Meet Bridget Francis, The First Black Woman To Create A Travel-Friendly Sanitary Solutions Company

Hotels can be a bit, well, gross. Regardless of how nice the hotel is, sometimes the sheets and towels aren’t cleaned properly. Serial entrepreneur and New Orleans native Bridget Francis experienced this and wanted to find a solution. Francis, a self-described “germaphobe” started traveling with her own towels and bedsheets. However, the extra baggage and costs in fees weren’t cutting it. She found that there weren’t any beautiful, disposable towels and bedsheets on the market, so she created her own, B Luxury Essentials.

Courtesy of B Luxury Essentials

B Luxury Essentials was born in the pandemic and quickly took off. The brand sells everything you would need for a sanitary travel experience such as toilet seat covers, biodegradable bedding, towels, and more.

Francis is the first Black woman to create a travel-friendly sanitary solutions company and she’s on a mission to help other travelers stay safe while on the go.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Bridget Francis about how her hometown, New Orleans, influences her as an entrepreneur, her journey from owning a daycare to launching her sanitary solutions brand, and her favorite places to travel.

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TN: How did New Orleans influence your passion for entrepreneurship?

BF: When you’re from New Orleans, you’re going to learn how to be independent and you’re going to learn survival skills. It’s just in our nature. 

Courtesy of Bridget Francis, B Luxury Essentials

My inspiration to be an entrepreneur came from seeing my mom not have much freedom because she always worked. I always said I wanted different when I became a mom. I wanted to be the type of mom who was always there and never missed events. It’s been important for my daughter to see that I do work in order to provide, but I also have my freedom. 

I moved from New Orleans (to Houston), but I took the mentality with me.

TN: Before starting B Luxury Essentials, you owned a daycare. What was that transition like?

BF: I love kids. B Luxury was something I always wanted to do, but I was putting it off. When the pandemic hit, I realized I didn’t have any time to waste and that was the perfect time to start B Luxury Essentials. People were staying home, so the daycare business was slow. 

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Once I started B Luxury Essentials, I had to shut the daycare down. I would like to eventually start the daycare again, but B Luxury has really taken off. 

I didn’t anticipate B Luxury to take off the way that it did. I was tired of packing my own towels and sheets and wanted a solution. 

Social media has been my only marketing tool and it really contributed to B Luxury Essentials’ success. 

TN: What tips do you have for people traveling right now during the times of COVID-19 and Monkeypox?

BF: Pray and try to do the best you can. Wear your mask. Don’t share towels. Teach your kids how to stay safe and the importance of washing their hands and not sharing personal items. 

TN: What impact do you hope B Luxury Essentials leaves on the market?

BF: I want people to be more knowledgeable about the importance of staying safe while traveling. Thousands of people are in and out of hotels. Every business, especially in the hospitality industry, is short-staffed right now. They may not be able to do their best cleaning at this time because of demands.

What are some of your travel must-haves?

BF: I have to have, of course, my B Luxury Essentials sheets, towels, and toilet seat covers. Also, antibacterial wipes and soap, Lysol, and my vitamins. 

TN: What are your top 3 destinations?

BF: I could never get tired of Miami. I love Chicago. They show me so much love there, I feel like Beyoncé when I’m in Chicago. I also love New York.

TN: Where can we keep up with you and B Luxury Essentials?

BF: You can shop with us on our website. Connect with me on LinkedIn and Instagram. Follow B Luxury Essentials on Instagram! 

Get in contact with me at info@bluxuryessentials.com.

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