When 13-year-old Lauryn Jones was in sixth grade, she experienced bullying that shook her to the core. Peers can be unforgiving at that age, but there is something extra attached when your so-called “friends” are the perpetrators.

To rebuild her self-esteem, her dad introduced her to the power of positive affirmations. She has since wielded that tool to create “Sumer Strawbree” — a character brand and alter ego she dreamed into reality.

With her parents, the family launched SumerStrawbree Publishing and released “Black, Brown & Beautiful,” a 27-page book of positive affirmations with illustrations of girls of colour. The company has sold more than 5,000 copies, making $50,000 in less than a year, an executive told Black Dollar Magazine.

SumerStrawbree Publishing later released two colouring books: “Glow Up” and “My Career Glow Up.” The former has been translated into six languages (Swahili and Haitian Creole being two).

On its website, the independent company has built an online direct-to-consumer following. It has audiences in Canada and New Zealand.

Jones has also made appearances on The Kelly Clarkson Show, Atlanta News First, FOX 35, WFTV 9, NEWS 6, WESH 2, Spectrum News 13, The Orlando Sentinel, The Sanford Herald and The Sisaundra Show.

SumerStrawbree Publishing is not targeting a move to retail, but an executive said growing its audience is a top priority.

In 2022, Jones and her family attended a plethora of workshops and speaking engagements, including the Atlanta Ultimate Women's Business Expo; the Orlando Science Center vision board workshop; and a Seminole County Public Schools speaking engagement in Florida.

An executive said the company is focused on “increasing Sumer Strawbree's paid speaking opportunities, independent book publishing consulting and offering online courses on independent book publishing marketing.”

It's targeting the end of the year to reach its six-figure goal, they added.