Sometimes, a small business doesn’t need a miracle. It just needs someone to notice. Ashley La Bomme-Benson had been quietly building The Bomme Sweets, a Black-owned cookie business in Los Angeles, one order at a time. There were cookies to bake, boxes to pack, customers to serve, and a business to keep growing. Like many small business owners, Ashley was doing the work long before most people knew her name.
Then one unexpected shoutout changed the reach of her story. During Black Business Month, Ms. Rachel shared Ashley’s business with her audience as part of an effort to highlight Black-owned businesses. Suddenly, a small cookie business that had been growing quietly was introduced to a much larger audience. And people showed up. According to reporting from Good Good Good, The Bomme Sweets brought in an amount equivalent to a month’s rent within just 24 hours.
Someone Simply Said, “Look at What She’s Building.”
Ashley had already done the hard part. She had created the business, made the cookies, and put her work out into the world. What changed was visibility. One person used their platform to introduce her work to people who may never have discovered it otherwise. Those people then had a chance to become customers, supporters, and part of the story. It is a simple example of how community support can work. You don't always have to own a business to help one grow. Sometimes you can place an order. Sometimes you can recommend a business to a friend. Sometimes you can share a post. And sometimes, you can simply say: “You should know about this.”
Small Businesses Carry Big Dreams
Behind every small business is more than a product. There is usually a person who decided to take an idea seriously enough to build something from it. A box of cookies may look simple, but behind it can be early mornings, long nights, financial risks, creativity, and the hope that the next customer will become another person who believes in the work. That is why visibility matters. Sometimes people don't need to be convinced that a business is worth supporting. They simply need the opportunity to discover it.
When Community Shows Up
Ashley’s story is a reminder that support can travel quickly when people choose to pass it along. One person shares. Another person discovers. Another places an order. Someone else tells a friend. And suddenly, a small business that was once known by a few people is being talked about by thousands. That doesn't mean every business needs a viral moment to succeed. It simply shows what can happen when visibility meets community.
And perhaps that's the most beautiful part of this story. Ashley baked the cookies. But someone else opened the door. Then the community walked through it.
Seeing Black Businesses Is Part of Supporting Them
Supporting Black-owned businesses doesn't always have to look like a grand gesture. It can be as simple as paying attention, finding a business you didn't know existed, sharing their work, telling someone about their products, or making your next purchase from a business that deserves to be discovered. Because sometimes, the most meaningful support begins with three simple words: I see you.
And sometimes, one person saying those words can help a dream travel much farther than its owner ever imagined.
See them. Share them. Support them.
Because when we help good stories travel, we don't just support a business. We help more people discover the people, creativity, and dreams behind it.
Story based on reporting from Good Good Good about The Bomme Sweets and Ashley La Bomme-Benson.