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[00:00:32.400 --> 00:00:45.680] The one thing that I continue to learn around business is like, I used to think you have to prioritize the brand to do anything, and I've realized I just really have to prioritize my growth to be able to even prioritize the brand.
[00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:55.040] You're listening to Side Hustle Pro, the podcast that teaches you to build and grow your side hustle from passion project to profitable business.
[00:00:55.040 --> 00:00:57.920] And I'm your host, Nikayla Matthews Okome.
[00:00:57.920 --> 00:00:59.760] So let's get started.
[00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:03.600] Hey, friends.
[00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:04.400] Hey, welcome.
[00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:07.200] Welcome back to another episode of Side Hustle Pro.
[00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:20.720] Today in the guest chair, I am so happy to bring you this conversation with Abhina Boama Achampong, who is the founder and CEO of Hanahana Beauty, a consciously clean skincare, beauty, and wellness brand.
[00:01:20.720 --> 00:01:34.400] As a former seventh-grade math teacher and therapist, her work is driven by curating learning experiences focused on holistic wellness and showcasing stories of black women globally through visual content creation.
[00:01:34.400 --> 00:02:14.360] In the last five years, Abhina has built Hanahana Beauty into a cult favorite brand with the mission to bring humanity to the skincare industry while creating results-driven products, plus empowering black women globally by creating sustainable paths from producers to their customers, starting with creating access to living wages and health care for shea butter producers in Ghana I really love this conversation and this is actually one of my favorite new products so I'm so excited to have her in the guest chair let's get right into it Welcome, welcome to the guest chair.
[00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:15.960] I'm so excited to have you here.
[00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:17.560] I'm really happy to be on the show.
[00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:18.520] I'm so happy.
[00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:19.960] I'm really happy to have you.
[00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:30.360] We were talking a bit in the pre-show and it's like, I can't believe we didn't do this before, but I think it was meant to happen now as someone who has eczema and my son also has eczema.
[00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:36.520] Just learning about skincare brands and how they come to be has really always been interesting to me.
[00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:51.080] And then when you guys reached out and also sent over the products, I mean, when I tell you that my skin just thanked me, like it just breathed a sigh of relief and I am done with the lotions.
[00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:52.520] I am done with the lotions.
[00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:54.920] I don't know why I ever tried.
[00:02:54.920 --> 00:03:00.680] I think marketing got in my head or something, but like, I don't think our skin, well, my skin was not meant for the lotion.
[00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:01.320] It is meant for the lotion.
[00:03:01.480 --> 00:03:02.120] I feel you.
[00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:07.480] I think it's like one of those things like, okay, I'll use lotion, but on top of the butter.
[00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:13.240] Like I'll do like a both during prevention when it's like, okay, girl, you got to do everything right now.
[00:03:14.280 --> 00:03:21.560] Sometimes it's a little crazy, but I'm definitely, I'm a solid like body butter, shea butter person grown up.
[00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:25.720] So lotions never, just doing lotion never did it for me in that way.
[00:03:25.720 --> 00:03:27.800] I was just always applying, you know.
[00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:29.880] And I just ordered the unscented for my son.
[00:03:29.880 --> 00:03:37.160] So now, all right, now we have to get into how this all began because your initial career path was that of a teacher and a therapist.
[00:03:37.160 --> 00:03:41.080] So, how did you get into teaching and transition to therapy?
[00:03:41.080 --> 00:03:41.480] Yeah.
[00:03:41.480 --> 00:03:46.320] So I feel like ever since I was a kid, honestly, my whole thing was like, how can you help people?
[00:03:46.320 --> 00:03:49.280] And I really wanted to be a neuroscientist.
[00:03:44.760 --> 00:03:53.280] Like, that was, I know, like, really thinking Ghana girl big in that sense.
[00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:56.960] My parents were like, yes, this is exactly it, you know?
[00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:59.600] And my dad comes from a math background.
[00:03:59.600 --> 00:04:06.000] So when I went to university, I studied math and psychology because I love psychology.
[00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:11.840] I decided right when I got in that, like, okay, chemistry, you're not going to be a neuroscientist right now.
[00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:13.200] It's just not going to work out.
[00:04:14.160 --> 00:04:15.680] You're not going to be a neurosurgeon.
[00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:18.160] Like, let's just, you know, let's go to psychology.
[00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:22.320] So I studied math and psychology and focus in education.
[00:04:22.320 --> 00:04:30.800] And so when I left school, I had a job in Chicago because I was doing a lot of internship programs in clinics and hospitals.
[00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:37.840] And so I did this amazing program working at the University of Illinois.
[00:04:37.840 --> 00:04:40.400] And it was supposed to be two years.
[00:04:40.400 --> 00:04:42.560] It ended in a year.
[00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:45.600] And I was like, well, the thing that I've always wanted to be was a teacher.
[00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:48.880] I have the actual, like, I've studied this.
[00:04:49.200 --> 00:04:52.880] And so I just kind of started applying to schools.
[00:04:52.880 --> 00:04:56.080] And luckily, one was looking for one at the time.
[00:04:56.080 --> 00:05:00.320] And they're like, well, I know you're like very smart, but we need a gym teacher right now.
[00:05:00.320 --> 00:05:01.680] So do you want to be a gym?
[00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:04.880] And I was like, I need a job.
[00:05:04.880 --> 00:05:07.680] Like, I, my dad was like, huh?
[00:05:07.840 --> 00:05:08.800] Like, what?
[00:05:09.280 --> 00:05:09.920] Yeah, yeah.
[00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:12.400] But they're like, yeah, you can teach gym.
[00:05:12.400 --> 00:05:16.480] And you can also, like, they need help in the algebra program too.
[00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:18.240] It was a charter school.
[00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:20.160] My first year, I was a gym teacher.
[00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:25.760] And then I, in the half, the half of the year, I started teaching math and gym.
[00:05:25.760 --> 00:05:38.040] And then I was just teaching algebra and I was teaching high school like electives and an advisor for a group of 14 young girls who are now women, which is so crazy.
[00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:41.960] But yeah, that was kind of like my start in teaching.
[00:05:41.960 --> 00:05:43.240] And that's how it began.
[00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:44.280] That's how it all began.
[00:05:44.280 --> 00:05:50.760] And when I started teaching, I was like, I want to be more educated in this space around being able to be more helpful with my students.
[00:05:50.760 --> 00:06:02.200] And that for me meant being able to get my master's in counseling psychology because I just found that a lot of the students, it wasn't that, you know, demerits, which they always give out to kids when they're not.
[00:06:02.200 --> 00:06:03.880] It was more so you just need to connect with them.
[00:06:03.880 --> 00:06:14.280] And a lot of them were going through things that I had never experienced as a child, but also I was only able to connect with their trauma because maybe I've experienced that trauma.
[00:06:14.280 --> 00:06:16.440] And I was like, we're not trying to trauma bond here.
[00:06:16.440 --> 00:06:19.240] Like, I need to help get through.
[00:06:19.400 --> 00:06:20.600] You know what I mean?
[00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:30.280] So it was, yeah, that was just like a time of just exploring how I felt like I could be impactful.
[00:06:30.280 --> 00:06:35.160] And I just felt like education and therapeutic ways was my path in that sense.
[00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:42.920] That's so interesting, especially given what you do now, just how that word impact continues to come back in your life in different ways.
[00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:47.160] So at what point did you start making shea butter on the side?
[00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:49.720] How did that come about?
[00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:51.320] You know, it's Chicago.
[00:06:51.320 --> 00:06:53.080] It's Chicago being so.
[00:06:53.240 --> 00:07:00.520] I remember my first year moving to Chicago in the winter because I did an internship in undergrad in Chicago, but it was in the summertime.
[00:07:00.520 --> 00:07:03.160] So I was like, oh, I'm going to move here.
[00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:04.200] This is great.
[00:07:04.520 --> 00:07:14.720] My first winter in Chicago, I just remember a time walking from the train, the pink line, and I started crying because it was so cold.
[00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:20.080] By the time I hit the building that I was going into, my tears were frozen on my face.
[00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:23.520] And I was just like, this is a wild place.
[00:07:23.520 --> 00:07:31.440] And my skin, I feel like I always tell people, I feel like I was blessed to have, I never really had breakouts as a kid.
[00:07:31.440 --> 00:07:35.280] Like I never experienced bad skin, but one thing was dryness.
[00:07:35.280 --> 00:07:39.360] And I felt like, you know, when you're home, being Ghanaian, you always have shea butter.
[00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:41.680] But you know, you'll try to step away from it.
[00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:42.480] It's too hard.
[00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:44.320] It's like all these different things.
[00:07:44.320 --> 00:07:47.360] But when I moved to Chicago, I was just like, girl, you got to figure it out.
[00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:48.960] Like, this is terrible.
[00:07:48.960 --> 00:07:52.560] And so I just, like, this is not it.
[00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:54.880] We can't go on like this.
[00:07:55.200 --> 00:07:58.080] Literally, I was just like, I'm over here trying to use jury.
[00:07:58.080 --> 00:08:00.160] Like, I was trying to do everything.
[00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:09.040] And I remember just having a conversation with one of my students around, I always tell people this, like hot Cheetos, because I was like, y'all stay eating hot Cheetos.
[00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:11.040] Do you know what's in there?
[00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:12.000] Blah, blah, blah.
[00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:13.760] And like one of my students came at me, like, Ms.
[00:08:13.760 --> 00:08:16.400] Balma, do you know every single thing you put in your body?
[00:08:16.400 --> 00:08:18.800] Like, you know, and so we were just having this back and forth.
[00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:20.000] And it really just kind of hit me.
[00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:23.120] I was like, wait, like, let me try to reset myself.
[00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:29.760] You know, and this is like 2014, where, you know, all the natural hair, natural, you know, all those things were happening.
[00:08:29.760 --> 00:08:34.400] And I was definitely into the YouTube, like, you know, doing your hair and all of that.
[00:08:34.400 --> 00:08:36.640] But I didn't care too much about it.
[00:08:36.640 --> 00:08:39.760] It was just more like, look good, feel good, you know.
[00:08:39.760 --> 00:08:41.600] And one day I was just like, okay, you know what?
[00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:43.280] I'm just going to start making my own.
[00:08:43.280 --> 00:08:47.040] And I remember YouTubing like how people make their own shea butter.
[00:08:47.040 --> 00:08:48.000] And I was like, I have my own.
[00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:50.000] Maybe I can just make it better.
[00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:52.000] And it kind of just went from there.
[00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.000] I was like watching different YouTube videos.
[00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:55.200] I was like, oh, I can do this.
[00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:55.760] I can.
[00:08:57.600 --> 00:08:58.400] I can do this, girl.
[00:08:58.400 --> 00:08:59.040] You can do this.
[00:08:59.040 --> 00:09:00.360] And so, I just started making.
[00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:04.600] I had no intent of starting a business in the beauty space at all.
[00:09:04.760 --> 00:09:12.680] I was very much still like gun-ho around the education system, how can I better it?
[00:09:12.680 --> 00:09:16.200] I don't think this is like working, it's not working.
[00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:18.040] I was very much focused on that.
[00:09:18.040 --> 00:09:27.000] The shea butter was just like, and making products was honestly a self-care act.
[00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:29.480] And it's so important to call that out.
[00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:41.640] Like, sometimes things begin as just a way of having something as a release, a form of just bringing you joy, just something to have a creative release, right?
[00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:44.760] And it's up to you to decide what you want to do with that.
[00:09:44.760 --> 00:09:48.680] It's okay if you never make it into something that you monetize.
[00:09:48.680 --> 00:09:53.560] But for you, I also find it interesting that you went on YouTube.
[00:09:53.560 --> 00:09:59.240] I think it's great that you mentioned that because everyone always thinks, Oh, you know, I can learn that on YouTube.
[00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:04.840] And it's funny, I've seen YouTube tutorials and I tried once and you know, it was fine, but I'm like, I'm not doing all this.
[00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:07.080] Send me the website, right?
[00:10:07.160 --> 00:10:08.840] Give me, here's your Apple Pay.
[00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:09.400] Here you go.
[00:10:09.400 --> 00:10:14.440] I'm not doing all this boiling it on the stove.
[00:10:14.440 --> 00:10:15.960] No way, no ma'am.
[00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:21.000] That was me, that was me in my kitchen, like over here, like, okay, I need a double boiler.
[00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:34.360] Like, oh my God, and it's in the flick of the wrist, too, because not all shea butter is made the same, they're not all as smooth, which is why I really like the Hana Hana Beauty ones because it's like whipped, it's so soft.
[00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:37.160] Now, did you start giving this to family and friends?
[00:10:37.160 --> 00:10:39.960] Is that where the popularity started out?
[00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:49.200] Yeah, I started giving it to family and friends, and then it started getting expensive because I would make a batch, but I would do it like maybe you know, once a quarter.
[00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:54.000] But then every time I made it, everyone's like, Okay, well, mine is out, so can you give me some?
[00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:56.480] And then my mom, I remember giving it to my brother.
[00:10:56.560 --> 00:10:58.800] My brother was like, Okay, like I'm out.
[00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:01.280] And I'm like, Okay, relax.
[00:11:01.280 --> 00:11:09.760] My mom was the one because you know, it's always like I always tell people, I'm definitely like, if my parents is a go, I'm in it.
[00:11:09.760 --> 00:11:13.680] Like, I'm a please my parents type of girl, like in that sense.
[00:11:13.680 --> 00:11:14.240] Right, right, right.
[00:11:14.400 --> 00:11:17.600] I remember my mom being like, Okay, so I'm out.
[00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:20.000] And I was like, You like this?
[00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:27.120] Like, you really, you know, because you know, sometimes you just give people things and you don't know.
[00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:29.280] And I remember, yeah, my mom kept on.
[00:11:29.280 --> 00:11:41.440] And at that time, I don't know if you're familiar with Black Girl in Om, but Lauren Ash and Dion, who actually ended up, she's, I still work with Dion till this day with Hana Hana shoots our campaigns.
[00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:45.760] But I remember I was doing, it was like my first time doing a photo shoot.
[00:11:45.760 --> 00:11:47.120] And I was like, you know what?
[00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:51.040] Let me just bring this shay in because I've never done this type of photo shoot before.
[00:11:51.040 --> 00:11:53.360] It was for Nubian skin.
[00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:56.960] And so I brought it in and everyone was using it.
[00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:00.960] And I remember Lauren was like, oh my goodness, you need to call this like a banana's butters.
[00:12:01.040 --> 00:12:02.880] And I was like, girl.
[00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:08.720] It was just like so many people, like for many years, like kept on saying it.
[00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:13.440] I remember I was dating a guy, his sister, they still have this like amazing brand.
[00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:16.080] And he was like, you should sell your formula to my sister.
[00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:17.440] And I was like, okay, relax.
[00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:20.880] Like, you gotta let me live my life.
[00:12:20.880 --> 00:12:24.000] You know, but I was very much like, I'm not trying to start a business, y'all.
[00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:27.440] And I remember my roommate at the time, shout out to her.
[00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:31.640] She sat me down one day and she was like, Okay, how much would it be to start a business?
[00:12:31.640 --> 00:12:33.240] She's like, What if you need to buy bottles?
[00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:35.240] I was like, I don't know, maybe like $200.
[00:12:35.800 --> 00:12:38.120] Like, it's so good to nacc.
[00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:41.240] I was like, Oh, yeah, I just maybe I can net like $500.
[00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:47.160] And I think, like, we came to the fact of like, maybe you need like a thousand dollars or something to start this.
[00:12:47.160 --> 00:12:48.600] I remember talking to Dion.
