Tracey Richardson’s father was just a little boy in the 1950s when he spent his summers in the kitchen with his grandma and aunt Lillie, serving food to hungry passersby.

That experience led him to a career as a chef in downtown Charleston, where he owned The Rib Shack and introduced a line of sauces in 1985. It set the ball rolling for Richardson, who continues her family legacy by selling barbecue, hot sauces, and spice mixes online.

Since joining Amazon’s online store and accelerator program last year, sales at Lillie’s of Charleston have increased by 156 per cent, according to Amazon.

“Our goal has always been to increase consumer awareness of our brand and products nationally, and Amazon provides us with the ability to accomplish this goal. Being able to use the Fulfillment by Amazon (an outsourcing service) system as our backend logistics system has allowed us to distribute product(s) and offer Prime delivery to customers. With the task of fulfillment taken off our plates, we can concentrate on marketing, innovation, and driving topline sales,” Richardson told Amazon.

Lillie’s of Charleston is one of several Black businesses Amazon is investing in as part of Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator (BBA), a $150 million commitment over four years.

The entrepreneur wants people to know that the flavours in her sauces tie to local Gullah culture. “Gullah” is the name for the people, language, and culture of the coastal regions of South Carolina, Georgia, and the surrounding Sea Islands.

The language, which includes African and English ancestry, has been used in parts of South Carolina since the first slaves were brought there. The Gullah language survived and is now spoken in the coastal South due to the isolation of many plantation communities, according to Amazon.

“In honour of an American heritage that has yet to be thoroughly discovered and is begging to be preserved, we named many of our products using Gullah expressions,” Richardson said.

One of its top-selling sauces, the “Hab Mussy” hot mustard, is a two-time award winner — a massive accomplishment for barbecue accessory companies in the South Carolina circuit for mustard-based products, according to Amazon.

She says that telling your personal story, developing a marketing plan, and trademarking your business name to protect your intellectual property (IP) are the top three tips she has for Black entrepreneurs.

Richardson said that Lillie’s of Charleston will introduce several new products to the company, including a popcorn line, with their seasonings and spice mixes, according to Amazon.

“Every day is different, and, as an entrepreneur, we get to be in the driver’s seat every step of the way. There’s no better reward than creating good food and happiness for families that buy our products,” said Richardson.