Angela Webb, Sweet Wednesday
Angela Webb, the founder of Sweet Wednesday, stepped in front of my camera in my Bay City, Michigan studio for a branding and headshot session that highlights both her personality and her innovative travel line. These images capture Angela’s confidence and style while showcasing Sweet Wednesday’s luggage collection - featuring sleek blush pink and blue hard-shell suitcases with thoughtful details like USB charging ports, built-in locks, sturdy handles, cup holders, and handbag hooks designed for the modern traveler. From professional portraits that put the face behind the brand in focus, to close-up product shots that reveal every smart design feature, this gallery reflects both the story of an entrepreneur and the functionality of her business. As a Michigan branding photographer, I loved blending lifestyle portraits with detailed product photography to bring Sweet Wednesday’s vision to life.
I had my photoshoot shortly after I had a baby and you can't even tell. I've only seen the sneak peeks, but my husband and I already love them. I'm so glad I had that opportunity to have Arielle shoot these for me!!
Sweet Wednesday is a luggage brand that I created. I’m also a travel business owner. I’ve been a business owner for almost eight years, and I came up with a luggage brand to honor my late parents. My mother loved all things sweet, and my dad — they always said it was a running joke — Wednesday was his favorite day of the week because that was his day off. So I combined those two together, and I created this lovely brand, Sweet Wednesday.
My parents would be so excited to see something like this in honor of them. I know my mother would love the Watermelon Blush color that we have because she was a pink girl like me, and I know my dad would love the blue as well, which we call Scuba Blue. I wanted to make sure some shades were named after some sort of sweets for her, so we have Watermelon Blush, Scuba Blue, Gelato, Milk White, and Business Black.
I knew nothing about entrepreneurship growing up. I knew to go to school, graduate, find a job, and work. My mother worked at Kroger as a seafood manager in the meat department. My father was a vendor for Shaker Bread, Tasty — all of those. So, entrepreneurship was not in the cards for me. I actually am a retail manager; I’ve been doing that for almost 27 years.
The idea of a luggage brand came to me when I bought a luggage set from another travel business owner, but she never had any in stock. Every time I traveled, I’d be asked, “Where did you get that luggage from?” So one day, coming back from Cancun, I was in the airport and heard a whisper in my ear saying, “Why are you waiting for somebody else to start this luggage line? You can do it yourself.” And that is what started the Sweet Wednesday line — the luggage, and the legacy of it. It is a brand built on love and legacy.
I usually travel nine to 12 times a year, so I wanted to make sure that we offered something that is durable, inexpensive, and that you are able to take on a weekend trip or on a 15-day trip without breaking the bank while still having luxury features.
In the front of the rolling luggage, there’s a hook for your travel pillow and purse. And then on the back of each piece, you’re able to charge your electronics with the USB port — so your phone, laptop, anything like that. They also have a cup holder in the back, so you can store your coffee or drinks in that while you’re in line at TSA. Some models also include hooks on the side so that when you’re shopping through TSA, you can hang your shopping bags on those. The locks on the sides are great too, so you don’t need to worry about your luggage breaking open in the overhead bins or when you check it onto the flight.
Right now, when someone visits our site, www.sweetwednesdaybags.com, they’ll be able to shop the Sweetest Kicks series, which is the hardshell luggage. We’ll also be launching the Sweet Wednesday collection, which is the collection that started it all. It’s a vegan leather trolley — a 20-inch bag that you can use both as a book bag or with the detachable wheels to pull it. It will come with a 13-inch cosmetic bag too, and then we’ll also be launching laptop bags. New products will be launching within the next few months; they’re being manufactured currently.
Anyone who works with me for travel planning will also receive a 10% discount on all luggage products.
For anyone who wants to keep up with my work, they can find me on Facebook under Angela Webb and on both Instagram and TikTok under TravelWithAnge.
For anyone just starting out in the entrepreneurial journey — just do it. Don’t think about it. You’ve probably been thinking about it for way too long; it’s all in your head. God is telling you what needs to be done. Follow that whisper, like I followed the one in my ear, and just do it.
I’ve been involved with both the LIFT ME Program and the Bet on Black Competition through CMURC. I actually won third place in BET, which was my first competition. It was scary and exhilarating at the same time. I was the only startup company competing in it, and I was able to win third place out of 13 contestants, which was a huge accomplishment on its own — and just made me want to go harder.
The LIFT ME Program definitely accelerated my confidence. Before it, this was honestly just an idea. The program got me to where I said, “Okay, okay, Angela, it’s go time. Let’s get it going.” I had been thinking about it for almost a year before taking the leap.
I joined LIFT ME, and hearing all the great advice everyone had — all of the guest speakers (I knew nothing about a business plan before the program) —definitely helped me get myself going and get my luggage line up. The day we graduated from the program was actually the day I launched the luggage line. And it really was on a Wednesday — a pretty Sweet Wednesday.
– Angela Webb, Sweet Wednesday LLC