[00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:49.400] I was like, You know what?
[00:12:49.400 --> 00:12:52.920] I think I need someone to design like a logo for me.
[00:12:52.920 --> 00:12:54.200] I don't really know how it is.
[00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:59.000] I went to this like Chicago athletic club, this photographer RJ.
[00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:08.600] We were sitting down and we were just because I was, I was more so inspired around the women behind making Shea, like the raw producers, because that was like, I was like, What?
[00:13:08.600 --> 00:13:10.840] Like, I'm Ghanaian, they're Ghanaian.
[00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:13.800] I didn't even know that it was made in the north this way.
[00:13:13.800 --> 00:13:17.640] I just knew I was using it, and it's something that Ghanaians use, you know.
[00:13:17.640 --> 00:13:24.920] But I didn't realize shea butter was used in so many different products, like your makeups, all those different things.
[00:13:24.920 --> 00:13:26.760] So, he was like, You know what?
[00:13:26.760 --> 00:13:29.800] How about the actual, like, the shea nut itself?
[00:13:29.800 --> 00:13:31.880] Like, why don't you make that the logo?
[00:13:31.880 --> 00:13:36.440] And I was like, Okay, like, and I remember we did like a little sketch up.
[00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:37.880] I sent it to Dion.
[00:13:37.880 --> 00:13:41.080] Her and I met, like, we had just started our friendship too.
[00:13:41.400 --> 00:13:45.960] And so, I just remember us meeting in like December, maybe.
[00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:49.400] I went to New York, I talked to my brother and some friends there.
[00:13:49.400 --> 00:13:52.360] I met these girls and talked about it with them.
[00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:55.320] And then I was like, Well, I'm a Pisces.
[00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:58.440] I wanted to launch my birthday.
[00:13:58.600 --> 00:13:59.960] And that was in three months.
[00:13:59.960 --> 00:14:02.360] And so, yeah, we just got to work.
[00:14:02.680 --> 00:14:05.400] So, did it end up costing a thousand dollars to start?
[00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:07.400] It ended up costing a thousand dollars.
[00:14:07.400 --> 00:14:17.920] I didn't, I really, it's so funny to think about now, you know, like as we're about to go into year six and launching brands, or even when I talk to people about brands like fundraising, all these things.
[00:14:17.920 --> 00:14:20.160] I was just so naive, you know.
[00:14:20.160 --> 00:14:25.440] And I think it's good that I was naive because I didn't really think about it being this big thing.
[00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:27.840] I really was more so like, let me just start this thing.
[00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:33.600] I want to go back to Ghana anyways and just like take photos of these women and learn more and just like share.
[00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:43.040] Let me just make some money to like, you know, get me to Ghana and come back and teach people around the production of Shea.
[00:14:43.040 --> 00:14:56.160] I definitely didn't at that time think of it as like this business plan, and I'm going to like take over in this space that was this huge brand like it is today.
[00:14:56.160 --> 00:15:03.360] Yeah, but I love that though.
[00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:04.160] You know why?
[00:15:04.160 --> 00:15:06.800] Because I think that is how it should be.
[00:15:06.800 --> 00:15:12.560] And that's the whole purpose and premise of this show: like starting small and going from there.
[00:15:12.880 --> 00:15:22.400] Because if you start with like, oh, I'm coming out the gate, like a big brand that's going to be in Sephora, you're doing big brand things, but you don't have big brand money.
[00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:24.320] And I did not have big brands.
[00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:26.000] So, right.
[00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:28.880] We're keeping up with that when we start.
[00:15:28.880 --> 00:15:32.400] So, when you started, what did that actually mean for you?
[00:15:32.400 --> 00:15:36.960] Like, I am setting up a website or I am putting up an Etsy shop.
[00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:38.720] What did starting mean for you?
[00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:41.760] So, I remember being like, I don't want to be an Etsy brand.
[00:15:41.760 --> 00:15:46.720] Like, that was my one thing that I just remember that being like, no, I want to have my own website.
[00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:51.520] So, we basically relaunched on March 12th and we launched everything on that day.
[00:15:51.520 --> 00:15:52.960] We launched our website.
[00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:59.600] We launched our social media like a week before, I think, because we did a launch party.
[00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:03.320] So, I did this launch party where people came and bought.
[00:15:59.680 --> 00:16:05.240] I thought, but I definitely did have hopes.
[00:16:05.400 --> 00:16:08.440] Like, I was like, oh my God, so many people are going to buy from the website.
[00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:18.600] Because I did a little tester in December where I just put it on my Instagram, like, hey guys, the shea butters you guys see me making all the time, like for friends, I'm gonna sell it.
[00:16:18.600 --> 00:16:21.160] Is if anyone wants it, let me know.
[00:16:21.160 --> 00:16:25.480] And I remember making like $200, and I was like, Oh my God, girl, you rich!
[00:16:25.480 --> 00:16:26.120] Like, what?
[00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:28.280] Like, that's a beautiful concept right there.
[00:16:28.280 --> 00:16:29.320] Like, what?
[00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:31.000] You made $200?
[00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:37.720] Like, I had, and I was again, I was teaching at this time, so I remember my students used to use it, the teachers used to use it.
[00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:41.880] Like, I would just always have it, like, Miss Wama, let me get some shea, you know.
[00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:48.120] And so, and my students even came to the launch, like, they were manning my table at the launch.
[00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:49.080] I love that.
[00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:52.760] And it was just so funny because I remember we did the launch.
[00:16:52.760 --> 00:16:57.240] I think the launch we made like, I mean, like, maybe $650.
[00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:04.200] And then I remember sitting with one of my friends at the time after like waiting on the website, like, who is going to be the first person?
[00:17:04.520 --> 00:17:06.120] And no one bought from the website.
[00:17:06.120 --> 00:17:08.200] And I was like, so salty.
[00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:11.560] And I think one of my friends just went to the website and bought it at the time.
[00:17:11.560 --> 00:17:13.640] And I was like, we got a sale.
[00:17:13.640 --> 00:17:16.280] Like, oh my God, we got a sale.
[00:17:16.280 --> 00:17:21.480] No, it was, it was very much like, I think I was just so excited.
[00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:24.360] Like, I didn't really know.
[00:17:24.600 --> 00:17:35.160] I was more so proud of myself because that was also during those three months from DeWinter to March, where I had, I experienced seasonal depression.
[00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:43.000] So I didn't, I was coming out of that and I didn't realize how much it would affect, you know, that too.
[00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:51.520] So I was just so happy with myself that from the December to the March, I actually launched it in time while like going through seasonal depression.
[00:17:51.520 --> 00:17:54.000] I think I broke up with my boyfriend at that time.
[00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:58.880] It was just really like I had an experience students passing away.
[00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:01.840] So it was a very hard time right before.
[00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:06.640] And I honestly, I was just like, girl, it's your birthday.
[00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:09.680] You just launched this random brand.
[00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:12.240] Like, you know, you have grad school still.
[00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:14.240] I was in grad school at the time.
[00:18:15.120 --> 00:18:18.240] I was just happy to get it done.
[00:18:18.560 --> 00:18:21.520] And it was like, yeah, I was just so excited.
[00:18:21.520 --> 00:18:22.560] And it was so funny.
[00:18:22.560 --> 00:18:29.840] I, a couple, I think it was like a month or two later, Allure randomly sent me an editor from Allure was like, Hi.
[00:18:29.840 --> 00:18:30.880] Allure magazine.
[00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:32.320] Yeah, Allure magazine.
[00:18:32.320 --> 00:18:34.160] We would love for you to send our products.
[00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:37.760] I mean, honestly, nothing ended up happening from it.
[00:18:37.760 --> 00:18:44.480] But for me to get an email in the middle of my workday as a teacher from Allure magazine, I was like, okay.
[00:18:44.560 --> 00:18:46.880] That was like a taste of what was to come.
[00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:49.040] Yeah, I was like, two months.
[00:18:49.520 --> 00:18:50.160] I caught my breath.
[00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.240] I was like, guess who just hit me up in an email?
[00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:53.200] Allure.
[00:18:54.080 --> 00:18:55.600] She's like, you got to do this.
[00:18:55.600 --> 00:18:58.480] This is like, you got to do it.
[00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:13.600] And so it was like, you know, these small things that just people, my community around me, Kenya, this girl, she, it's my heart, she just kept, she supported me so much and just was like, you can do it, help like taught me so much around social.
[00:19:13.600 --> 00:19:17.120] Just, I just felt like the community.
[00:19:17.120 --> 00:19:24.800] Your community really rallied for you and helped you to keep going, especially with all that was going on at that time.
[00:19:25.120 --> 00:19:29.960] And, you know, I also love the fact that you had a, let's see where this goes attitude.
[00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:33.080] You didn't put too much pressure on, oh, it has to be this.
[00:19:29.760 --> 00:19:37.240] I have to do this many sales to make it worth it, or I'm going to quit.
[00:19:38.120 --> 00:19:43.560] If I don't make my money back at my XYZ date, I'm quitting.
[00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:47.720] You know, I'm happy I didn't have that either because then the girl would have quit.
[00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:48.120] Yeah.
[00:19:48.760 --> 00:19:52.680] I think that that is the key to success with side hustling and starting your business.
[00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:54.840] Like you have to have a let's see where this goes.
[00:19:54.840 --> 00:19:55.880] Of course, you have dreams.
[00:19:55.880 --> 00:19:57.000] Of course you have goals.
[00:19:57.560 --> 00:20:02.520] Eventually, I start to gradually, you know, when you see those signs, like, oh, wait, a magazine is interested in this.
[00:20:02.520 --> 00:20:02.840] Yeah.
[00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:05.480] Those signs start to show you what's possible.
[00:20:05.480 --> 00:20:12.840] But having an open mentality at the same time allows you to not get bogged down in disappointment too early on.
[00:20:12.840 --> 00:20:13.400] Oh, yeah.
[00:20:13.400 --> 00:20:28.120] Now, you touched on this, but I wanted to also talk about the process of actually bringing the Shea Butter from Ghana to America and how you even met the women of that Shea Butter collective and decide to work with them.
[00:20:28.120 --> 00:20:28.760] Yeah.
[00:20:28.760 --> 00:20:33.000] So when I decided to start the company, like I went to my parents right away.
[00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:36.920] My dad's actually the person who helped me come up with the name, everything.
[00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:41.880] And so I was asking them, like, where, how can I source this shea?
[00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:47.240] And so my dad's aunt, Auntie Rose, she knew a contact.
[00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:57.720] And so I was just like, literally, WhatsApping her, like, hey, can you send me like, you know, 50 kilos or like 100 kilos?
[00:20:57.720 --> 00:21:02.760] And I remember the first round of shea to get to me took maybe like three months.
[00:21:02.760 --> 00:21:06.280] Like, and it was literally, they dropped it at my door.
[00:21:06.280 --> 00:21:08.520] And I was just like, you know what?
[00:21:08.520 --> 00:21:10.440] I have to figure out another way.
[00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:15.200] And I started again, YouTube, just watching videos around how it was made.
[00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:18.480] And so I decided that's when I decided I'm just gonna go back to Ghana.
[00:21:14.600 --> 00:21:20.000] I think I can just meet a cooperative.
[00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:24.080] Again, naivety is like what has really pushed me through this.
[00:21:24.560 --> 00:21:26.800] I was like, I'm just gonna go to Tamale.
[00:21:27.040 --> 00:21:28.560] My family's not even from Tamale.
[00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:30.000] Tamale is all the way up north.
[00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:31.760] We're from the mountain area.
[00:21:31.760 --> 00:21:33.600] We live in Accra and Kumasa.
[00:21:33.600 --> 00:21:37.760] So I don't know why I thought I was just like, yeah, I'm gonna go up there.
[00:21:37.760 --> 00:21:39.200] My dad's like, okay, girl.
[00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:40.400] My mom's like, what?
[00:21:41.520 --> 00:21:42.800] How are you getting there?
[00:21:42.800 --> 00:21:44.080] Like, who are you?
[00:21:44.080 --> 00:21:50.800] And so I remember that summer, I think June, I booked a trip to Ghana the first time as an adult.
[00:21:50.800 --> 00:21:56.880] And the first three weeks, I was just chilling, you know, just enjoying with my cousins, with my family.
[00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:00.480] And every time I would be like, okay, who's going to come up with me to Tamale?
[00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.240] Who's going to someone?
[00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:03.520] It would be like, okay, I'm going to come.
[00:22:03.520 --> 00:22:05.280] And then last minute, oh, I can't go.
[00:22:05.280 --> 00:22:06.080] Okay, I'm going to come.
[00:22:06.080 --> 00:22:06.560] I can't go.
[00:22:06.560 --> 00:22:09.040] And I was like, okay, well, I'm just going to go by myself.
[00:22:09.040 --> 00:22:15.280] And so my aunt set me up with a driver, Pa, and he picked me up.
[00:22:15.280 --> 00:22:17.920] And this is a time where my hair is like big afro.
[00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:20.160] I had like, I had my nose ring.
[00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:22.640] And the north is quite a conservative area.
[00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:25.040] So when he picked me up, he's like, who are you?
[00:22:29.040 --> 00:22:33.440] You know, and I was just like, yeah, I just, I started a business.
[00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:38.560] I'm really interested in telling the story around women behind the process of Shay.
[00:22:38.560 --> 00:22:40.640] I remember I had reached out to Visco.
[00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:43.360] I had a friend at Visco and I had a friend at Apple.
[00:22:43.360 --> 00:22:51.280] And I was like, I think I can tell a really amazing story through photography about these women and what's going on.
[00:22:51.280 --> 00:22:51.840] Right.
[00:22:51.840 --> 00:22:55.040] And so he, the driver, he was so great.
[00:22:55.040 --> 00:22:56.000] Pa was amazing.
[00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:56.880] He's like, okay, you know what?
[00:22:56.880 --> 00:22:58.240] I'm going to take you to this cooperative.
[00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:01.880] I know some women that work in the Qatarga cooperative.
[00:23:01.880 --> 00:23:03.640] And he took me there.
[00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:05.800] I think I met them for like an hour.
[00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:06.680] And they're like, come back.
[00:23:06.760 --> 00:23:08.200] At the end of the day, we're working right now.
[00:23:08.200 --> 00:23:09.000] Come back.
[00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:12.040] We'll share with you about how we process shea.
[00:23:12.360 --> 00:23:20.040] And I spent like over five hours with them, them just teaching me how to make shea from their process.
[00:23:20.360 --> 00:23:33.160] And I think actually at that time, Pa had told them that I was like from a nonprofit because there used to be a lot of people that would just come, steal, or take money from them, just like really like abusing the experience.
[00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:39.240] So he was like, let me just lie because the women don't really trust a lot of outsiders coming in in this way.
[00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:47.080] But I was just so honest that his lie kind of went away because I was just like, business, like I just, I'm just interested.
[00:23:47.080 --> 00:23:47.960] I have money.
[00:23:47.960 --> 00:23:51.560] Like I will buy whatever like I can.
[00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:55.800] And so after they showed me everything, I was like, yeah, I would love to buy some shea.
[00:23:55.800 --> 00:24:00.840] And when they gave me the price, I was just like, so shook because it was so inexpensive.
[00:24:00.840 --> 00:24:03.080] I, I, like, like, how inexpensive?
[00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:08.440] At that time, it was four cities for one kilo.
[00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:11.960] And at that time, four cities was even under a dollar.
[00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:15.400] I mean, and the exchange rate with Ghana goes up and down.
[00:24:15.400 --> 00:24:23.320] So what they were charging me was going to be less than $50 for like almost 100 kilos of shea.
[00:24:23.320 --> 00:24:28.680] And so I was like, this doesn't really seem right because you just showed me everything.
[00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:35.560] So if I can just double the amount that you're asking me for, and they're like, Wow.
[00:24:35.560 --> 00:24:36.040] Okay.
[00:24:36.040 --> 00:24:37.400] Like, like that's a big deal.
[00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:38.040] You know what I mean?
[00:24:38.040 --> 00:24:39.160] So just double the amount.
[00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:44.600] And that's where we started like paying two times the asking price for raw materials.
[00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:53.760] So, it's the price right now, and especially because with how the process of shea goes, is that if the seedlings cost a lot, then the shea will fluctuate.
[00:24:53.760 --> 00:24:56.720] But if the harvest is good, it'll be a better price.
[00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:58.320] If it's not, you know what I mean?
