A kind landlady is giving a few fortunate tenants an early Christmas present.
Britni Ricard, the CEO of the beauty brand Cota Skin declared in a widely shared TikTok video that she would be giving the tenants of an apartment building she owns, a month’s worth of free rent.
“I want to give to people who give to me,” Britni Ricard shared with her residents in the video. “So, that’s why I brought you here today. So, no, you guys, we will not be giving you guys utility vouchers. In fact, I wanted to actually gift you all with a free month of rent.”
“I’m so grateful to God for putting me in the position to be able to give back,” her video caption stated. “Gifting my tenants ’Free Rent’ is something I’ve always wanted to do.”
She made this gesture after learning that 80% of the tenants were single mothers during a routine check-in chat with her property manager. Since the CEO could relate to their situation, she saw an opportunity to assist them as the holidays drew near.
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The CEO also disclosed her plans to start a homeownership education seminar to assist locals who would like to buy a house.
“This is just me being 100% transparent, and I’m being realistic; you guys could be paying the mortgage with what you guys are paying for rent,” she continued.
Even though she was raised in New Orleans’ Calliope Projects, Britni has accumulated substantial wealth.
While the journey hasn’t always been simple, lessons have been learned. In an interview with Afrotech, Ricard revealed that a pivotal moment in her story occurred while she was working as a waitress at Harrah’s Casino. Driven by a strong desire to pursue her dreams, Ricard frequently visited the New Orleans Public Library to gain more knowledge about entrepreneurship and how to launch her business.
When the COVID-19 pandemic was at its worst and many people began experiencing skincare issues while wearing masks, Ricard saw an opportunity. Consumers snapped up Ricard’s products as demand for a solution to relieve dry, irritated skin increased; in fact, she claims to have made about $150,000 in sales in the first five minutes of her 2020 business launch.
According to her, Cota Skin currently generates an estimated $16 million in revenue. As a result of her achievements, Britni started investing in real estate and bought her first home in 2022. The 10-unit building which was located roughly 50 miles outside of New Orleans required renovations and repairs when she bought it. By using her fiancé’s abilities, she was able to renovate the building and give the locals somewhere to live.
