Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaye Carter.
Hi Jaye, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Heyy, I’m Jaye Carter and I am the founder of Jaye Sent Me! Jaye Sent Me began as a simple passion back in 2020. I’ve always wanted to be an entrepreneur and I started attending networking events around Memphis. I started meeting like-minded people and everything formed afterwards. I ended up with so many business cards, and I just had to share the businesses I found out about with others. I love recommending Black-owned businesses to my friends. Over time, I saw how much our community needed a consistent space to be seen and supported. There is a gap in how Black-owned businesses are being highlighted and supported and I want to try and fix that. Growing up, I watched how other cultures had strong networks and ‘village’ support systems, and I wanted to recreate that for us. What began as a small passion project—sharing my favorite local Black businesses—has grown into a full-scale platform and podcast where entrepreneurs can connect, barter services, and reach customers who intentionally want to shop Black on purpose. That’s what sparked my hashtag #shopblackonpurpose! I want everyone to shop black the first time — not as a second thought or last resort! Shopping black on purpose means you’re intentionally and purposefully circulating the black dollar back into our community! Every step of the way, the goal has been the same: to make sure our businesses, voices and stories are seen, heard, and celebrated.
I created a Black Owned Business Directory group on Facebook, which is now the Jaye Sent Me BOB Collab Group for businesses to collaborate and barter! Now, I’ve grown the directory into a separate digital download with hundreds of local Black-owned businesses around the tri-state area available for download right now! The Jaye Sent Me Black Owned Business Directory is an up-to- date directory for local Black Owned Businesses. The whole purpose behind it is for any and everyone that wants to support a black owned business can do so easily and hassle free! Whether you’re looking for a lawyer, a barber, or a spiritual life coach, you can find it simply at your fingertips with this digital download!
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely hasn’t been as smooth as I thought it was going to be. Long days & longer nights, searching for new and old businesses to feature, plus weeding out a few bad apples was no easy feat. Building something new while working with limited resources, learning technology on the fly, and getting people to see the vision were all challenges. Not to mention being a mother of 2, all while juggling building this platform. I definitely couldn’t have done it without my fiancé, Clif. He helped me tremendously through this process. But, each struggle taught me something and pushed me to build a stronger, more intentional platform.
We’ve been impressed with Jaye Sent Me , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Jaye sent me is a platform created to highlight, support, and connect black owned businesses with customers who intentionally want to #shopblackonpurpose. It’s part community, part directory and part passion. I plan to continue to give back to the community, help people in need whenever and however I can and uplift people so that they can be inspired to give back as well. I specialize in building visibility for black owned brands. Most small businesses can’t afford to market their business properly and I put business owners in front of new, potential customers for free, making it easier to discover and support them! Unlike other platforms, Jaye Sent Me isn’t just a list a businesses, it’s more of the start of a new revolution. It combines a space for entrepreneurs to barter services and share knowledge with a media platform that amplifies their stories. I’ve built this from a genuine passion for connection, so it feels personal, trustworthy, and rooted in culture rather than just doing it for money!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
I love the food and soul. This city has a rich history of music, food and a culture that no other city has. The grit and grind that Memphis shows, despite what others may say is unmatched. The support and sense of community here is what you look for when starting a business and Memphis has it!
What I like least is seeing how much potential Memphis has and sometimes it goes untapped. There are so many talented people and amazing small businesses here, but they don’t always get the exposure, recognition and resources they deserve. That’s part of what drives me to do what I do with Jaye Sent Me!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.linktree.com/jayesentme
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayesentme?igsh=dXo0dGV1b2Vmdnhi
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/17JErsdGwB/
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@jayesentme?si=iLAJtBKgKL9Yfzq0