[00:24:58.320 --> 00:25:02.560] So, yeah, that's how we met the women, and um, we still work with them today.
[00:25:02.560 --> 00:25:09.520] That is amazing, and I love the fact that you still work with them today and that you pay you know twice the asking price.
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[00:28:03.080 --> 00:28:12.040] How did it feel for you, especially being a Ghanaian woman, but obviously, you know, being raised in America and going back and starting this type of business?
[00:28:12.040 --> 00:28:25.680] I can already see that it was important to you to have this level of trust and integrity and respect for this raw resource that's coming from your country, but will yet be sold and making all this money in America?
[00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:51.120] I mean, I think for me, I had a lot of emotions and even still to this day, like I think there's this level of like anger at moments because I was like, these women and the cooperatives and the people that are making these products, it feels like a level of abuse that's happening with how much, I mean, you, a kilo of Shea being like this small of amount of money and the amount of money that is being made in the beauty industry just didn't make sense to me.
[00:28:51.360 --> 00:29:12.240] At the same time, it was so exciting because the same type of level of intentionality and passion that I had around therapy and like teaching, I could see it just flowing into this and it just started to click like all these different, you know, because I was also while this was happening, I was still in grad school.
[00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:16.160] And so I was like, oh shit, girl, like, are you going to finish grad school?
[00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:18.240] Are you going to keep being a parent?
[00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:20.320] Like, this is becoming really fun.
[00:29:20.320 --> 00:29:22.560] How can you use these skills that you've been learning?
[00:29:22.560 --> 00:29:24.880] You just spent all this money, you know?
[00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:34.160] So it just felt, it was a really exciting time because I wasn't really focused around the sales aspect of the beauty space.
[00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:39.040] I was more so like, how do you do this right?
[00:29:39.040 --> 00:29:41.520] You know, and that's why I ended up moving back to Ghana.
[00:29:41.520 --> 00:29:43.600] I was like, this is bigger than me.
[00:29:43.600 --> 00:29:46.160] I can't just be like, this is what I think these women need.
[00:29:46.160 --> 00:29:48.240] Like, I have to create a relationship.
[00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:52.320] Like, like I have to format a relationship just like you would in business.
[00:29:52.320 --> 00:30:01.320] Like, without the story of how we even process Shea or get Shea source Shea, I don't think Kanahana would be what it is at all, you know.
[00:30:01.480 --> 00:30:06.680] So, how can they're helping me sustain my business by the amount of work they're doing?
[00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:11.880] And so, it was, I was, I think I was just so open-eyed in that moment, you know.
[00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:15.080] I was really also just finding myself as a Ghanaian.
[00:30:15.080 --> 00:30:17.800] I was, you know, I was born here in the States.
[00:30:17.800 --> 00:30:19.560] I went back to Ghana as a kid.
[00:30:19.560 --> 00:30:23.240] I spoke the language, but I wasn't as comfortable speaking the language.
[00:30:23.240 --> 00:30:24.600] I could understand it.
[00:30:24.600 --> 00:30:38.200] And so, from that time till now, being able to come and live here, going back and forth, has just like really made me who I am as like a Ghanaian American and even feeling more confident in language and communication and all of that.
[00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:41.480] So, I really owe it to the women in that way.
[00:30:41.480 --> 00:30:45.400] And I think that's what always pushes me, even around our mission.
[00:30:45.400 --> 00:30:55.400] It used to be the fact of like, how do we disrupt the space, you know, which was kind of very angry, you know, in that sense, because I think I had a lot of anger in me around that time.
[00:30:55.400 --> 00:30:58.920] But we changed our mission to how do we bring a level of humanity into it?
[00:30:58.920 --> 00:31:01.720] Because that itself is disruption.
[00:31:01.720 --> 00:31:06.120] Because it seems like everyone has this possibility when you are a founder.
[00:31:06.120 --> 00:31:15.400] And the same way I felt as a teacher, like you have so much opportunity when you are a leader of something because you get to make choices.
[00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:18.040] So you can make a choice to be sustainable.
[00:31:18.040 --> 00:31:19.880] You can make a choice to not be.
[00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:21.480] It can be based off of cost.
[00:31:21.480 --> 00:31:23.480] It can be based off how much money you want to make.
[00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:28.440] But I had the opportunity to be like, yes, we're going to go in this direction or not.
[00:31:28.440 --> 00:31:36.600] And that was just like so much, like, not even, I think, power or authority that I had that I've never really felt before.
[00:31:36.600 --> 00:31:42.360] So it was just like, okay, like every choice you make now, let's actually be intentional because you're, you're talking about it.
[00:31:42.360 --> 00:31:43.320] So let's do it.
[00:31:43.960 --> 00:31:45.280] I love that.
[00:31:44.520 --> 00:31:50.800] And I think that's one of the reasons why it feels so good to shop with your brand.
[00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:53.040] You know, like, I know who's behind it.
[00:31:53.040 --> 00:31:57.920] I know the source of the raw shea butter and I know how you work with this cooperative.
[00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:03.040] And we'll talk a little bit later too about just how important it was for you to provide health care.
[00:32:03.040 --> 00:32:06.000] But before you could even do that, obviously you had to make money.
[00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:06.960] Yes.
[00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:08.880] So I'm curious.
[00:32:09.600 --> 00:32:15.120] What, how is the process of actually manufacturing the shea into the bottles?
[00:32:15.120 --> 00:32:21.520] Like, were you getting the ship to Chicago and making it in your kitchen into what is, you know, what we actually get?
[00:32:21.840 --> 00:32:23.200] And that's literally it.
[00:32:25.120 --> 00:32:28.640] I was, I mean, so our formula instilled the formula today.
[00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:30.960] We use shea, we use three butters.
[00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:33.840] So shea, mango, cocoa, and then we have oils too.
[00:32:33.840 --> 00:32:36.720] So I at the time was just bringing shea over.
[00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:39.120] I was luggaging over Shea.
[00:32:39.120 --> 00:32:44.880] Like, I was just, I mean, the airports, I just felt like, I was like, am I doing something illegal here or not?
[00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:47.840] Because did you have to like claim it and put it pay off?
[00:32:48.640 --> 00:32:49.840] I would do all those things.
[00:32:49.840 --> 00:32:51.040] They're like, what are you bringing over?
[00:32:51.040 --> 00:32:51.840] I'm like, shea, butter.
[00:32:51.840 --> 00:32:52.560] They're like, food?
[00:32:52.560 --> 00:32:53.840] I'm like, no, shea butter.
[00:32:53.840 --> 00:32:56.000] Like, they're like, butter?
[00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:57.600] I was like, okay, sir.
[00:32:57.600 --> 00:32:58.960] You know, every time.
[00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:01.920] And I was making it in my kitchen.
[00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:03.440] And then I had that time.
[00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:05.040] I was living with roommates.
[00:33:05.040 --> 00:33:08.480] I ended up like, it was time for one person to like renew their lease.
[00:33:08.480 --> 00:33:10.400] I was like, do you really want to live here anymore?
[00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:12.240] Like, I could use that extra room.
[00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:16.320] So then we're like, yeah, actually, I'm ready to move out.
[00:33:16.320 --> 00:33:18.960] Like, and I was like, they're like, is it going to be okay if, like, I do?
[00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:20.400] I'm like, that would be perfect.
[00:33:20.400 --> 00:33:27.520] So, I ended up just having one roommate and I would use one room as an office for myself.
[00:33:27.840 --> 00:33:30.200] And then I ended up getting an intern.
[00:33:30.200 --> 00:33:33.720] My cousin was working for me at the time, like, editorial-wise.
[00:33:29.840 --> 00:33:35.720] And, you know, it started just coming together.
[00:33:35.800 --> 00:33:46.360] And also that understanding of like, for me to do the work that I actually want to do in Ghana, I need to be strategic around how I want to grow the brand.
[00:33:46.360 --> 00:33:52.760] And that was where things got really exciting because it was like, how do you want to grow this brand?
[00:33:52.760 --> 00:33:54.200] How do you want to activate?
[00:33:54.200 --> 00:34:06.120] And that's when we started doing these different activations and being able to be like, again, I had that really teacher mindset where I was like, I want everyone to learn about this because I was like, I just learned about this.
[00:34:06.120 --> 00:34:07.240] Do y'all know about this?
[00:34:07.240 --> 00:34:08.680] Do you know about this?
[00:34:08.680 --> 00:34:10.600] You know, and that's really just where I was at.
[00:34:10.600 --> 00:34:18.040] So I was like, how can people learn about beauty or self-care in this way or the process?
[00:34:18.040 --> 00:34:28.120] And so we did these process activations where from the photos that I took, I would literally be making Shay in front of people and showing the photos and videos.
[00:34:28.120 --> 00:34:29.720] And it was an exhibition.
[00:34:29.720 --> 00:34:31.560] We took it to South by Southwest.
[00:34:31.560 --> 00:34:36.680] But at that same time, not only was it an exhibition, it was a shopping experience.
[00:34:36.680 --> 00:34:46.280] You know, we would do, what is it, Beauty and Chill, where we like had Brooklyn Guard and Maya Allen and all these women in the edit, like beauty space.
[00:34:46.280 --> 00:34:47.560] I would just like reach out.
[00:34:47.560 --> 00:34:50.760] I started just making friends with people and being like, yeah, I'm doing this.
[00:34:50.760 --> 00:34:51.800] And they're like, this is great.
[00:34:51.800 --> 00:34:54.920] You know, all of us were starting in these formats.
[00:34:54.920 --> 00:35:01.400] Were you ever like afraid that someone would like you were almost encouraging people to start a similar business?
[00:35:01.400 --> 00:35:07.240] You know, your story is unique in that most people have this fear of like, oh, competition and all this other stuff.
[00:35:07.240 --> 00:35:10.440] But you're like, hey, I found out how this is made, guys.
[00:35:10.760 --> 00:35:11.560] Do you know?
[00:35:11.560 --> 00:35:12.040] Did you know?
[00:35:12.040 --> 00:35:13.000] Do you know about this?
[00:35:13.320 --> 00:35:16.720] And you're like, show it while you're growing your business.
[00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:30.160] The thing is, like, I don't know if I didn't have the fear of someone starting my own business, like a business like mine, because for me, Shea Butter was everywhere in Ghana, right?
[00:35:30.160 --> 00:35:33.680] So like, I was just like, of course, this is going to happen.
[00:35:33.680 --> 00:35:36.560] I, again, I think it was the naivety of it.
[00:35:36.560 --> 00:35:44.160] Like, and I remember, I remember so early on, this person, someone gave me the book from zero to one or from, yeah, from zero to one.
[00:35:44.160 --> 00:35:46.000] And it's like a business book.
[00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:49.840] And it used Google as this study.
[00:35:49.840 --> 00:35:52.240] It's, it's like a professor.
[00:35:52.240 --> 00:35:53.840] He wrote it with his student.
[00:35:53.840 --> 00:35:55.280] And I didn't even read the whole book.
[00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:56.320] I'm not even going to lie to you.
[00:35:56.320 --> 00:35:57.840] I read like the first two pieces.
[00:35:57.840 --> 00:35:58.560] I was like, you know what?
[00:35:58.560 --> 00:35:59.440] I think I got it.
[00:35:59.440 --> 00:36:00.400] But the one thing I got.
[00:36:00.560 --> 00:36:01.920] That's my ammo.
[00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:04.560] I was like, I got the point.
[00:36:04.560 --> 00:36:05.200] I got a picture.
[00:36:05.200 --> 00:36:05.360] Yeah.
[00:36:06.240 --> 00:36:12.480] But one of the things they talked about was competition and how Google, like at the end of the day, is a monopoly.
[00:36:12.480 --> 00:36:18.320] And they just make things seem like it's a competition, but they're literally an advertising company.
[00:36:18.880 --> 00:36:23.600] There's really no true competition, but other brands can look at them like one.
[00:36:23.600 --> 00:36:26.320] But there's really no need to make it seem like a competition.
[00:36:26.320 --> 00:36:28.480] You just need to be more aware.
[00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:37.280] And so I think because I really wasn't so focused on like, let me be the biggest beauty brand, I wasn't too worried around that.
[00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:45.920] I think the more I've like grown and being a little bit more intentional around like, okay, the marketplace and all those things knowledge-wise, I'm like aware.
[00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:48.000] But yeah, I really wasn't.
[00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:52.560] I was just like, I mean, I was like, honestly, you should make your own shea, but I was like, but buy mine first.
[00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:57.040] And also, I was realizing people weren't going to do it.
[00:36:57.200 --> 00:36:57.600] Right.
[00:36:57.840 --> 00:36:59.040] That's my thing.
[00:36:59.040 --> 00:37:08.520] That's what I love about competition is like, most of the time, not even most of the time, all of the time, people are not willing to do it.
[00:37:08.520 --> 00:37:13.480] Like, they want to copy probably because they see the results of your success.
[00:37:13.480 --> 00:37:14.280] Like, this is awesome.
[00:37:14.280 --> 00:37:17.240] I want an article in, you know, the cut too.
[00:37:17.240 --> 00:37:22.600] But are you really going to get those double boilers and like tinker around with the formula?
[00:37:22.600 --> 00:37:22.840] No.
[00:37:23.160 --> 00:37:24.280] No, you're not.
[00:37:24.600 --> 00:37:29.320] You know, like, you know, and then it's like, if you are, though, right, it's going to be your own brand.
[00:37:29.320 --> 00:37:38.120] And I think like, yeah, the beauty space, I feel like there's this message around the fast that like there's just so many brands, the space is taken up.
[00:37:38.120 --> 00:37:40.040] You'll talk to fundraiser investors.
[00:37:40.040 --> 00:37:45.560] They're like, I don't know if like this is the space to really invest in because there's so many.
[00:37:45.560 --> 00:37:49.960] But at the end of the day, I think there's just, there's always room.
[00:37:49.960 --> 00:37:53.000] There's so much money to be made in this space.
[00:38:00.360 --> 00:38:11.080] So at what stage were you able to scale from side hustle, making this in your kitchen, juggling teaching, and grad school to deciding to do this full-time?
[00:38:11.240 --> 00:38:15.640] 2018, when I graduated, I decided to move to Ghana.
[00:38:15.640 --> 00:38:20.200] And that's when I told my parents that I was going to study for my clinicals in Ghana.
[00:38:20.200 --> 00:38:21.720] I didn't do that.
[00:38:22.920 --> 00:38:26.040] I was a therapist for like six months while I was in Ghana.
[00:38:26.040 --> 00:38:29.400] And then I was like, this, I'm just going to focus on this full time.
[00:38:29.720 --> 00:38:33.960] 2019 was the year where I was like full-time fully.
[00:38:34.280 --> 00:38:42.520] And then 2020 hit, and I was like, oh my gosh, I had to let go of the team that I was building because of COVID.
[00:38:42.520 --> 00:38:47.120] But that is the year we grew over 200% of our sales.
[00:38:44.920 --> 00:38:50.400] So I remember like our first year, we made like $18,000.
[00:38:51.040 --> 00:38:53.760] I think 2019, we made like $65,000.
[00:38:53.760 --> 00:39:02.960] And I was like, I wrote, I remember writing a goal, like, okay, this year, 2020, let's just make $10,000 each month consecutively.
[00:39:02.960 --> 00:39:05.120] And then it just, it just kept going up.
[00:39:05.120 --> 00:39:06.560] And I was like, wait, what?
[00:39:06.560 --> 00:39:16.160] We're actually passing our goals, you know, like, and so I feel like 2019, 2000, yeah, 2019 was when I was like fully into it.
[00:39:16.160 --> 00:39:16.800] That was it.
[00:39:16.800 --> 00:39:22.720] And since then, it's been around the strategy, around growth, and the next steps.
[00:39:22.720 --> 00:39:30.160] And what does it mean to be truly a sustainable brand in the sense of how do you sustain the people that are working for you?
[00:39:30.160 --> 00:39:31.440] How do I sustain myself?
[00:39:31.440 --> 00:39:33.760] How do I sustain the people that are sustaining the brand?
[00:39:33.760 --> 00:39:42.800] And so strategy has just been, I think it's very exciting, you know, because it's like all these different things that maybe I was playing around with and doing.
[00:39:42.800 --> 00:39:44.880] It was organic marketing.
[00:39:44.880 --> 00:39:54.720] And now it's just being more intentional around it and being able to plan and organize and work with team and have people that are so skilled in their space.
[00:39:55.040 --> 00:39:56.640] How big is your team now?
[00:39:56.960 --> 00:40:01.920] So we are a team of, because we have our space in Chicago.
[00:40:01.920 --> 00:40:06.720] And so we have production under us right now, as well as like marketing and everything.
[00:40:06.720 --> 00:40:09.840] So I think we're around 12 in our team.
[00:40:10.160 --> 00:40:10.720] 12.
[00:40:10.720 --> 00:40:11.200] Wow.
[00:40:11.200 --> 00:40:14.320] So is it manufactured in Chicago or overseas?
[00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:16.000] It's manufactured in Chicago.
[00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:16.320] Yeah.
[00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:21.840] So we get our raw materials from Ghana and then also other vendors for the other materials.
[00:40:21.840 --> 00:40:35.400] But we're actually going through the process again around scaling is that we've realized, you know, as a team, we can have, we have so many skill sets and the focus shouldn't just be around production because production is a lot.
[00:40:36.040 --> 00:40:43.640] So now we're moving into working with a co-packer, which has been a whole experience of transferring our formulas.
[00:40:43.640 --> 00:40:55.960] We, instead of me working in the kitchen, we have a team of producers, we have chemists that do our formulations now, and we're really building our team around how do we strategically grow and elevate this brand.
[00:40:56.360 --> 00:40:59.400] So how are you paying all these people and yourself?
[00:41:00.360 --> 00:41:05.880] Like, what has been your experience with that?
[00:41:06.200 --> 00:41:08.200] It's God and sweat.
[00:41:08.200 --> 00:41:13.560] And well, we definitely, I mean, right now we're fundraising.
[00:41:13.560 --> 00:41:16.280] So we decided to start fundraising last year.
[00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:17.960] We started our fundraise.
[00:41:18.200 --> 00:41:22.920] But honestly, our pay and everything has been from our sales.
[00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:29.480] We were able to sustain actually adding people through the sales that we have been growing as a brand.
