O So Curly began with a satin-lined beanie! How long did it take to go from an idea to your first product?
I remember it like it was yesterday. The idea for the brand came to me at the end of January 2014 and it took 10 months to officially launch. My first order came through Christmas day, and it felt like the best gift ever. From an early age I’ve had an entrepreneurial spirit. In primary school I was one of the only kids with a computer and printer at home. I would take song lyric requests in the playground for 20p and print them. I must have been eight or nine at the time.
Which piece of business advice has had the biggest impact on your career?
Entrepreneurship is not for the weak! For me, what has made a big impact is fostering self-belief. I’ve had to dive deep into self-development and my faith to build my self-confidence in business and learning to not fall into the comparison trap. I’ve had my fair share of companies take my ideas, but I had to come to the realisation that they can copy but they will never do things how I do them because there is only one me!
Besides running O So Curly, you’re also a content creator – how do you balance the two?
Being a content creator and business owner has its challenges. I have developed a routine where I focus on O So Curly for a season and then create content for my hair and business channel. Trying to do the two at the same time is a fast-track to burnout.
Alongside creating helpful products for your customers, how do you help others as a business leader?
I have a YouTube channel with hundreds of videos about starting a business, marketing, shipping and more. Like with my online hair journey it’s from my own challenges and experiences.
Your products address the needs of yourself and other curly girls across the world – how has your hair journey developed as O So Curly has grown?
My hair journey has developed so much since I started out. Wash days at the beginning of my transition took most of the day to complete, whereas now, I can wash and style my hair within an hour. It’s become second nature and using my brand’s satin accessories help to make maintenance in-between washes quick and easy. I just spritz my hair with water and add a moisturiser when needed. Growing up I really wanted straight or loose curls because I felt like my hair was an inconvenience. It took so long to style and maintain – it was an absolute chore. I never want the younger generation to feel that way so anything I can do to help make the natural hair journey easier I try to make it happen.
What are the latest issues that face those with curly hair today, and how would you address them?
One thing I’ve noticed running a haircare company is that as a community we’re becoming more woke with what we use and who we support. Gen Z and millennials really care about who’s behind the brands they’re using. This has pushed me to start sharing my story more with behind-the-scenes content so customers can really resonate and trust my good intentions behind every product we launch.
Shop O So Curly at osocurly.com
