Ms. Rachel Sent Thousands of New Customers to a Black Owned Coffee Roaster

Sometimes the biggest boost comes from the most unexpected place. For Eric J. Powell Jr., owner of Blended Joe Coffee, it came from Ms. Rachel.

The children's entertainer, whose real name is Rachel Griffin Accurso, has built a following of roughly 37.5 million people across platforms. On Aug. 11, she posted on Threads asking Black business owners to reply with their companies so her followers could learn about them and support them. The replies poured in, and so did the customers.

Blended Joe was one of the businesses she lifted up, and the endorsement generated thousands of new customer orders, according to Black America Web. Powell said many new customers told him they found the shop on Threads, and he admitted he woke up wondering if it had really happened.

"This kind of support means more than numbers on a screen."

Powell used those words to describe what the moment meant for an independent business: new faces at the door, conversations across the counter and people choosing to help something local grow.

Founded in 2018, Blended Joe is a small batch specialty coffee roaster and retailer based in South Jersey. The company roasts, prepares and packages its coffee to order, specializing in custom blends, flavored coffees and seasonal varieties made with specialty grade Arabica beans. Its mission goes beyond the cup. The brand says it uses its coffee to combat prejudice, hunger and racism, and it donates a portion of its proceeds to local charities working for positive change.

Blended Joe is not the only business to feel what fans are calling the Ms. Rachel effect. The Bomme Sweets, a California bakery, saw orders surge within 12 hours after Accurso reposted the owner's reply.

There is a lesson here for all of us. A post takes seconds. For a small business owner, the attention it brings can mean covering rent, hiring help or staying open another season. We talk often about buying Black, and moments like this show how quickly intention turns into impact when people with platforms point their audiences in the right direction.

So here is our ask. Share a Black owned business you love today. Tag them, order from them, leave a review. You do not need millions of followers to make a difference. You just need to show up.