[00:41:29.480 --> 00:41:33.960] But last year, I mean, I tell people, last year was the first time I started paying myself.
[00:41:33.960 --> 00:41:40.280] And that was because our accountant was like, it's actually illegal not to pay yourself as a founder.
[00:41:40.280 --> 00:41:42.280] I was like, oh, okay.
[00:41:42.280 --> 00:41:44.280] I guess I'll get there.
[00:41:44.680 --> 00:41:54.600] And even like our HQ, I was living out of our HQ, which we moved into 2020, this beautiful, like huge loft area.
[00:41:54.600 --> 00:42:00.360] I was living there just last year is when I moved out and moved into my own apartment.
[00:42:00.360 --> 00:42:06.600] So it's definitely like, I mean, it's, you know, on social, it looks so great and it is, but it was a very hard time.
[00:42:06.600 --> 00:42:13.960] I think 2021, where I was like, wow, I am living, working 2020, 2021, living, working, everything.
[00:42:13.960 --> 00:42:18.080] I know everyone else was, but as the breathing, seeing, eating this.
[00:42:18.080 --> 00:42:20.480] Yeah, I was like, I'm literally living in a production.
[00:42:20.480 --> 00:42:22.240] And like, this is not my home.
[00:42:22.240 --> 00:42:25.520] Like, I have so many different people coming into the space.
[00:42:25.520 --> 00:42:26.640] I got to get out of here.
[00:42:26.640 --> 00:42:30.160] And that's when I was like, okay, I actually need to pay myself so I can do that.
[00:42:30.160 --> 00:42:37.120] I'm so glad you mentioned that because a lot of times when people say, oh, I haven't paid myself, you know, you naturally wonder, well, how do you live?
[00:42:37.120 --> 00:42:37.840] How do you eat?
[00:42:37.840 --> 00:42:39.280] Like, where do you live?
[00:42:39.280 --> 00:42:40.720] You know, all of these things.
[00:42:40.720 --> 00:42:41.280] Yeah.
[00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:55.360] And it's like, and it's one of those things, you know, for me, I found myself in this space where like I'm kind of a micro influencer found, you know, that little weird space where I was like, I don't actually enjoy doing this.
[00:42:55.360 --> 00:42:57.600] Like, I don't want to make money in that way.
[00:42:57.680 --> 00:43:00.560] But you're so interesting and talented at it.
[00:43:00.560 --> 00:43:02.960] You know, it's like, it's like, how do you maneuver?
[00:43:02.960 --> 00:43:07.520] But I, and I think 2021 was one of those times where I was like, you know what?
[00:43:07.520 --> 00:43:11.280] I really want to focus on what it means to be a founder CEO.
[00:43:11.280 --> 00:43:18.160] Like, I can't focus on just like myself, but I can prioritize my growth to be able to do that.
[00:43:18.160 --> 00:43:24.880] And so I had to step back from sharing, sharing, sharing so much around just like me or working with other brands.
[00:43:24.880 --> 00:43:27.760] I had to start turning down working with brands because I was like, you know what?
[00:43:27.760 --> 00:43:39.760] I need to focus in on the brand that I'm trying to build right now and really give it all to do that and give it all to my team when I'm asking them to work and these hours and all this type of stuff.
[00:43:39.760 --> 00:43:41.040] How can I do that?
[00:43:41.040 --> 00:43:55.760] And that's a tough decision too, because how do you balance wanting the exposure, the brand exposure, the marketing exposure, with knowing when it's time to scale back and say, you know what, the business isn't a business without the business.
[00:43:55.760 --> 00:43:57.520] So I need to put that first.
[00:43:57.520 --> 00:43:57.920] Yeah.
[00:43:57.920 --> 00:44:03.480] And it is hard, but I think it was so important because it's allowed us to be at where we are right now.
[00:44:04.040 --> 00:44:16.600] One of the biggest things that we changed last year, 2022, and this year, which is really exciting, was around how do we expand our financial model outside of just direct to consumer and going into retail.
[00:44:16.600 --> 00:44:20.120] And so we really were like, I love London.
[00:44:20.440 --> 00:44:22.200] We used to do activations in London.
[00:44:22.280 --> 00:44:25.560] I was like, I want the London girls to be eating up our stuff.
[00:44:25.560 --> 00:44:31.640] Like, how do we get, you know, how do we get so everyone can just wear it more accessible?
[00:44:31.640 --> 00:44:36.760] So last year we partnered with 13 Loon, JC Penny, then we did Revolve.
[00:44:36.760 --> 00:44:40.920] And on my birthday, actually, we're launching with Ulta.
[00:44:40.920 --> 00:44:42.920] So that's just going to be amazing.
[00:44:43.640 --> 00:44:44.840] That's exciting.
[00:44:45.160 --> 00:44:45.400] Yeah.
[00:44:45.720 --> 00:44:47.160] Oh, I'm so happy about that.
[00:44:47.160 --> 00:44:49.320] I could just go into Ulta, stack up.
[00:44:49.320 --> 00:44:49.880] I love it.
[00:44:49.880 --> 00:44:50.440] Stack up.
[00:44:50.440 --> 00:44:51.000] That's it.
[00:44:51.480 --> 00:44:52.200] Congrats.
[00:44:52.520 --> 00:44:53.720] But it's been great.
[00:44:53.720 --> 00:45:03.720] It's been really good to just like, I think it's the one thing that I continue to learn around business is like, I used to think you have to prioritize the brand to do anything.
[00:45:03.720 --> 00:45:09.480] And I've realized I just really have to prioritize my growth to be able to even prioritize the brand.
[00:45:13.960 --> 00:45:15.640] You mentioned that you're fundraising.
[00:45:15.640 --> 00:45:25.560] So along this process and journey, are there any grants or programs that you took advantage of, loans or anything to fund the business?
[00:45:25.560 --> 00:45:25.880] Yes.
[00:45:25.880 --> 00:45:29.800] Hello Alice is a website that I've utilized especially.
[00:45:29.800 --> 00:45:30.600] I mean, they're amazing.
[00:45:30.600 --> 00:45:40.200] We just won a grant from them a couple months ago, and it really helped us out on our runway because one of the things with scaling is there's a lot of upfront costs, you know, that come into scaling.
[00:45:40.200 --> 00:45:42.360] So, we won some grants from Hello Alice.
[00:45:42.360 --> 00:45:46.720] We were part of the Glossier Grant Initiative, which was $50,000.
[00:45:47.040 --> 00:45:52.560] I was a part of an accelerator program, A16Z, which was $100,000.
[00:45:52.560 --> 00:45:56.880] So, we've definitely done a lot of different grants recently now.
[00:45:56.960 --> 00:46:00.480] I think it's called like bags, actually, or get that bag.
[00:46:00.480 --> 00:46:07.120] I'm probably saying it wrong, but they help you get loans because that was one of the things that I was trying to get was around loans.
[00:46:07.120 --> 00:46:09.200] And they're like, Well, you don't have enough money to get a loan.
[00:46:09.200 --> 00:46:11.120] I'm like, But that's the point of why I need a loan, y'all.
[00:46:11.360 --> 00:46:13.120] Like, that's why I need a loan.
[00:46:13.440 --> 00:46:14.320] Makes sense.
[00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:17.120] Like, isn't that the point?
[00:46:17.120 --> 00:46:24.400] Um, so you know, and that's one of the reasons why I went into like doing an equity round right now and taking in angel investors and all that.
[00:46:24.400 --> 00:46:26.000] But it's it's hard.
[00:46:26.000 --> 00:46:36.480] Like, I mean, fundraising, I'm trying to change my mindset and language around it, but it's something that I've realized with my personality.
[00:46:36.480 --> 00:46:39.760] Fundraising takes up all the things I dislike to do.
[00:46:39.760 --> 00:46:44.400] Asking people for money, like pitching yourself, proving your worth.
[00:46:44.400 --> 00:46:46.720] Oh my gosh, I know that position.
[00:46:46.720 --> 00:46:48.080] It's like, don't you get it?
[00:46:48.080 --> 00:46:49.680] If you don't get it, I don't want to talk to you.
[00:46:49.680 --> 00:46:52.000] Like, you know, I'm out of here.
[00:46:52.400 --> 00:46:54.400] I'm like, you're asking me about Shea Better.
[00:46:54.400 --> 00:46:57.920] Like, it's Shea, you know.
[00:46:57.920 --> 00:46:59.360] They're like, who's gonna buy it?
[00:46:59.600 --> 00:47:00.560] So frustrating.
[00:47:00.560 --> 00:47:10.880] I'm like, black women, anyone that's ashy, like, you know, but no, but it's definitely, it's a, it's been a learning curve.
[00:47:10.880 --> 00:47:12.640] It's an important skill.
[00:47:12.640 --> 00:47:13.840] It's an important skill.
[00:47:13.840 --> 00:47:18.000] And it's something too that I realized I want to do really well at.
[00:47:18.000 --> 00:47:22.160] Like, if there's one thing about me, I like to be good at things.
[00:47:22.160 --> 00:47:27.040] And I get, you know, and so with this, I used, I was having this like kind of narrative in my head.
[00:47:27.040 --> 00:47:28.480] It's like, I'm not good at this.
[00:47:28.480 --> 00:47:29.200] It's okay.
[00:47:29.200 --> 00:47:30.600] You're just not good at it.
[00:47:30.600 --> 00:47:35.400] And then I was talking to, she's our deal lead, Ola Linka, and she's like, relax.
[00:47:29.680 --> 00:47:35.960] You're good at it.
[00:47:36.200 --> 00:47:37.400] It's not that you're not good at it.
[00:47:37.400 --> 00:47:40.520] It's just that you may not like it, but you can get good at it.
[00:47:40.600 --> 00:47:41.960] And you also need practice.
[00:47:41.960 --> 00:47:44.200] You also get better with practice.
[00:47:44.200 --> 00:47:45.000] Exactly.
[00:47:45.000 --> 00:47:49.080] But yeah, I mean, we definitely have taken out outside investment.
[00:47:49.080 --> 00:47:57.560] We've also done a lot of the Shopify loans that they do too, because if your sales are growing, they see and they're like, okay, do you got any money?
[00:47:57.560 --> 00:47:58.680] I'm like, yes, we do.
[00:47:58.680 --> 00:47:59.480] We do.
[00:47:59.480 --> 00:48:00.040] Right.
[00:48:00.040 --> 00:48:01.400] Shout out to Shopify.
[00:48:01.400 --> 00:48:03.320] They're sponsoring this episode.
[00:48:04.200 --> 00:48:05.000] Yeah, but they're awesome.
[00:48:05.000 --> 00:48:05.240] Yeah.
[00:48:05.240 --> 00:48:11.240] And if you guys didn't know, yes, that's one of the things they provide opportunities for loans for your business.
[00:48:11.240 --> 00:48:12.680] So thank you for mentioning that.
[00:48:12.680 --> 00:48:18.200] Now, before we jump into the lightning round, speaking of Ashy, I got to talk about this campaign you did.
[00:48:18.200 --> 00:48:19.960] Was it called New Year Never Ashy?
[00:48:20.280 --> 00:48:21.160] Yes.
[00:48:22.440 --> 00:48:28.440] So I read that that actually came to be due to a supply chain setback.
[00:48:28.440 --> 00:48:33.720] So tell us that story because I think it's so cool that you were able to pivot and do that.
[00:48:34.040 --> 00:48:45.080] So we were planning a rebrand, which is so funny because we're literally about to launch another rebrand, but we were planning a rebrand in October 2020.
[00:48:45.080 --> 00:48:47.800] It was supposed to launch in November 2020.
[00:48:47.800 --> 00:48:52.840] And literally, I think the first day of November, I was walking to the grocery store.
[00:48:52.840 --> 00:48:57.640] I get a call from our vendor and they're like, Hi, yeah, the products have not left.
[00:48:57.640 --> 00:48:59.960] Your packaging is still in Taiwan.
[00:48:59.960 --> 00:49:02.440] And I said, oh, that's crazy.
[00:49:02.440 --> 00:49:05.400] Cause I thought you were calling me to tell me it was coming.
[00:49:05.400 --> 00:49:08.520] She's like, no, it won't get here till December.
[00:49:08.520 --> 00:49:11.880] You know, COVID, supply chain, all the things.
[00:49:12.360 --> 00:49:17.280] And so we just had to, I mean, I, I, I think that was a, there's a video probably.
[00:49:17.840 --> 00:49:19.840] I do these like, um, what is it?
[00:49:19.840 --> 00:49:22.720] Journal, um, video journals sometimes for myself.
[00:49:22.720 --> 00:49:24.080] And I was just like crying.
[00:49:24.080 --> 00:49:26.800] I was like, what am I going to do?
[00:49:26.800 --> 00:49:28.240] I'm spent all this money.
[00:49:28.240 --> 00:49:32.720] It was the first time I think I spent like a chunk of like $20,000 straight.
[00:49:32.720 --> 00:49:34.480] Like, I was like, what is this?
[00:49:34.480 --> 00:49:36.160] This is crazy.
[00:49:36.800 --> 00:49:40.880] And then I remember talking to our consultant at the time.
[00:49:40.880 --> 00:49:42.880] And we were just like, you know what?
[00:49:42.880 --> 00:49:44.560] Let's just flip the switch.
[00:49:44.560 --> 00:49:45.840] Let's change it up.
[00:49:45.840 --> 00:49:47.600] Let's just put it into the new year.
[00:49:47.600 --> 00:49:51.200] And so then it was like, you know, it's a new year and we're not going to be ashy.
[00:49:51.200 --> 00:49:52.160] We're never ashy.
[00:49:52.160 --> 00:49:54.960] We always have no reason to be ashy.
[00:49:54.960 --> 00:50:01.520] And so it's, that's just every year just to remind people, like, there's no need to be ashy when Hannah Hanna is around.
[00:50:01.520 --> 00:50:03.120] And so that's been our push.
[00:50:03.120 --> 00:50:05.680] And we just kind of flip the switch.
[00:50:06.320 --> 00:50:08.320] I love that way to pivot.
[00:50:08.320 --> 00:50:13.360] What did you learn from a supply chain and planning perspective from that experience?
[00:50:13.360 --> 00:50:14.240] Plan ahead.
[00:50:14.240 --> 00:50:21.440] And also, the best thing about these things is no one ever knows when you're actually going to launch until you tell them.
[00:50:21.440 --> 00:50:23.760] You know, like no one knew we were going to launch.
[00:50:23.760 --> 00:50:25.840] So it was only a setback for us.
[00:50:25.840 --> 00:50:28.000] Like our customers didn't know.
[00:50:28.000 --> 00:50:29.840] And also just like be ready.
[00:50:29.840 --> 00:50:32.880] It just, I think it helped us like as a brand.
[00:50:32.880 --> 00:50:39.200] If we want to launch something in July, we start working on it almost like eight months beforehand.
[00:50:39.200 --> 00:50:49.120] And it just really got us to this point as a team where we could, we understood you can't launch something, a brand in three months, you know, like how I started, you know?
[00:50:49.120 --> 00:50:50.880] So it just really helped.
[00:50:51.360 --> 00:50:53.680] Not everything can happen in 90 days.
[00:50:53.680 --> 00:50:56.240] Yes, not everything can happen in 90 days.
[00:50:56.240 --> 00:51:05.000] But, but, yeah, I think it just really helped us around planning and understanding that, like, you can always pivot and you can always be able to strategize around things.
[00:51:05.640 --> 00:51:06.360] Have you been?
[00:51:06.360 --> 00:51:08.680] You said you moved back after you graduated.
[00:51:08.680 --> 00:51:09.720] Have you been there since?
[00:51:09.720 --> 00:51:12.760] Like, you just live in Ghana or you kind of go back and forth?
[00:51:13.000 --> 00:51:15.880] So now I live in the States now.
[00:51:15.880 --> 00:51:22.360] So when 2020 happened, I came back and I was supposed to just come right back again, but then no one was able to fly.
[00:51:22.360 --> 00:51:25.640] And that's when it allowed me to really like settle down and build my business.
[00:51:25.640 --> 00:51:27.480] But I go back and forth.
[00:51:27.480 --> 00:51:28.840] I'm in Ghana right now.
[00:51:28.840 --> 00:51:32.760] We go, you know, twice a year for our healthcare days.
[00:51:32.760 --> 00:51:37.000] I would love to be able to move here and be a little bit here more permanently.
[00:51:37.000 --> 00:51:41.000] But I think right now in the growth stage of Hanahana, I need to be a little bit more closer to my team.
[00:51:41.000 --> 00:51:44.840] But anytime I can come back, I'm here.
[00:51:45.160 --> 00:51:46.040] I'm in there.
[00:51:46.040 --> 00:51:46.680] Yes.
[00:51:47.000 --> 00:51:55.560] And how are you managing the health care, the total care that you incorporated in your business for the women of the cooperative?
[00:51:55.560 --> 00:52:04.600] Yeah, so the Hanahana Circle of Care, I mean, what's really been great about that is that I've gotten a chance to work with my best friend, Tanny, who is our executive director now.
[00:52:04.600 --> 00:52:07.960] We've changed the Circle of Care into a nonprofit.
[00:52:08.280 --> 00:52:11.800] We're actually going through the process of becoming a B Corp.
[00:52:11.800 --> 00:52:25.480] And so one of the things that we learned from the time that I was living in Ghana, I would come up to Tamale on a monthly basis and was around the access to health care and optimization of production was like an issue.
[00:52:25.480 --> 00:52:28.920] And so what we do is bring health care to the neighborhoods.
[00:52:28.920 --> 00:52:31.480] And we're actually going to Tamale tomorrow.
[00:52:31.480 --> 00:52:45.920] And so we do twice a year, which is mimic after like six-month checkups of bringing health care activations to the neighborhood so people can see their doctor, they can get a checkup, and we do a focus round of it.
[00:52:45.920 --> 00:52:47.280] Oh, I love that.
[00:52:44.920 --> 00:52:49.200] Just that is how it should be.
[00:52:49.440 --> 00:52:55.760] That is how it should be when you go to a country and, you know, you're doing international business relations like that.
[00:52:55.760 --> 00:52:57.120] You know, take care of your people.
[00:52:57.120 --> 00:52:59.200] And I know it's not easy.
[00:52:59.440 --> 00:53:01.840] I know it costs money and time.
[00:53:01.840 --> 00:53:06.960] So I just give you kudos for that, for making sure that's part of your business.
[00:53:06.960 --> 00:53:17.120] So as someone who started with a more of a let's see where this goes perspective, what is your vision these days for Hanahana?
[00:53:17.120 --> 00:53:23.040] I mean, I'm excited for how product development can look like for us.
[00:53:23.040 --> 00:53:30.800] I really want us to tackle the space around like your daily use body care and skincare products.
[00:53:30.800 --> 00:53:39.600] You know, from pre-shower to shower to after, I want to see how we can create results-driven products in that area.
[00:53:39.600 --> 00:53:40.080] Yes.
[00:53:40.080 --> 00:53:48.240] And the same intentionality that we put into our shea butters, into our body bars, like what does that look like for a shower experience?
[00:53:48.240 --> 00:53:55.280] I'm really excited to see how we can grow just like internationally and globally too, like, you know, being a household name.
[00:53:55.280 --> 00:54:00.560] Because I think the funnest thing about this is that like, you know, our age group, we're having children.
[00:54:00.560 --> 00:54:03.600] Like there's kids that have grown up on Hanahana now.
[00:54:03.600 --> 00:54:13.840] And like, what does it look like to be like a family brand that, you know, we know Jurgens, we know all these different, you know, everything like that, but like Hanahana being one.
[00:54:13.840 --> 00:54:19.680] And that's the space that I really want to continue to like evolve in in that market space for sure.
[00:54:23.520 --> 00:54:25.520] Now we're going to jump into the lightning round.
[00:54:25.520 --> 00:54:26.400] You know the deal.
[00:54:26.400 --> 00:54:28.640] You just answer the first thing that comes to mind.
[00:54:28.640 --> 00:54:29.560] Keep it lightning.
[00:54:29.880 --> 00:54:31.000] So let's jump right into it.
[00:54:31.000 --> 00:54:31.640] You ready?
[00:54:31.640 --> 00:54:32.200] Yep.
[00:54:29.520 --> 00:54:32.600] All right.
[00:54:32.840 --> 00:54:40.520] So number one, what is a resource in your business that has really helped you that you can share with the Sidehouse a Pro audience?
[00:54:40.520 --> 00:54:41.160] Team.
[00:54:41.160 --> 00:54:43.240] I think it's just, team is resourceful.
[00:54:43.240 --> 00:54:46.120] I know that seems really like, but without my team.
[00:54:46.440 --> 00:54:47.640] How do you build your team?
[00:54:47.640 --> 00:54:49.640] How did you find these awesome people?
[00:54:49.640 --> 00:54:53.880] I think it's important to take your time with team building and follow your intuition.
[00:54:53.880 --> 00:54:55.240] I think that's the biggest thing.
[00:54:55.240 --> 00:54:57.960] Like set up the expectations.
[00:54:57.960 --> 00:55:00.440] Like go through the interview process.
[00:55:00.440 --> 00:55:03.720] Go through having your reviews.
[00:55:03.720 --> 00:55:05.720] Like, you know, don't leave it to the side.
[00:55:05.720 --> 00:55:07.000] Make time for it.
[00:55:07.000 --> 00:55:11.240] Because I've found when I don't make time for it, that's when things start to boil up.
[00:55:11.240 --> 00:55:12.920] People may not feel valued.
[00:55:12.920 --> 00:55:16.200] And when you do, it's just like honest 

