Mister OK’s Essentials - Precious Hannah-King

Written By Katharine Reinhold

Precious Hannah-King’s journey with Mister OK’s Essentials began with a spontaneous decision that would transform her life.  On November 17th, 2017, as a new mother to 6 month old Onyx, Precious was juggling parenthood with her corporate career at Nike.  When invited to participate in Nike’s holiday festival where she had previously sold handcrafted wallets and bags, she impulsively answered “candles” when asked what she’d be selling - something she loved but had never actually made.

Starting with just $120 and a trip to Goodwill for a double boiler and supplies, Precious created 36 candles for the market.  What she didn’t anticipate was selling out almost immediately and taking 136 orders to fulfill afterward as customers were drawn to her unique scents and perfectly-burning candles.  

While building her business alongside her full time job and parenting responsibilities, everything shifted during the pandemic.  Increased support for Black-owned businesses combined with people spending more time at home created significant demand for her candles.  As national press coverage fueled orders, Precious found herself at a crossroads when Nike announced their return-to-office policy.

She couldn’t imagine going back into the corporate environment after finding so much fulfillment running her own business.  In December 2021, she took the leap, resigning from Nike to pursue her dream of growing Mister OK’s Essentials.

Encouraged by fellow business owners in the community, Precious opened her retail stop despite initial skepticism about her readiness.  The first year brought a steep learning curve - managing a retail space proved significantly different from wholesale operations.  Through persistent marketing efforts, from seeding her product to influencers to sending Travel Portland DMs, her hard work began paying off.

Made in Portland became her first retail wholesale account, followed by a partnership with Powell’s Books, which triggered a cascade of new partnership opportunities (see full list below).  Precious first connected with Built through a mutual connection at Deadstock Coffee, repeatedly encountering the the organization at various events before joining the Built Accelerator, which helped her build a network of fellow business owners.

Now, three years into her retail journey and looking to expand, Precious offers this advice to aspiring entrepreneurs:  “Just go ahead and do it.  Make that bold move - it’s better than wondering what would have happened if you had done it.  Those years are going to pass regardless of if you try or not, so just try!  It’s not for the weak, but it can be thrilling.”

She emphasizes celebrating small wins along the way:  “Did you do a local collaboration?  Yay!  Did you pay yourself?  Yay!  It’s progress over perfection.”  For Precious, this journey carries special meaning as a parent;  “It’s my son’s name on the business,” she reflects, “and I know he is watching me and learning from me all the time.” 

Some of the great brands Precious has partnered with during her journey include:

You can find more about Mister OK’s Essentials here: https://www.misteroksessentials.com/
And follow them on Instagram here.

Katharine Reinhold
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