proven ingredients is paramount to our business. In reality, the cosmetics that really work are the ones that can prove what your skin problem is, and they have the right solution/ ingredients for your skin problems”.

Hence the “Less is More” philosophy was born: removing all potentially toxic elements (fragrance, colorants, paraben, etc.) and focusing on proven active ingredients including Copper Peptide Serum (skin cure and antioxidant), Bio-Cellulose (second skin), Idebenone (anti-Aging), and B5 (wounds healing). For this reason, being a Swiss lab with substantial investment in R&D is an important advantage to leverage in the skincare industry. 

Mr. Vu-Hoang Lê continues “Beauty is in the eyes of the beholder. If you compare beauty standards, they are all different around the world, but they all have one common denominator: they are supposed to be the reflection of your health. This is why we say “Beauty is Vitality” revealed. The healthier you are, the more beautiful you look, regardless of the culture.” In other words, Eblouir Group has been trying to redefine the cosmetics industry by mixing beauty and medical research. 

How successful has it been so far? Eblouir has been operating on the B2B model, meaning that they mainly focus on serving the professional clientele. Within the six years of business, their portfolio represents a network of 6,000 distributors (hospitals, medical groups, hotels, spas, retailers, among others), 140 shops, and 85% repeat business globally. Such authority in the skincare and dermatology arena does not go unnoticed, and the brand awareness is growing strong: their Instagram profile, aimed at educating the beauty consumers towards “Less is More” has now reached over half a million fans. Back in 2014, there was no such thing as minimalist or even medical grade skincare. 

Nowadays, there is no denying that most beauty consumers have now grown very savvy and care about what ingredients they put on their skin. The saying goes like “You are what you eat”. In the same way, “You are what you put on your skin”.

For more information on Eblouir Group, visit their website and follow @eblouir on Instagram.