Prompt 2: Key Takeaways

Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.

Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...". 

Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive. 

IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}

Prompt 3: Segments

Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.

For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)  
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion

IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
  "segments": [
    {
      "segment_title": "Topic Discussion", 
      "timestamp": "01:15:30",
      "key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
      "segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
    }
  ]
}

Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.

Prompt 4: Media Mentions

Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:

Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)  
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)

DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names

IMPORTANT: 
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Timestamps are given as ranges, e.g. 01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:46.720. Use the EARLIER of the 2 timestamps in the range.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted and escaped, no trailing commas:
{
  "media_mentions": [
    {
      "title": "Exact Title as Mentioned",
      "category": "Book",
      "author_artist": "N/A",
      "context": "Brief context of why it was mentioned",
      "context_phrase": "The exact sentence or phrase where it was mentioned",
      "timestamp": "estimated time like 01:15:30"
    }
  ]
}

If no media is mentioned, return: {"media_mentions": []}

Prompt 5: Context Setup

You are an expert data extractor tasked with analyzing a podcast transcript. 
I will provide you with part 2 of 2 from a podcast transcript. 
I will then ask you to extract different types of information from this content in subsequent messages. Please confirm you have received and understood the transcript content.

Transcript section:
 does it look like to be like a family brand that, you know, we know Jurgens, we know all these different, you know, everything like that, but like Hanahana being one.
[00:54:13.840 --> 00:54:19.680] And that's the space that I really want to continue to like evolve in in that market space for sure.
[00:54:23.520 --> 00:54:25.520] Now we're going to jump into the lightning round.
[00:54:25.520 --> 00:54:26.400] You know the deal.
[00:54:26.400 --> 00:54:28.640] You just answer the first thing that comes to mind.
[00:54:28.640 --> 00:54:29.560] Keep it lightning.
[00:54:29.880 --> 00:54:31.000] So let's jump right into it.
[00:54:31.000 --> 00:54:31.640] You ready?
[00:54:31.640 --> 00:54:32.200] Yep.
[00:54:29.520 --> 00:54:32.600] All right.
[00:54:32.840 --> 00:54:40.520] So number one, what is a resource in your business that has really helped you that you can share with the Sidehouse a Pro audience?
[00:54:40.520 --> 00:54:41.160] Team.
[00:54:41.160 --> 00:54:43.240] I think it's just, team is resourceful.
[00:54:43.240 --> 00:54:46.120] I know that seems really like, but without my team.
[00:54:46.440 --> 00:54:47.640] How do you build your team?
[00:54:47.640 --> 00:54:49.640] How did you find these awesome people?
[00:54:49.640 --> 00:54:53.880] I think it's important to take your time with team building and follow your intuition.
[00:54:53.880 --> 00:54:55.240] I think that's the biggest thing.
[00:54:55.240 --> 00:54:57.960] Like set up the expectations.
[00:54:57.960 --> 00:55:00.440] Like go through the interview process.
[00:55:00.440 --> 00:55:03.720] Go through having your reviews.
[00:55:03.720 --> 00:55:05.720] Like, you know, don't leave it to the side.
[00:55:05.720 --> 00:55:07.000] Make time for it.
[00:55:07.000 --> 00:55:11.240] Because I've found when I don't make time for it, that's when things start to boil up.
[00:55:11.240 --> 00:55:12.920] People may not feel valued.
[00:55:12.920 --> 00:55:16.200] And when you do, it's just like honest communication.
[00:55:16.440 --> 00:55:19.240] Another resource, I would say the book before agreements.
[00:55:19.240 --> 00:55:28.120] I make sure that every single person on my team reads it because it allows us all to be in this set for agreements around how we communicate and work with each other.
[00:55:28.120 --> 00:55:37.400] Number two, who is a black woman entrepreneur, non-celebrity that you would want to trade places with for a day just to get a little bit of their insight?
[00:55:37.400 --> 00:55:38.360] Issa Ray.
[00:55:38.360 --> 00:55:39.960] Oh, well, she's a celebrity, isn't she?
[00:55:40.920 --> 00:55:41.320] That's true.
[00:55:41.320 --> 00:55:41.640] That's true.
[00:55:41.720 --> 00:55:42.920] I was about to let you get away with that.
[00:55:42.920 --> 00:55:43.960] But she's a why.
[00:55:43.960 --> 00:55:45.720] So we're going to let her in.
[00:55:45.720 --> 00:55:50.280] Because, I mean, I grew up watching Awkward Black Girl in college.
[00:55:50.280 --> 00:55:58.280] And now she's been able to expand where she's literally helping people become directors, making shows, just like in that world.
[00:55:58.280 --> 00:56:06.440] And I secretly feel like there's a part of me that wish I could be in that space of like directing and production and acting too.
[00:56:06.440 --> 00:56:08.280] I feel like she's just a triple threat.
[00:56:08.280 --> 00:56:13.320] And it would be so amazing just to see what her day actually looks like in that space, you know?
[00:56:13.640 --> 00:56:14.240] Yeah.
[00:56:14.120 --> 00:56:16.720] She's in a hair care company.
[00:56:16.800 --> 00:56:19.680] Like she's doing what?
[00:56:21.120 --> 00:56:21.840] It's just so easy.
[00:56:26.160 --> 00:56:26.640] All right.
[00:56:26.640 --> 00:56:30.640] Number three, what's a non-negotiable part of your day these days?
[00:56:30.640 --> 00:56:31.680] Rest.
[00:56:31.680 --> 00:56:33.680] Definitely actually sleeping.
[00:56:33.680 --> 00:56:36.000] I think sometimes like people be like, no, sleep.
[00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:36.960] Sleep on your dead.
[00:56:36.960 --> 00:56:37.280] No.
[00:56:38.240 --> 00:56:38.640] No.
[00:56:38.640 --> 00:56:39.440] I got to sleep.
[00:56:40.240 --> 00:56:41.200] I got to sleep.
[00:56:41.200 --> 00:56:42.720] I have to make time for it.
[00:56:42.720 --> 00:56:43.600] You got to reset.
[00:56:43.600 --> 00:56:43.920] Yeah.
[00:56:44.160 --> 00:56:50.720] Number four, what's a personal habit that you think has really helped you to be successful in your business?
[00:56:51.360 --> 00:56:55.840] Having structure around my mornings is so important.
[00:56:55.840 --> 00:57:01.360] I think it just helps me set up, actually prepare for like teams to come in.
[00:57:01.360 --> 00:57:08.240] It was something that I learned was really helpful when I was living at HQ because it was like nine o'clock, everyone's in the door.
[00:57:08.240 --> 00:57:17.040] So wake up early, have those hours to yourself, get it together, do your meditation, do a workout, eat something good.
[00:57:17.040 --> 00:57:22.960] And just having that structure and not letting anyone take that away that has been really, really important.
[00:57:22.960 --> 00:57:32.480] And then finally, what is your parting advice for fellow women, entrepreneurs who want to be their own boss, but are worried about not having a steady paycheck?
[00:57:33.120 --> 00:57:37.440] I mean, I think I've even said this earlier, but I think it's two things.
[00:57:37.440 --> 00:57:47.280] I would say that one, you really do have to prioritize your personal growth, like in the things that, because when you're working in a startup, everyone sees you.
[00:57:47.280 --> 00:57:52.400] Like they see your falls, like they see your value, they see the things that maybe you want to work on.
[00:57:52.400 --> 00:57:56.880] So you really have to prioritize the things that you want to be better in, you know?
[00:57:57.200 --> 00:58:03.160] And I think this just came to me a couple of days ago around the fact that like blessings happen through people.
[00:57:59.840 --> 00:58:06.120] And you need a lot of blessings for a brand to grow.
[00:58:06.440 --> 00:58:17.000] And so like how you really interact with the people around you will show how your brand will grow because it's who you can attract to be in, which can be good or bad, right?
[00:58:17.320 --> 00:58:20.600] It's your own ways of like you're always going to be making choices.
[00:58:20.600 --> 00:58:26.040] So like I think those two and two together and knowing that is just so helpful.
[00:58:26.520 --> 00:58:49.480] Not to get like spiritual or anything or like, but I think one thing that I've learned is like there's this thing around, I was listening to a sermon once that said like understandings really leads you, lead you to a level of wealth because when you're able to understand how people work, understand what works for people, what doesn't, it really can help you navigate what you can give and what you can get also in that space.
[00:58:49.480 --> 00:58:51.960] Very, very important information.
[00:58:51.960 --> 00:58:54.200] So take all of that in, you guys.
[00:58:54.200 --> 00:58:59.880] And so where can people connect with you and Hanahana Beauty after this episode?
[00:58:59.880 --> 00:59:00.440] Of course.
[00:59:00.760 --> 00:59:06.200] Well, you can connect with us online at hanahanabeauty.com.
[00:59:06.520 --> 00:59:10.760] You can follow us on Instagram at Hanahana underscore beauty.
[00:59:10.760 --> 00:59:16.360] If you want to follow myself, it's beaniebwama on Instagram and like everywhere.
[00:59:16.680 --> 00:59:21.720] And yeah, you know, just search us, H-A-N-A-H-A-N-A Beauty.
[00:59:21.880 --> 00:59:22.520] We're there.
[00:59:22.520 --> 00:59:25.960] And you'll also soon see us in an alta near you.
[00:59:25.960 --> 00:59:27.640] So very exciting.
[00:59:27.880 --> 00:59:28.600] I can't wait.
[00:59:28.600 --> 00:59:30.680] This has been so awesome.
[00:59:31.000 --> 00:59:32.360] Thank you for what you do.
[00:59:32.360 --> 00:59:36.120] And I want to personally thank you for creating my current favorite product.
[00:59:36.120 --> 00:59:37.480] And just thank you for being here.
[00:59:37.480 --> 00:59:39.400] I'm so glad we're finally connected.
[00:59:39.400 --> 00:59:42.680] And with that, you guys go out and check out Hanahana.
[00:59:42.680 --> 00:59:45.200] And I will talk to you next week.
[00:59:44.440 --> 00:59:49.520] Hey, guys, thanks for listening to Side Hustle Pro.
[00:59:49.840 --> 00:59:54.320] If you like the show, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.
[00:59:54.560 --> 00:59:58.000] It helps other side hustlers just like you to find the show.
[00:59:58.320 --> 01:00:02.960] And if you want to hear more from me, you can follow me on Instagram at SideHustle Pro.
[01:00:02.960 --> 01:00:10.000] Plus, sign up for my six-foot Saturday newsletter at sidehustlepro.co/slash newsletter.
[01:00:10.000 --> 01:00:17.440] When you sign up, you will receive weekly nuggets from me, including what I'm up to, personal lessons, and my business tip of the week.
[01:00:17.440 --> 01:00:22.160] Again, that's sidehustlepro.co/slash newsletter to sign up.
[01:00:22.160 --> 01:00:23.440] Talk to you soon.
[01:00:27.600 --> 01:00:32.720] Take control of the numbers and supercharge your small business with Xero.
[01:00:32.720 --> 01:00:34.880] That's X-E-R-O.
[01:00:36.160 --> 01:00:44.960] With our easy-to-use accounting software with automation and reporting features, you'll spend less time on manual tasks and more time understanding how your business is doing.
[01:00:44.960 --> 01:00:46.880] 87% of surveyed U.S.
[01:00:46.880 --> 01:00:50.240] customers agree Xero helps improve financial visibility.
[01:00:50.240 --> 01:00:56.160] Search Xero with an X or visit zero.com/slash ACAST to start your 30-day free trial.
[01:00:56.160 --> 01:00:57.680] Conditions apply.

Prompt 6: Key Takeaways

Now please extract the key takeaways from the transcript content I provided.

Extract the most important key takeaways from this part of the conversation. Use a single sentence statement (the key takeaway) rather than milquetoast descriptions like "the hosts discuss...". 

Limit the key takeaways to a maximum of 3. The key takeaways should be insightful and knowledge-additive. 

IMPORTANT: Return ONLY valid JSON, no explanations or markdown. Ensure:
- All strings are properly quoted and escaped
- No trailing commas
- All braces and brackets are balanced
Format: {"key_takeaways": ["takeaway 1", "takeaway 2"]}

Prompt 7: Segments

Now identify 2-4 distinct topical segments from this part of the conversation.

For each segment, identify:
- Descriptive title (3-6 words)  
- START timestamp when this topic begins (HH:MM:SS format)
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Most important Key takeaway from that segment. Key takeaway must be specific and knowledge-additive.
- Brief summary of the discussion

IMPORTANT: The timestamp should mark when the topic/segment STARTS, not a range. Look for topic transitions and conversation shifts.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted, no trailing commas:
{
  "segments": [
    {
      "segment_title": "Topic Discussion", 
      "timestamp": "01:15:30",
      "key_takeaway": "main point from this segment",
      "segment_summary": "brief description of what was discussed"
    }
  ]
}

Timestamp format: HH:MM:SS (e.g., 00:05:30, 01:22:45) marking the START of each segment.

Prompt 8: Media Mentions

Now scan the transcript content I provided for ACTUAL mentions of specific media titles:

Find explicit mentions of:
- Books (with specific titles)
- Movies (with specific titles)  
- TV Shows (with specific titles)
- Music/Songs (with specific titles)

DO NOT include:
- Websites, URLs, or web services
- Other podcasts or podcast names

IMPORTANT: 
- Only include items explicitly mentioned by name. Do not invent titles.
- Valid categories are: "Book", "Movie", "TV Show", "Music"
- Include the exact phrase where each item was mentioned
- Find the nearest proximate timestamp where it appears in the conversation
- THE TIMESTAMP OF THE MEDIA MENTION IS IMPORTANT - DO NOT INVENT TIMESTAMPS AND DO NOT MISATTRIBUTE TIMESTAMPS
- Double check that the timestamp is accurate - a timestamp will NEVER be greater than the total length of the audio
- Timestamps are given as ranges, e.g. 01:13:42.520 --> 01:13:46.720. Use the EARLIER of the 2 timestamps in the range.

Return ONLY valid JSON. Ensure all strings are properly quoted and escaped, no trailing commas:
{
  "media_mentions": [
    {
      "title": "Exact Title as Mentioned",
      "category": "Book",
      "author_artist": "N/A",
      "context": "Brief context of why it was mentioned",
      "context_phrase": "The exact sentence or phrase where it was mentioned",
      "timestamp": "estimated time like 01:15:30"
    }
  ]
}

If no media is mentioned, return: {"media_mentions": []}

Full Transcript

[00:00:00.240 --> 00:00:05.200] Take control of the numbers and supercharge your small business with Xero.
[00:00:05.200 --> 00:00:17.440] That's X E R O With our easy to use accounting software with automation and reporting features, you'll spend less time on manual tasks and more time understanding how your business is doing.
[00:00:17.440 --> 00:00:19.360] 87% of surveyed U.S.
[00:00:19.360 --> 00:00:22.720] customers agree Xero helps improve financial visibility.
[00:00:22.720 --> 00:00:28.640] Search Zero with an X or visit zero.com/slash ACAST to start your 30-day free trial.
[00:00:28.640 --> 00:00:30.480] Conditions apply.
[00:00:32.400 --> 00:00:45.680] The one thing that I continue to learn around business is like, I used to think you have to prioritize the brand to do anything, and I've realized I just really have to prioritize my growth to be able to even prioritize the brand.
[00:00:46.320 --> 00:00:55.040] You're listening to Side Hustle Pro, the podcast that teaches you to build and grow your side hustle from passion project to profitable business.
[00:00:55.040 --> 00:00:57.920] And I'm your host, Nikayla Matthews Okome.
[00:00:57.920 --> 00:00:59.760] So let's get started.
[00:01:02.960 --> 00:01:03.600] Hey, friends.
[00:01:03.600 --> 00:01:04.400] Hey, welcome.
[00:01:04.400 --> 00:01:07.200] Welcome back to another episode of Side Hustle Pro.
[00:01:07.200 --> 00:01:20.720] Today in the guest chair, I am so happy to bring you this conversation with Abhina Boama Achampong, who is the founder and CEO of Hanahana Beauty, a consciously clean skincare, beauty, and wellness brand.
[00:01:20.720 --> 00:01:34.400] As a former seventh-grade math teacher and therapist, her work is driven by curating learning experiences focused on holistic wellness and showcasing stories of black women globally through visual content creation.
[00:01:34.400 --> 00:02:14.360] In the last five years, Abhina has built Hanahana Beauty into a cult favorite brand with the mission to bring humanity to the skincare industry while creating results-driven products, plus empowering black women globally by creating sustainable paths from producers to their customers, starting with creating access to living wages and health care for shea butter producers in Ghana I really love this conversation and this is actually one of my favorite new products so I'm so excited to have her in the guest chair let's get right into it Welcome, welcome to the guest chair.
[00:02:14.360 --> 00:02:15.960] I'm so excited to have you here.
[00:02:15.960 --> 00:02:17.560] I'm really happy to be on the show.
[00:02:17.560 --> 00:02:18.520] I'm so happy.
[00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:19.960] I'm really happy to have you.
[00:02:19.960 --> 00:02:30.360] We were talking a bit in the pre-show and it's like, I can't believe we didn't do this before, but I think it was meant to happen now as someone who has eczema and my son also has eczema.
[00:02:30.360 --> 00:02:36.520] Just learning about skincare brands and how they come to be has really always been interesting to me.
[00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:51.080] And then when you guys reached out and also sent over the products, I mean, when I tell you that my skin just thanked me, like it just breathed a sigh of relief and I am done with the lotions.
[00:02:51.080 --> 00:02:52.520] I am done with the lotions.
[00:02:52.520 --> 00:02:54.920] I don't know why I ever tried.
[00:02:54.920 --> 00:03:00.680] I think marketing got in my head or something, but like, I don't think our skin, well, my skin was not meant for the lotion.
[00:03:00.680 --> 00:03:01.320] It is meant for the lotion.
[00:03:01.480 --> 00:03:02.120] I feel you.
[00:03:02.120 --> 00:03:07.480] I think it's like one of those things like, okay, I'll use lotion, but on top of the butter.
[00:03:07.480 --> 00:03:13.240] Like I'll do like a both during prevention when it's like, okay, girl, you got to do everything right now.
[00:03:14.280 --> 00:03:21.560] Sometimes it's a little crazy, but I'm definitely, I'm a solid like body butter, shea butter person grown up.
[00:03:21.560 --> 00:03:25.720] So lotions never, just doing lotion never did it for me in that way.
[00:03:25.720 --> 00:03:27.800] I was just always applying, you know.
[00:03:27.800 --> 00:03:29.880] And I just ordered the unscented for my son.
[00:03:29.880 --> 00:03:37.160] So now, all right, now we have to get into how this all began because your initial career path was that of a teacher and a therapist.
[00:03:37.160 --> 00:03:41.080] So, how did you get into teaching and transition to therapy?
[00:03:41.080 --> 00:03:41.480] Yeah.
[00:03:41.480 --> 00:03:46.320] So I feel like ever since I was a kid, honestly, my whole thing was like, how can you help people?
[00:03:46.320 --> 00:03:49.280] And I really wanted to be a neuroscientist.
[00:03:44.760 --> 00:03:53.280] Like, that was, I know, like, really thinking Ghana girl big in that sense.
[00:03:53.280 --> 00:03:56.960] My parents were like, yes, this is exactly it, you know?
[00:03:56.960 --> 00:03:59.600] And my dad comes from a math background.
[00:03:59.600 --> 00:04:06.000] So when I went to university, I studied math and psychology because I love psychology.
[00:04:06.000 --> 00:04:11.840] I decided right when I got in that, like, okay, chemistry, you're not going to be a neuroscientist right now.
[00:04:11.840 --> 00:04:13.200] It's just not going to work out.
[00:04:14.160 --> 00:04:15.680] You're not going to be a neurosurgeon.
[00:04:15.680 --> 00:04:18.160] Like, let's just, you know, let's go to psychology.
[00:04:18.160 --> 00:04:22.320] So I studied math and psychology and focus in education.
[00:04:22.320 --> 00:04:30.800] And so when I left school, I had a job in Chicago because I was doing a lot of internship programs in clinics and hospitals.
[00:04:30.800 --> 00:04:37.840] And so I did this amazing program working at the University of Illinois.
[00:04:37.840 --> 00:04:40.400] And it was supposed to be two years.
[00:04:40.400 --> 00:04:42.560] It ended in a year.
[00:04:42.560 --> 00:04:45.600] And I was like, well, the thing that I've always wanted to be was a teacher.
[00:04:45.600 --> 00:04:48.880] I have the actual, like, I've studied this.
[00:04:49.200 --> 00:04:52.880] And so I just kind of started applying to schools.
[00:04:52.880 --> 00:04:56.080] And luckily, one was looking for one at the time.
[00:04:56.080 --> 00:05:00.320] And they're like, well, I know you're like very smart, but we need a gym teacher right now.
[00:05:00.320 --> 00:05:01.680] So do you want to be a gym?
[00:05:02.560 --> 00:05:04.880] And I was like, I need a job.
[00:05:04.880 --> 00:05:07.680] Like, I, my dad was like, huh?
[00:05:07.840 --> 00:05:08.800] Like, what?
[00:05:09.280 --> 00:05:09.920] Yeah, yeah.
[00:05:10.240 --> 00:05:12.400] But they're like, yeah, you can teach gym.
[00:05:12.400 --> 00:05:16.480] And you can also, like, they need help in the algebra program too.
[00:05:16.480 --> 00:05:18.240] It was a charter school.
[00:05:18.240 --> 00:05:20.160] My first year, I was a gym teacher.
[00:05:20.160 --> 00:05:25.760] And then I, in the half, the half of the year, I started teaching math and gym.
[00:05:25.760 --> 00:05:38.040] And then I was just teaching algebra and I was teaching high school like electives and an advisor for a group of 14 young girls who are now women, which is so crazy.
[00:05:38.600 --> 00:05:41.960] But yeah, that was kind of like my start in teaching.
[00:05:41.960 --> 00:05:43.240] And that's how it began.
[00:05:43.240 --> 00:05:44.280] That's how it all began.
[00:05:44.280 --> 00:05:50.760] And when I started teaching, I was like, I want to be more educated in this space around being able to be more helpful with my students.
[00:05:50.760 --> 00:06:02.200] And that for me meant being able to get my master's in counseling psychology because I just found that a lot of the students, it wasn't that, you know, demerits, which they always give out to kids when they're not.
[00:06:02.200 --> 00:06:03.880] It was more so you just need to connect with them.
[00:06:03.880 --> 00:06:14.280] And a lot of them were going through things that I had never experienced as a child, but also I was only able to connect with their trauma because maybe I've experienced that trauma.
[00:06:14.280 --> 00:06:16.440] And I was like, we're not trying to trauma bond here.
[00:06:16.440 --> 00:06:19.240] Like, I need to help get through.
[00:06:19.400 --> 00:06:20.600] You know what I mean?
[00:06:20.600 --> 00:06:30.280] So it was, yeah, that was just like a time of just exploring how I felt like I could be impactful.
[00:06:30.280 --> 00:06:35.160] And I just felt like education and therapeutic ways was my path in that sense.
[00:06:35.160 --> 00:06:42.920] That's so interesting, especially given what you do now, just how that word impact continues to come back in your life in different ways.
[00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:47.160] So at what point did you start making shea butter on the side?
[00:06:48.360 --> 00:06:49.720] How did that come about?
[00:06:49.720 --> 00:06:51.320] You know, it's Chicago.
[00:06:51.320 --> 00:06:53.080] It's Chicago being so.
[00:06:53.240 --> 00:07:00.520] I remember my first year moving to Chicago in the winter because I did an internship in undergrad in Chicago, but it was in the summertime.
[00:07:00.520 --> 00:07:03.160] So I was like, oh, I'm going to move here.
[00:07:03.160 --> 00:07:04.200] This is great.
[00:07:04.520 --> 00:07:14.720] My first winter in Chicago, I just remember a time walking from the train, the pink line, and I started crying because it was so cold.
[00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:20.080] By the time I hit the building that I was going into, my tears were frozen on my face.
[00:07:20.240 --> 00:07:23.520] And I was just like, this is a wild place.
[00:07:23.520 --> 00:07:31.440] And my skin, I feel like I always tell people, I feel like I was blessed to have, I never really had breakouts as a kid.
[00:07:31.440 --> 00:07:35.280] Like I never experienced bad skin, but one thing was dryness.
[00:07:35.280 --> 00:07:39.360] And I felt like, you know, when you're home, being Ghanaian, you always have shea butter.
[00:07:39.360 --> 00:07:41.680] But you know, you'll try to step away from it.
[00:07:41.680 --> 00:07:42.480] It's too hard.
[00:07:42.480 --> 00:07:44.320] It's like all these different things.
[00:07:44.320 --> 00:07:47.360] But when I moved to Chicago, I was just like, girl, you got to figure it out.
[00:07:47.360 --> 00:07:48.960] Like, this is terrible.
[00:07:48.960 --> 00:07:52.560] And so I just, like, this is not it.
[00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:54.880] We can't go on like this.
[00:07:55.200 --> 00:07:58.080] Literally, I was just like, I'm over here trying to use jury.
[00:07:58.080 --> 00:08:00.160] Like, I was trying to do everything.
[00:08:00.480 --> 00:08:09.040] And I remember just having a conversation with one of my students around, I always tell people this, like hot Cheetos, because I was like, y'all stay eating hot Cheetos.
[00:08:09.360 --> 00:08:11.040] Do you know what's in there?
[00:08:11.040 --> 00:08:12.000] Blah, blah, blah.
[00:08:12.000 --> 00:08:13.760] And like one of my students came at me, like, Ms.
[00:08:13.760 --> 00:08:16.400] Balma, do you know every single thing you put in your body?
[00:08:16.400 --> 00:08:18.800] Like, you know, and so we were just having this back and forth.
[00:08:18.800 --> 00:08:20.000] And it really just kind of hit me.
[00:08:20.000 --> 00:08:23.120] I was like, wait, like, let me try to reset myself.
[00:08:23.120 --> 00:08:29.760] You know, and this is like 2014, where, you know, all the natural hair, natural, you know, all those things were happening.
[00:08:29.760 --> 00:08:34.400] And I was definitely into the YouTube, like, you know, doing your hair and all of that.
[00:08:34.400 --> 00:08:36.640] But I didn't care too much about it.
[00:08:36.640 --> 00:08:39.760] It was just more like, look good, feel good, you know.
[00:08:39.760 --> 00:08:41.600] And one day I was just like, okay, you know what?
[00:08:41.600 --> 00:08:43.280] I'm just going to start making my own.
[00:08:43.280 --> 00:08:47.040] And I remember YouTubing like how people make their own shea butter.
[00:08:47.040 --> 00:08:48.000] And I was like, I have my own.
[00:08:48.000 --> 00:08:50.000] Maybe I can just make it better.
[00:08:50.320 --> 00:08:52.000] And it kind of just went from there.
[00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.000] I was like watching different YouTube videos.
[00:08:54.000 --> 00:08:55.200] I was like, oh, I can do this.
[00:08:55.200 --> 00:08:55.760] I can.
[00:08:57.600 --> 00:08:58.400] I can do this, girl.
[00:08:58.400 --> 00:08:59.040] You can do this.
[00:08:59.040 --> 00:09:00.360] And so, I just started making.
[00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:04.600] I had no intent of starting a business in the beauty space at all.
[00:09:04.760 --> 00:09:12.680] I was very much still like gun-ho around the education system, how can I better it?
[00:09:12.680 --> 00:09:16.200] I don't think this is like working, it's not working.
[00:09:16.200 --> 00:09:18.040] I was very much focused on that.
[00:09:18.040 --> 00:09:27.000] The shea butter was just like, and making products was honestly a self-care act.
[00:09:27.000 --> 00:09:29.480] And it's so important to call that out.
[00:09:29.480 --> 00:09:41.640] Like, sometimes things begin as just a way of having something as a release, a form of just bringing you joy, just something to have a creative release, right?
[00:09:41.960 --> 00:09:44.760] And it's up to you to decide what you want to do with that.
[00:09:44.760 --> 00:09:48.680] It's okay if you never make it into something that you monetize.
[00:09:48.680 --> 00:09:53.560] But for you, I also find it interesting that you went on YouTube.
[00:09:53.560 --> 00:09:59.240] I think it's great that you mentioned that because everyone always thinks, Oh, you know, I can learn that on YouTube.
[00:09:59.240 --> 00:10:04.840] And it's funny, I've seen YouTube tutorials and I tried once and you know, it was fine, but I'm like, I'm not doing all this.
[00:10:05.240 --> 00:10:07.080] Send me the website, right?
[00:10:07.160 --> 00:10:08.840] Give me, here's your Apple Pay.
[00:10:08.840 --> 00:10:09.400] Here you go.
[00:10:09.400 --> 00:10:14.440] I'm not doing all this boiling it on the stove.
[00:10:14.440 --> 00:10:15.960] No way, no ma'am.
[00:10:15.960 --> 00:10:21.000] That was me, that was me in my kitchen, like over here, like, okay, I need a double boiler.
[00:10:21.000 --> 00:10:34.360] Like, oh my God, and it's in the flick of the wrist, too, because not all shea butter is made the same, they're not all as smooth, which is why I really like the Hana Hana Beauty ones because it's like whipped, it's so soft.
[00:10:34.360 --> 00:10:37.160] Now, did you start giving this to family and friends?
[00:10:37.160 --> 00:10:39.960] Is that where the popularity started out?
[00:10:39.960 --> 00:10:49.200] Yeah, I started giving it to family and friends, and then it started getting expensive because I would make a batch, but I would do it like maybe you know, once a quarter.
[00:10:49.840 --> 00:10:54.000] But then every time I made it, everyone's like, Okay, well, mine is out, so can you give me some?
[00:10:54.000 --> 00:10:56.480] And then my mom, I remember giving it to my brother.
[00:10:56.560 --> 00:10:58.800] My brother was like, Okay, like I'm out.
[00:10:59.440 --> 00:11:01.280] And I'm like, Okay, relax.
[00:11:01.280 --> 00:11:09.760] My mom was the one because you know, it's always like I always tell people, I'm definitely like, if my parents is a go, I'm in it.
[00:11:09.760 --> 00:11:13.680] Like, I'm a please my parents type of girl, like in that sense.
[00:11:13.680 --> 00:11:14.240] Right, right, right.
[00:11:14.400 --> 00:11:17.600] I remember my mom being like, Okay, so I'm out.
[00:11:17.600 --> 00:11:20.000] And I was like, You like this?
[00:11:20.000 --> 00:11:27.120] Like, you really, you know, because you know, sometimes you just give people things and you don't know.
[00:11:27.120 --> 00:11:29.280] And I remember, yeah, my mom kept on.
[00:11:29.280 --> 00:11:41.440] And at that time, I don't know if you're familiar with Black Girl in Om, but Lauren Ash and Dion, who actually ended up, she's, I still work with Dion till this day with Hana Hana shoots our campaigns.
[00:11:41.440 --> 00:11:45.760] But I remember I was doing, it was like my first time doing a photo shoot.
[00:11:45.760 --> 00:11:47.120] And I was like, you know what?
[00:11:47.120 --> 00:11:51.040] Let me just bring this shay in because I've never done this type of photo shoot before.
[00:11:51.040 --> 00:11:53.360] It was for Nubian skin.
[00:11:53.360 --> 00:11:56.960] And so I brought it in and everyone was using it.
[00:11:56.960 --> 00:12:00.960] And I remember Lauren was like, oh my goodness, you need to call this like a banana's butters.
[00:12:01.040 --> 00:12:02.880] And I was like, girl.
[00:12:05.120 --> 00:12:08.720] It was just like so many people, like for many years, like kept on saying it.
[00:12:08.720 --> 00:12:13.440] I remember I was dating a guy, his sister, they still have this like amazing brand.
[00:12:13.440 --> 00:12:16.080] And he was like, you should sell your formula to my sister.
[00:12:16.080 --> 00:12:17.440] And I was like, okay, relax.
[00:12:17.440 --> 00:12:20.880] Like, you gotta let me live my life.
[00:12:20.880 --> 00:12:24.000] You know, but I was very much like, I'm not trying to start a business, y'all.
[00:12:24.320 --> 00:12:27.440] And I remember my roommate at the time, shout out to her.
[00:12:27.440 --> 00:12:31.640] She sat me down one day and she was like, Okay, how much would it be to start a business?
[00:12:31.640 --> 00:12:33.240] She's like, What if you need to buy bottles?
[00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:35.240] I was like, I don't know, maybe like $200.
[00:12:35.800 --> 00:12:38.120] Like, it's so good to nacc.
[00:12:38.200 --> 00:12:41.240] I was like, Oh, yeah, I just maybe I can net like $500.
[00:12:41.240 --> 00:12:47.160] And I think, like, we came to the fact of like, maybe you need like a thousand dollars or something to start this.
[00:12:47.160 --> 00:12:48.600] I remember talking to Dion.
[00:12:48.600 --> 00:12:49.400] I was like, You know what?
[00:12:49.400 --> 00:12:52.920] I think I need someone to design like a logo for me.
[00:12:52.920 --> 00:12:54.200] I don't really know how it is.
[00:12:54.200 --> 00:12:59.000] I went to this like Chicago athletic club, this photographer RJ.
[00:12:59.000 --> 00:13:08.600] We were sitting down and we were just because I was, I was more so inspired around the women behind making Shea, like the raw producers, because that was like, I was like, What?
[00:13:08.600 --> 00:13:10.840] Like, I'm Ghanaian, they're Ghanaian.
[00:13:10.840 --> 00:13:13.800] I didn't even know that it was made in the north this way.
[00:13:13.800 --> 00:13:17.640] I just knew I was using it, and it's something that Ghanaians use, you know.
[00:13:17.640 --> 00:13:24.920] But I didn't realize shea butter was used in so many different products, like your makeups, all those different things.
[00:13:24.920 --> 00:13:26.760] So, he was like, You know what?
[00:13:26.760 --> 00:13:29.800] How about the actual, like, the shea nut itself?
[00:13:29.800 --> 00:13:31.880] Like, why don't you make that the logo?
[00:13:31.880 --> 00:13:36.440] And I was like, Okay, like, and I remember we did like a little sketch up.
[00:13:36.440 --> 00:13:37.880] I sent it to Dion.
[00:13:37.880 --> 00:13:41.080] Her and I met, like, we had just started our friendship too.
[00:13:41.400 --> 00:13:45.960] And so, I just remember us meeting in like December, maybe.
[00:13:45.960 --> 00:13:49.400] I went to New York, I talked to my brother and some friends there.
[00:13:49.400 --> 00:13:52.360] I met these girls and talked about it with them.
[00:13:52.360 --> 00:13:55.320] And then I was like, Well, I'm a Pisces.
[00:13:55.320 --> 00:13:58.440] I wanted to launch my birthday.
[00:13:58.600 --> 00:13:59.960] And that was in three months.
[00:13:59.960 --> 00:14:02.360] And so, yeah, we just got to work.
[00:14:02.680 --> 00:14:05.400] So, did it end up costing a thousand dollars to start?
[00:14:05.720 --> 00:14:07.400] It ended up costing a thousand dollars.
[00:14:07.400 --> 00:14:17.920] I didn't, I really, it's so funny to think about now, you know, like as we're about to go into year six and launching brands, or even when I talk to people about brands like fundraising, all these things.
[00:14:17.920 --> 00:14:20.160] I was just so naive, you know.
[00:14:20.160 --> 00:14:25.440] And I think it's good that I was naive because I didn't really think about it being this big thing.
[00:14:25.440 --> 00:14:27.840] I really was more so like, let me just start this thing.
[00:14:27.840 --> 00:14:33.600] I want to go back to Ghana anyways and just like take photos of these women and learn more and just like share.
[00:14:33.600 --> 00:14:43.040] Let me just make some money to like, you know, get me to Ghana and come back and teach people around the production of Shea.
[00:14:43.040 --> 00:14:56.160] I definitely didn't at that time think of it as like this business plan, and I'm going to like take over in this space that was this huge brand like it is today.
[00:14:56.160 --> 00:15:03.360] Yeah, but I love that though.
[00:15:03.360 --> 00:15:04.160] You know why?
[00:15:04.160 --> 00:15:06.800] Because I think that is how it should be.
[00:15:06.800 --> 00:15:12.560] And that's the whole purpose and premise of this show: like starting small and going from there.
[00:15:12.880 --> 00:15:22.400] Because if you start with like, oh, I'm coming out the gate, like a big brand that's going to be in Sephora, you're doing big brand things, but you don't have big brand money.
[00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:24.320] And I did not have big brands.
[00:15:24.320 --> 00:15:26.000] So, right.
[00:15:27.200 --> 00:15:28.880] We're keeping up with that when we start.
[00:15:28.880 --> 00:15:32.400] So, when you started, what did that actually mean for you?
[00:15:32.400 --> 00:15:36.960] Like, I am setting up a website or I am putting up an Etsy shop.
[00:15:36.960 --> 00:15:38.720] What did starting mean for you?
[00:15:38.720 --> 00:15:41.760] So, I remember being like, I don't want to be an Etsy brand.
[00:15:41.760 --> 00:15:46.720] Like, that was my one thing that I just remember that being like, no, I want to have my own website.
[00:15:46.720 --> 00:15:51.520] So, we basically relaunched on March 12th and we launched everything on that day.
[00:15:51.520 --> 00:15:52.960] We launched our website.
[00:15:52.960 --> 00:15:59.600] We launched our social media like a week before, I think, because we did a launch party.
[00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:03.320] So, I did this launch party where people came and bought.
[00:15:59.680 --> 00:16:05.240] I thought, but I definitely did have hopes.
[00:16:05.400 --> 00:16:08.440] Like, I was like, oh my God, so many people are going to buy from the website.
[00:16:08.440 --> 00:16:18.600] Because I did a little tester in December where I just put it on my Instagram, like, hey guys, the shea butters you guys see me making all the time, like for friends, I'm gonna sell it.
[00:16:18.600 --> 00:16:21.160] Is if anyone wants it, let me know.
[00:16:21.160 --> 00:16:25.480] And I remember making like $200, and I was like, Oh my God, girl, you rich!
[00:16:25.480 --> 00:16:26.120] Like, what?
[00:16:26.120 --> 00:16:28.280] Like, that's a beautiful concept right there.
[00:16:28.280 --> 00:16:29.320] Like, what?
[00:16:29.320 --> 00:16:31.000] You made $200?
[00:16:31.000 --> 00:16:37.720] Like, I had, and I was again, I was teaching at this time, so I remember my students used to use it, the teachers used to use it.
[00:16:37.720 --> 00:16:41.880] Like, I would just always have it, like, Miss Wama, let me get some shea, you know.
[00:16:42.200 --> 00:16:48.120] And so, and my students even came to the launch, like, they were manning my table at the launch.
[00:16:48.120 --> 00:16:49.080] I love that.
[00:16:50.360 --> 00:16:52.760] And it was just so funny because I remember we did the launch.
[00:16:52.760 --> 00:16:57.240] I think the launch we made like, I mean, like, maybe $650.
[00:16:57.240 --> 00:17:04.200] And then I remember sitting with one of my friends at the time after like waiting on the website, like, who is going to be the first person?
[00:17:04.520 --> 00:17:06.120] And no one bought from the website.
[00:17:06.120 --> 00:17:08.200] And I was like, so salty.
[00:17:08.200 --> 00:17:11.560] And I think one of my friends just went to the website and bought it at the time.
[00:17:11.560 --> 00:17:13.640] And I was like, we got a sale.
[00:17:13.640 --> 00:17:16.280] Like, oh my God, we got a sale.
[00:17:16.280 --> 00:17:21.480] No, it was, it was very much like, I think I was just so excited.
[00:17:21.480 --> 00:17:24.360] Like, I didn't really know.
[00:17:24.600 --> 00:17:35.160] I was more so proud of myself because that was also during those three months from DeWinter to March, where I had, I experienced seasonal depression.
[00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:43.000] So I didn't, I was coming out of that and I didn't realize how much it would affect, you know, that too.
[00:17:43.000 --> 00:17:51.520] So I was just so happy with myself that from the December to the March, I actually launched it in time while like going through seasonal depression.
[00:17:51.520 --> 00:17:54.000] I think I broke up with my boyfriend at that time.
[00:17:54.000 --> 00:17:58.880] It was just really like I had an experience students passing away.
[00:17:58.880 --> 00:18:01.840] So it was a very hard time right before.
[00:18:02.160 --> 00:18:06.640] And I honestly, I was just like, girl, it's your birthday.
[00:18:06.640 --> 00:18:09.680] You just launched this random brand.
[00:18:09.680 --> 00:18:12.240] Like, you know, you have grad school still.
[00:18:12.240 --> 00:18:14.240] I was in grad school at the time.
[00:18:15.120 --> 00:18:18.240] I was just happy to get it done.
[00:18:18.560 --> 00:18:21.520] And it was like, yeah, I was just so excited.
[00:18:21.520 --> 00:18:22.560] And it was so funny.
[00:18:22.560 --> 00:18:29.840] I, a couple, I think it was like a month or two later, Allure randomly sent me an editor from Allure was like, Hi.
[00:18:29.840 --> 00:18:30.880] Allure magazine.
[00:18:30.880 --> 00:18:32.320] Yeah, Allure magazine.
[00:18:32.320 --> 00:18:34.160] We would love for you to send our products.
[00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:37.760] I mean, honestly, nothing ended up happening from it.
[00:18:37.760 --> 00:18:44.480] But for me to get an email in the middle of my workday as a teacher from Allure magazine, I was like, okay.
[00:18:44.560 --> 00:18:46.880] That was like a taste of what was to come.
[00:18:46.880 --> 00:18:49.040] Yeah, I was like, two months.
[00:18:49.520 --> 00:18:50.160] I caught my breath.
[00:18:50.160 --> 00:18:52.240] I was like, guess who just hit me up in an email?
[00:18:52.240 --> 00:18:53.200] Allure.
[00:18:54.080 --> 00:18:55.600] She's like, you got to do this.
[00:18:55.600 --> 00:18:58.480] This is like, you got to do it.
[00:18:58.480 --> 00:19:13.600] And so it was like, you know, these small things that just people, my community around me, Kenya, this girl, she, it's my heart, she just kept, she supported me so much and just was like, you can do it, help like taught me so much around social.
[00:19:13.600 --> 00:19:17.120] Just, I just felt like the community.
[00:19:17.120 --> 00:19:24.800] Your community really rallied for you and helped you to keep going, especially with all that was going on at that time.
[00:19:25.120 --> 00:19:29.960] And, you know, I also love the fact that you had a, let's see where this goes attitude.
[00:19:30.200 --> 00:19:33.080] You didn't put too much pressure on, oh, it has to be this.
[00:19:29.760 --> 00:19:37.240] I have to do this many sales to make it worth it, or I'm going to quit.
[00:19:38.120 --> 00:19:43.560] If I don't make my money back at my XYZ date, I'm quitting.
[00:19:43.880 --> 00:19:47.720] You know, I'm happy I didn't have that either because then the girl would have quit.
[00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:48.120] Yeah.
[00:19:48.760 --> 00:19:52.680] I think that that is the key to success with side hustling and starting your business.
[00:19:52.680 --> 00:19:54.840] Like you have to have a let's see where this goes.
[00:19:54.840 --> 00:19:55.880] Of course, you have dreams.
[00:19:55.880 --> 00:19:57.000] Of course you have goals.
[00:19:57.560 --> 00:20:02.520] Eventually, I start to gradually, you know, when you see those signs, like, oh, wait, a magazine is interested in this.
[00:20:02.520 --> 00:20:02.840] Yeah.
[00:20:03.000 --> 00:20:05.480] Those signs start to show you what's possible.
[00:20:05.480 --> 00:20:12.840] But having an open mentality at the same time allows you to not get bogged down in disappointment too early on.
[00:20:12.840 --> 00:20:13.400] Oh, yeah.
[00:20:13.400 --> 00:20:28.120] Now, you touched on this, but I wanted to also talk about the process of actually bringing the Shea Butter from Ghana to America and how you even met the women of that Shea Butter collective and decide to work with them.
[00:20:28.120 --> 00:20:28.760] Yeah.
[00:20:28.760 --> 00:20:33.000] So when I decided to start the company, like I went to my parents right away.
[00:20:33.000 --> 00:20:36.920] My dad's actually the person who helped me come up with the name, everything.
[00:20:36.920 --> 00:20:41.880] And so I was asking them, like, where, how can I source this shea?
[00:20:41.880 --> 00:20:47.240] And so my dad's aunt, Auntie Rose, she knew a contact.
[00:20:47.240 --> 00:20:57.720] And so I was just like, literally, WhatsApping her, like, hey, can you send me like, you know, 50 kilos or like 100 kilos?
[00:20:57.720 --> 00:21:02.760] And I remember the first round of shea to get to me took maybe like three months.
[00:21:02.760 --> 00:21:06.280] Like, and it was literally, they dropped it at my door.
[00:21:06.280 --> 00:21:08.520] And I was just like, you know what?
[00:21:08.520 --> 00:21:10.440] I have to figure out another way.
[00:21:10.440 --> 00:21:15.200] And I started again, YouTube, just watching videos around how it was made.
[00:21:15.200 --> 00:21:18.480] And so I decided that's when I decided I'm just gonna go back to Ghana.
[00:21:14.600 --> 00:21:20.000] I think I can just meet a cooperative.
[00:21:20.160 --> 00:21:24.080] Again, naivety is like what has really pushed me through this.
[00:21:24.560 --> 00:21:26.800] I was like, I'm just gonna go to Tamale.
[00:21:27.040 --> 00:21:28.560] My family's not even from Tamale.
[00:21:28.640 --> 00:21:30.000] Tamale is all the way up north.
[00:21:30.000 --> 00:21:31.760] We're from the mountain area.
[00:21:31.760 --> 00:21:33.600] We live in Accra and Kumasa.
[00:21:33.600 --> 00:21:37.760] So I don't know why I thought I was just like, yeah, I'm gonna go up there.
[00:21:37.760 --> 00:21:39.200] My dad's like, okay, girl.
[00:21:39.200 --> 00:21:40.400] My mom's like, what?
[00:21:41.520 --> 00:21:42.800] How are you getting there?
[00:21:42.800 --> 00:21:44.080] Like, who are you?
[00:21:44.080 --> 00:21:50.800] And so I remember that summer, I think June, I booked a trip to Ghana the first time as an adult.
[00:21:50.800 --> 00:21:56.880] And the first three weeks, I was just chilling, you know, just enjoying with my cousins, with my family.
[00:21:56.880 --> 00:22:00.480] And every time I would be like, okay, who's going to come up with me to Tamale?
[00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:02.240] Who's going to someone?
[00:22:02.240 --> 00:22:03.520] It would be like, okay, I'm going to come.
[00:22:03.520 --> 00:22:05.280] And then last minute, oh, I can't go.
[00:22:05.280 --> 00:22:06.080] Okay, I'm going to come.
[00:22:06.080 --> 00:22:06.560] I can't go.
[00:22:06.560 --> 00:22:09.040] And I was like, okay, well, I'm just going to go by myself.
[00:22:09.040 --> 00:22:15.280] And so my aunt set me up with a driver, Pa, and he picked me up.
[00:22:15.280 --> 00:22:17.920] And this is a time where my hair is like big afro.
[00:22:17.920 --> 00:22:20.160] I had like, I had my nose ring.
[00:22:20.160 --> 00:22:22.640] And the north is quite a conservative area.
[00:22:22.640 --> 00:22:25.040] So when he picked me up, he's like, who are you?
[00:22:29.040 --> 00:22:33.440] You know, and I was just like, yeah, I just, I started a business.
[00:22:33.680 --> 00:22:38.560] I'm really interested in telling the story around women behind the process of Shay.
[00:22:38.560 --> 00:22:40.640] I remember I had reached out to Visco.
[00:22:40.640 --> 00:22:43.360] I had a friend at Visco and I had a friend at Apple.
[00:22:43.360 --> 00:22:51.280] And I was like, I think I can tell a really amazing story through photography about these women and what's going on.
[00:22:51.280 --> 00:22:51.840] Right.
[00:22:51.840 --> 00:22:55.040] And so he, the driver, he was so great.
[00:22:55.040 --> 00:22:56.000] Pa was amazing.
[00:22:56.000 --> 00:22:56.880] He's like, okay, you know what?
[00:22:56.880 --> 00:22:58.240] I'm going to take you to this cooperative.
[00:22:58.240 --> 00:23:01.880] I know some women that work in the Qatarga cooperative.
[00:23:01.880 --> 00:23:03.640] And he took me there.
[00:23:03.640 --> 00:23:05.800] I think I met them for like an hour.
[00:22:59.920 --> 00:23:06.680] And they're like, come back.
[00:23:06.760 --> 00:23:08.200] At the end of the day, we're working right now.
[00:23:08.200 --> 00:23:09.000] Come back.
[00:23:09.000 --> 00:23:12.040] We'll share with you about how we process shea.
[00:23:12.360 --> 00:23:20.040] And I spent like over five hours with them, them just teaching me how to make shea from their process.
[00:23:20.360 --> 00:23:33.160] And I think actually at that time, Pa had told them that I was like from a nonprofit because there used to be a lot of people that would just come, steal, or take money from them, just like really like abusing the experience.
[00:23:33.160 --> 00:23:39.240] So he was like, let me just lie because the women don't really trust a lot of outsiders coming in in this way.
[00:23:39.240 --> 00:23:47.080] But I was just so honest that his lie kind of went away because I was just like, business, like I just, I'm just interested.
[00:23:47.080 --> 00:23:47.960] I have money.
[00:23:47.960 --> 00:23:51.560] Like I will buy whatever like I can.
[00:23:51.880 --> 00:23:55.800] And so after they showed me everything, I was like, yeah, I would love to buy some shea.
[00:23:55.800 --> 00:24:00.840] And when they gave me the price, I was just like, so shook because it was so inexpensive.
[00:24:00.840 --> 00:24:03.080] I, I, like, like, how inexpensive?
[00:24:03.240 --> 00:24:08.440] At that time, it was four cities for one kilo.
[00:24:08.440 --> 00:24:11.960] And at that time, four cities was even under a dollar.
[00:24:11.960 --> 00:24:15.400] I mean, and the exchange rate with Ghana goes up and down.
[00:24:15.400 --> 00:24:23.320] So what they were charging me was going to be less than $50 for like almost 100 kilos of shea.
[00:24:23.320 --> 00:24:28.680] And so I was like, this doesn't really seem right because you just showed me everything.
[00:24:28.680 --> 00:24:35.560] So if I can just double the amount that you're asking me for, and they're like, Wow.
[00:24:35.560 --> 00:24:36.040] Okay.
[00:24:36.040 --> 00:24:37.400] Like, like that's a big deal.
[00:24:37.400 --> 00:24:38.040] You know what I mean?
[00:24:38.040 --> 00:24:39.160] So just double the amount.
[00:24:39.160 --> 00:24:44.600] And that's where we started like paying two times the asking price for raw materials.
[00:24:44.720 --> 00:24:53.760] So, it's the price right now, and especially because with how the process of shea goes, is that if the seedlings cost a lot, then the shea will fluctuate.
[00:24:53.760 --> 00:24:56.720] But if the harvest is good, it'll be a better price.
[00:24:56.720 --> 00:24:58.320] If it's not, you know what I mean?
[00:24:58.320 --> 00:25:02.560] So, yeah, that's how we met the women, and um, we still work with them today.
[00:25:02.560 --> 00:25:09.520] That is amazing, and I love the fact that you still work with them today and that you pay you know twice the asking price.
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[00:28:03.080 --> 00:28:12.040] How did it feel for you, especially being a Ghanaian woman, but obviously, you know, being raised in America and going back and starting this type of business?
[00:28:12.040 --> 00:28:25.680] I can already see that it was important to you to have this level of trust and integrity and respect for this raw resource that's coming from your country, but will yet be sold and making all this money in America?
[00:28:25.680 --> 00:28:51.120] I mean, I think for me, I had a lot of emotions and even still to this day, like I think there's this level of like anger at moments because I was like, these women and the cooperatives and the people that are making these products, it feels like a level of abuse that's happening with how much, I mean, you, a kilo of Shea being like this small of amount of money and the amount of money that is being made in the beauty industry just didn't make sense to me.
[00:28:51.360 --> 00:29:12.240] At the same time, it was so exciting because the same type of level of intentionality and passion that I had around therapy and like teaching, I could see it just flowing into this and it just started to click like all these different, you know, because I was also while this was happening, I was still in grad school.
[00:29:12.240 --> 00:29:16.160] And so I was like, oh shit, girl, like, are you going to finish grad school?
[00:29:16.160 --> 00:29:18.240] Are you going to keep being a parent?
[00:29:18.240 --> 00:29:20.320] Like, this is becoming really fun.
[00:29:20.320 --> 00:29:22.560] How can you use these skills that you've been learning?
[00:29:22.560 --> 00:29:24.880] You just spent all this money, you know?
[00:29:24.880 --> 00:29:34.160] So it just felt, it was a really exciting time because I wasn't really focused around the sales aspect of the beauty space.
[00:29:34.400 --> 00:29:39.040] I was more so like, how do you do this right?
[00:29:39.040 --> 00:29:41.520] You know, and that's why I ended up moving back to Ghana.
[00:29:41.520 --> 00:29:43.600] I was like, this is bigger than me.
[00:29:43.600 --> 00:29:46.160] I can't just be like, this is what I think these women need.
[00:29:46.160 --> 00:29:48.240] Like, I have to create a relationship.
[00:29:48.240 --> 00:29:52.320] Like, like I have to format a relationship just like you would in business.
[00:29:52.320 --> 00:30:01.320] Like, without the story of how we even process Shea or get Shea source Shea, I don't think Kanahana would be what it is at all, you know.
[00:30:01.480 --> 00:30:06.680] So, how can they're helping me sustain my business by the amount of work they're doing?
[00:30:07.000 --> 00:30:11.880] And so, it was, I was, I think I was just so open-eyed in that moment, you know.
[00:30:11.880 --> 00:30:15.080] I was really also just finding myself as a Ghanaian.
[00:30:15.080 --> 00:30:17.800] I was, you know, I was born here in the States.
[00:30:17.800 --> 00:30:19.560] I went back to Ghana as a kid.
[00:30:19.560 --> 00:30:23.240] I spoke the language, but I wasn't as comfortable speaking the language.
[00:30:23.240 --> 00:30:24.600] I could understand it.
[00:30:24.600 --> 00:30:38.200] And so, from that time till now, being able to come and live here, going back and forth, has just like really made me who I am as like a Ghanaian American and even feeling more confident in language and communication and all of that.
[00:30:38.200 --> 00:30:41.480] So, I really owe it to the women in that way.
[00:30:41.480 --> 00:30:45.400] And I think that's what always pushes me, even around our mission.
[00:30:45.400 --> 00:30:55.400] It used to be the fact of like, how do we disrupt the space, you know, which was kind of very angry, you know, in that sense, because I think I had a lot of anger in me around that time.
[00:30:55.400 --> 00:30:58.920] But we changed our mission to how do we bring a level of humanity into it?
[00:30:58.920 --> 00:31:01.720] Because that itself is disruption.
[00:31:01.720 --> 00:31:06.120] Because it seems like everyone has this possibility when you are a founder.
[00:31:06.120 --> 00:31:15.400] And the same way I felt as a teacher, like you have so much opportunity when you are a leader of something because you get to make choices.
[00:31:15.400 --> 00:31:18.040] So you can make a choice to be sustainable.
[00:31:18.040 --> 00:31:19.880] You can make a choice to not be.
[00:31:19.880 --> 00:31:21.480] It can be based off of cost.
[00:31:21.480 --> 00:31:23.480] It can be based off how much money you want to make.
[00:31:23.480 --> 00:31:28.440] But I had the opportunity to be like, yes, we're going to go in this direction or not.
[00:31:28.440 --> 00:31:36.600] And that was just like so much, like, not even, I think, power or authority that I had that I've never really felt before.
[00:31:36.600 --> 00:31:42.360] So it was just like, okay, like every choice you make now, let's actually be intentional because you're, you're talking about it.
[00:31:42.360 --> 00:31:43.320] So let's do it.
[00:31:43.960 --> 00:31:45.280] I love that.
[00:31:44.520 --> 00:31:50.800] And I think that's one of the reasons why it feels so good to shop with your brand.
[00:31:50.960 --> 00:31:53.040] You know, like, I know who's behind it.
[00:31:53.040 --> 00:31:57.920] I know the source of the raw shea butter and I know how you work with this cooperative.
[00:31:57.920 --> 00:32:03.040] And we'll talk a little bit later too about just how important it was for you to provide health care.
[00:32:03.040 --> 00:32:06.000] But before you could even do that, obviously you had to make money.
[00:32:06.400 --> 00:32:06.960] Yes.
[00:32:06.960 --> 00:32:08.880] So I'm curious.
[00:32:09.600 --> 00:32:15.120] What, how is the process of actually manufacturing the shea into the bottles?
[00:32:15.120 --> 00:32:21.520] Like, were you getting the ship to Chicago and making it in your kitchen into what is, you know, what we actually get?
[00:32:21.840 --> 00:32:23.200] And that's literally it.
[00:32:25.120 --> 00:32:28.640] I was, I mean, so our formula instilled the formula today.
[00:32:28.960 --> 00:32:30.960] We use shea, we use three butters.
[00:32:30.960 --> 00:32:33.840] So shea, mango, cocoa, and then we have oils too.
[00:32:33.840 --> 00:32:36.720] So I at the time was just bringing shea over.
[00:32:36.720 --> 00:32:39.120] I was luggaging over Shea.
[00:32:39.120 --> 00:32:44.880] Like, I was just, I mean, the airports, I just felt like, I was like, am I doing something illegal here or not?
[00:32:44.880 --> 00:32:47.840] Because did you have to like claim it and put it pay off?
[00:32:48.640 --> 00:32:49.840] I would do all those things.
[00:32:49.840 --> 00:32:51.040] They're like, what are you bringing over?
[00:32:51.040 --> 00:32:51.840] I'm like, shea, butter.
[00:32:51.840 --> 00:32:52.560] They're like, food?
[00:32:52.560 --> 00:32:53.840] I'm like, no, shea butter.
[00:32:53.840 --> 00:32:56.000] Like, they're like, butter?
[00:32:56.160 --> 00:32:57.600] I was like, okay, sir.
[00:32:57.600 --> 00:32:58.960] You know, every time.
[00:32:59.680 --> 00:33:01.920] And I was making it in my kitchen.
[00:33:01.920 --> 00:33:03.440] And then I had that time.
[00:33:03.440 --> 00:33:05.040] I was living with roommates.
[00:33:05.040 --> 00:33:08.480] I ended up like, it was time for one person to like renew their lease.
[00:33:08.480 --> 00:33:10.400] I was like, do you really want to live here anymore?
[00:33:10.400 --> 00:33:12.240] Like, I could use that extra room.
[00:33:12.480 --> 00:33:16.320] So then we're like, yeah, actually, I'm ready to move out.
[00:33:16.320 --> 00:33:18.960] Like, and I was like, they're like, is it going to be okay if, like, I do?
[00:33:18.960 --> 00:33:20.400] I'm like, that would be perfect.
[00:33:20.400 --> 00:33:27.520] So, I ended up just having one roommate and I would use one room as an office for myself.
[00:33:27.840 --> 00:33:30.200] And then I ended up getting an intern.
[00:33:30.200 --> 00:33:33.720] My cousin was working for me at the time, like, editorial-wise.
[00:33:29.840 --> 00:33:35.720] And, you know, it started just coming together.
[00:33:35.800 --> 00:33:46.360] And also that understanding of like, for me to do the work that I actually want to do in Ghana, I need to be strategic around how I want to grow the brand.
[00:33:46.360 --> 00:33:52.760] And that was where things got really exciting because it was like, how do you want to grow this brand?
[00:33:52.760 --> 00:33:54.200] How do you want to activate?
[00:33:54.200 --> 00:34:06.120] And that's when we started doing these different activations and being able to be like, again, I had that really teacher mindset where I was like, I want everyone to learn about this because I was like, I just learned about this.
[00:34:06.120 --> 00:34:07.240] Do y'all know about this?
[00:34:07.240 --> 00:34:08.680] Do you know about this?
[00:34:08.680 --> 00:34:10.600] You know, and that's really just where I was at.
[00:34:10.600 --> 00:34:18.040] So I was like, how can people learn about beauty or self-care in this way or the process?
[00:34:18.040 --> 00:34:28.120] And so we did these process activations where from the photos that I took, I would literally be making Shay in front of people and showing the photos and videos.
[00:34:28.120 --> 00:34:29.720] And it was an exhibition.
[00:34:29.720 --> 00:34:31.560] We took it to South by Southwest.
[00:34:31.560 --> 00:34:36.680] But at that same time, not only was it an exhibition, it was a shopping experience.
[00:34:36.680 --> 00:34:46.280] You know, we would do, what is it, Beauty and Chill, where we like had Brooklyn Guard and Maya Allen and all these women in the edit, like beauty space.
[00:34:46.280 --> 00:34:47.560] I would just like reach out.
[00:34:47.560 --> 00:34:50.760] I started just making friends with people and being like, yeah, I'm doing this.
[00:34:50.760 --> 00:34:51.800] And they're like, this is great.
[00:34:51.800 --> 00:34:54.920] You know, all of us were starting in these formats.
[00:34:54.920 --> 00:35:01.400] Were you ever like afraid that someone would like you were almost encouraging people to start a similar business?
[00:35:01.400 --> 00:35:07.240] You know, your story is unique in that most people have this fear of like, oh, competition and all this other stuff.
[00:35:07.240 --> 00:35:10.440] But you're like, hey, I found out how this is made, guys.
[00:35:10.760 --> 00:35:11.560] Do you know?
[00:35:11.560 --> 00:35:12.040] Did you know?
[00:35:12.040 --> 00:35:13.000] Do you know about this?
[00:35:13.320 --> 00:35:16.720] And you're like, show it while you're growing your business.
[00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:30.160] The thing is, like, I don't know if I didn't have the fear of someone starting my own business, like a business like mine, because for me, Shea Butter was everywhere in Ghana, right?
[00:35:30.160 --> 00:35:33.680] So like, I was just like, of course, this is going to happen.
[00:35:33.680 --> 00:35:36.560] I, again, I think it was the naivety of it.
[00:35:36.560 --> 00:35:44.160] Like, and I remember, I remember so early on, this person, someone gave me the book from zero to one or from, yeah, from zero to one.
[00:35:44.160 --> 00:35:46.000] And it's like a business book.
[00:35:46.000 --> 00:35:49.840] And it used Google as this study.
[00:35:49.840 --> 00:35:52.240] It's, it's like a professor.
[00:35:52.240 --> 00:35:53.840] He wrote it with his student.
[00:35:53.840 --> 00:35:55.280] And I didn't even read the whole book.
[00:35:55.280 --> 00:35:56.320] I'm not even going to lie to you.
[00:35:56.320 --> 00:35:57.840] I read like the first two pieces.
[00:35:57.840 --> 00:35:58.560] I was like, you know what?
[00:35:58.560 --> 00:35:59.440] I think I got it.
[00:35:59.440 --> 00:36:00.400] But the one thing I got.
[00:36:00.560 --> 00:36:01.920] That's my ammo.
[00:36:02.880 --> 00:36:04.560] I was like, I got the point.
[00:36:04.560 --> 00:36:05.200] I got a picture.
[00:36:05.200 --> 00:36:05.360] Yeah.
[00:36:06.240 --> 00:36:12.480] But one of the things they talked about was competition and how Google, like at the end of the day, is a monopoly.
[00:36:12.480 --> 00:36:18.320] And they just make things seem like it's a competition, but they're literally an advertising company.
[00:36:18.880 --> 00:36:23.600] There's really no true competition, but other brands can look at them like one.
[00:36:23.600 --> 00:36:26.320] But there's really no need to make it seem like a competition.
[00:36:26.320 --> 00:36:28.480] You just need to be more aware.
[00:36:28.480 --> 00:36:37.280] And so I think because I really wasn't so focused on like, let me be the biggest beauty brand, I wasn't too worried around that.
[00:36:37.280 --> 00:36:45.920] I think the more I've like grown and being a little bit more intentional around like, okay, the marketplace and all those things knowledge-wise, I'm like aware.
[00:36:45.920 --> 00:36:48.000] But yeah, I really wasn't.
[00:36:48.000 --> 00:36:52.560] I was just like, I mean, I was like, honestly, you should make your own shea, but I was like, but buy mine first.
[00:36:54.480 --> 00:36:57.040] And also, I was realizing people weren't going to do it.
[00:36:57.200 --> 00:36:57.600] Right.
[00:36:57.840 --> 00:36:59.040] That's my thing.
[00:36:59.040 --> 00:37:08.520] That's what I love about competition is like, most of the time, not even most of the time, all of the time, people are not willing to do it.
[00:37:08.520 --> 00:37:13.480] Like, they want to copy probably because they see the results of your success.
[00:37:13.480 --> 00:37:14.280] Like, this is awesome.
[00:37:14.280 --> 00:37:17.240] I want an article in, you know, the cut too.
[00:37:17.240 --> 00:37:22.600] But are you really going to get those double boilers and like tinker around with the formula?
[00:37:22.600 --> 00:37:22.840] No.
[00:37:23.160 --> 00:37:24.280] No, you're not.
[00:37:24.600 --> 00:37:29.320] You know, like, you know, and then it's like, if you are, though, right, it's going to be your own brand.
[00:37:29.320 --> 00:37:38.120] And I think like, yeah, the beauty space, I feel like there's this message around the fast that like there's just so many brands, the space is taken up.
[00:37:38.120 --> 00:37:40.040] You'll talk to fundraiser investors.
[00:37:40.040 --> 00:37:45.560] They're like, I don't know if like this is the space to really invest in because there's so many.
[00:37:45.560 --> 00:37:49.960] But at the end of the day, I think there's just, there's always room.
[00:37:49.960 --> 00:37:53.000] There's so much money to be made in this space.
[00:38:00.360 --> 00:38:11.080] So at what stage were you able to scale from side hustle, making this in your kitchen, juggling teaching, and grad school to deciding to do this full-time?
[00:38:11.240 --> 00:38:15.640] 2018, when I graduated, I decided to move to Ghana.
[00:38:15.640 --> 00:38:20.200] And that's when I told my parents that I was going to study for my clinicals in Ghana.
[00:38:20.200 --> 00:38:21.720] I didn't do that.
[00:38:22.920 --> 00:38:26.040] I was a therapist for like six months while I was in Ghana.
[00:38:26.040 --> 00:38:29.400] And then I was like, this, I'm just going to focus on this full time.
[00:38:29.720 --> 00:38:33.960] 2019 was the year where I was like full-time fully.
[00:38:34.280 --> 00:38:42.520] And then 2020 hit, and I was like, oh my gosh, I had to let go of the team that I was building because of COVID.
[00:38:42.520 --> 00:38:47.120] But that is the year we grew over 200% of our sales.
[00:38:44.920 --> 00:38:50.400] So I remember like our first year, we made like $18,000.
[00:38:51.040 --> 00:38:53.760] I think 2019, we made like $65,000.
[00:38:53.760 --> 00:39:02.960] And I was like, I wrote, I remember writing a goal, like, okay, this year, 2020, let's just make $10,000 each month consecutively.
[00:39:02.960 --> 00:39:05.120] And then it just, it just kept going up.
[00:39:05.120 --> 00:39:06.560] And I was like, wait, what?
[00:39:06.560 --> 00:39:16.160] We're actually passing our goals, you know, like, and so I feel like 2019, 2000, yeah, 2019 was when I was like fully into it.
[00:39:16.160 --> 00:39:16.800] That was it.
[00:39:16.800 --> 00:39:22.720] And since then, it's been around the strategy, around growth, and the next steps.
[00:39:22.720 --> 00:39:30.160] And what does it mean to be truly a sustainable brand in the sense of how do you sustain the people that are working for you?
[00:39:30.160 --> 00:39:31.440] How do I sustain myself?
[00:39:31.440 --> 00:39:33.760] How do I sustain the people that are sustaining the brand?
[00:39:33.760 --> 00:39:42.800] And so strategy has just been, I think it's very exciting, you know, because it's like all these different things that maybe I was playing around with and doing.
[00:39:42.800 --> 00:39:44.880] It was organic marketing.
[00:39:44.880 --> 00:39:54.720] And now it's just being more intentional around it and being able to plan and organize and work with team and have people that are so skilled in their space.
[00:39:55.040 --> 00:39:56.640] How big is your team now?
[00:39:56.960 --> 00:40:01.920] So we are a team of, because we have our space in Chicago.
[00:40:01.920 --> 00:40:06.720] And so we have production under us right now, as well as like marketing and everything.
[00:40:06.720 --> 00:40:09.840] So I think we're around 12 in our team.
[00:40:10.160 --> 00:40:10.720] 12.
[00:40:10.720 --> 00:40:11.200] Wow.
[00:40:11.200 --> 00:40:14.320] So is it manufactured in Chicago or overseas?
[00:40:14.320 --> 00:40:16.000] It's manufactured in Chicago.
[00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:16.320] Yeah.
[00:40:16.320 --> 00:40:21.840] So we get our raw materials from Ghana and then also other vendors for the other materials.
[00:40:21.840 --> 00:40:35.400] But we're actually going through the process again around scaling is that we've realized, you know, as a team, we can have, we have so many skill sets and the focus shouldn't just be around production because production is a lot.
[00:40:36.040 --> 00:40:43.640] So now we're moving into working with a co-packer, which has been a whole experience of transferring our formulas.
[00:40:43.640 --> 00:40:55.960] We, instead of me working in the kitchen, we have a team of producers, we have chemists that do our formulations now, and we're really building our team around how do we strategically grow and elevate this brand.
[00:40:56.360 --> 00:40:59.400] So how are you paying all these people and yourself?
[00:41:00.360 --> 00:41:05.880] Like, what has been your experience with that?
[00:41:06.200 --> 00:41:08.200] It's God and sweat.
[00:41:08.200 --> 00:41:13.560] And well, we definitely, I mean, right now we're fundraising.
[00:41:13.560 --> 00:41:16.280] So we decided to start fundraising last year.
[00:41:16.280 --> 00:41:17.960] We started our fundraise.
[00:41:18.200 --> 00:41:22.920] But honestly, our pay and everything has been from our sales.
[00:41:22.920 --> 00:41:29.480] We were able to sustain actually adding people through the sales that we have been growing as a brand.
[00:41:29.480 --> 00:41:33.960] But last year, I mean, I tell people, last year was the first time I started paying myself.
[00:41:33.960 --> 00:41:40.280] And that was because our accountant was like, it's actually illegal not to pay yourself as a founder.
[00:41:40.280 --> 00:41:42.280] I was like, oh, okay.
[00:41:42.280 --> 00:41:44.280] I guess I'll get there.
[00:41:44.680 --> 00:41:54.600] And even like our HQ, I was living out of our HQ, which we moved into 2020, this beautiful, like huge loft area.
[00:41:54.600 --> 00:42:00.360] I was living there just last year is when I moved out and moved into my own apartment.
[00:42:00.360 --> 00:42:06.600] So it's definitely like, I mean, it's, you know, on social, it looks so great and it is, but it was a very hard time.
[00:42:06.600 --> 00:42:13.960] I think 2021, where I was like, wow, I am living, working 2020, 2021, living, working, everything.
[00:42:13.960 --> 00:42:18.080] I know everyone else was, but as the breathing, seeing, eating this.
[00:42:18.080 --> 00:42:20.480] Yeah, I was like, I'm literally living in a production.
[00:42:20.480 --> 00:42:22.240] And like, this is not my home.
[00:42:22.240 --> 00:42:25.520] Like, I have so many different people coming into the space.
[00:42:25.520 --> 00:42:26.640] I got to get out of here.
[00:42:26.640 --> 00:42:30.160] And that's when I was like, okay, I actually need to pay myself so I can do that.
[00:42:30.160 --> 00:42:37.120] I'm so glad you mentioned that because a lot of times when people say, oh, I haven't paid myself, you know, you naturally wonder, well, how do you live?
[00:42:37.120 --> 00:42:37.840] How do you eat?
[00:42:37.840 --> 00:42:39.280] Like, where do you live?
[00:42:39.280 --> 00:42:40.720] You know, all of these things.
[00:42:40.720 --> 00:42:41.280] Yeah.
[00:42:41.280 --> 00:42:55.360] And it's like, and it's one of those things, you know, for me, I found myself in this space where like I'm kind of a micro influencer found, you know, that little weird space where I was like, I don't actually enjoy doing this.
[00:42:55.360 --> 00:42:57.600] Like, I don't want to make money in that way.
[00:42:57.680 --> 00:43:00.560] But you're so interesting and talented at it.
[00:43:00.560 --> 00:43:02.960] You know, it's like, it's like, how do you maneuver?
[00:43:02.960 --> 00:43:07.520] But I, and I think 2021 was one of those times where I was like, you know what?
[00:43:07.520 --> 00:43:11.280] I really want to focus on what it means to be a founder CEO.
[00:43:11.280 --> 00:43:18.160] Like, I can't focus on just like myself, but I can prioritize my growth to be able to do that.
[00:43:18.160 --> 00:43:24.880] And so I had to step back from sharing, sharing, sharing so much around just like me or working with other brands.
[00:43:24.880 --> 00:43:27.760] I had to start turning down working with brands because I was like, you know what?
[00:43:27.760 --> 00:43:39.760] I need to focus in on the brand that I'm trying to build right now and really give it all to do that and give it all to my team when I'm asking them to work and these hours and all this type of stuff.
[00:43:39.760 --> 00:43:41.040] How can I do that?
[00:43:41.040 --> 00:43:55.760] And that's a tough decision too, because how do you balance wanting the exposure, the brand exposure, the marketing exposure, with knowing when it's time to scale back and say, you know what, the business isn't a business without the business.
[00:43:55.760 --> 00:43:57.520] So I need to put that first.
[00:43:57.520 --> 00:43:57.920] Yeah.
[00:43:57.920 --> 00:44:03.480] And it is hard, but I think it was so important because it's allowed us to be at where we are right now.
[00:44:04.040 --> 00:44:16.600] One of the biggest things that we changed last year, 2022, and this year, which is really exciting, was around how do we expand our financial model outside of just direct to consumer and going into retail.
[00:44:16.600 --> 00:44:20.120] And so we really were like, I love London.
[00:44:20.440 --> 00:44:22.200] We used to do activations in London.
[00:44:22.280 --> 00:44:25.560] I was like, I want the London girls to be eating up our stuff.
[00:44:25.560 --> 00:44:31.640] Like, how do we get, you know, how do we get so everyone can just wear it more accessible?
[00:44:31.640 --> 00:44:36.760] So last year we partnered with 13 Loon, JC Penny, then we did Revolve.
[00:44:36.760 --> 00:44:40.920] And on my birthday, actually, we're launching with Ulta.
[00:44:40.920 --> 00:44:42.920] So that's just going to be amazing.
[00:44:43.640 --> 00:44:44.840] That's exciting.
[00:44:45.160 --> 00:44:45.400] Yeah.
[00:44:45.720 --> 00:44:47.160] Oh, I'm so happy about that.
[00:44:47.160 --> 00:44:49.320] I could just go into Ulta, stack up.
[00:44:49.320 --> 00:44:49.880] I love it.
[00:44:49.880 --> 00:44:50.440] Stack up.
[00:44:50.440 --> 00:44:51.000] That's it.
[00:44:51.480 --> 00:44:52.200] Congrats.
[00:44:52.520 --> 00:44:53.720] But it's been great.
[00:44:53.720 --> 00:45:03.720] It's been really good to just like, I think it's the one thing that I continue to learn around business is like, I used to think you have to prioritize the brand to do anything.
[00:45:03.720 --> 00:45:09.480] And I've realized I just really have to prioritize my growth to be able to even prioritize the brand.
[00:45:13.960 --> 00:45:15.640] You mentioned that you're fundraising.
[00:45:15.640 --> 00:45:25.560] So along this process and journey, are there any grants or programs that you took advantage of, loans or anything to fund the business?
[00:45:25.560 --> 00:45:25.880] Yes.
[00:45:25.880 --> 00:45:29.800] Hello Alice is a website that I've utilized especially.
[00:45:29.800 --> 00:45:30.600] I mean, they're amazing.
[00:45:30.600 --> 00:45:40.200] We just won a grant from them a couple months ago, and it really helped us out on our runway because one of the things with scaling is there's a lot of upfront costs, you know, that come into scaling.
[00:45:40.200 --> 00:45:42.360] So, we won some grants from Hello Alice.
[00:45:42.360 --> 00:45:46.720] We were part of the Glossier Grant Initiative, which was $50,000.
[00:45:47.040 --> 00:45:52.560] I was a part of an accelerator program, A16Z, which was $100,000.
[00:45:52.560 --> 00:45:56.880] So, we've definitely done a lot of different grants recently now.
[00:45:56.960 --> 00:46:00.480] I think it's called like bags, actually, or get that bag.
[00:46:00.480 --> 00:46:07.120] I'm probably saying it wrong, but they help you get loans because that was one of the things that I was trying to get was around loans.
[00:46:07.120 --> 00:46:09.200] And they're like, Well, you don't have enough money to get a loan.
[00:46:09.200 --> 00:46:11.120] I'm like, But that's the point of why I need a loan, y'all.
[00:46:11.360 --> 00:46:13.120] Like, that's why I need a loan.
[00:46:13.440 --> 00:46:14.320] Makes sense.
[00:46:14.320 --> 00:46:17.120] Like, isn't that the point?
[00:46:17.120 --> 00:46:24.400] Um, so you know, and that's one of the reasons why I went into like doing an equity round right now and taking in angel investors and all that.
[00:46:24.400 --> 00:46:26.000] But it's it's hard.
[00:46:26.000 --> 00:46:36.480] Like, I mean, fundraising, I'm trying to change my mindset and language around it, but it's something that I've realized with my personality.
[00:46:36.480 --> 00:46:39.760] Fundraising takes up all the things I dislike to do.
[00:46:39.760 --> 00:46:44.400] Asking people for money, like pitching yourself, proving your worth.
[00:46:44.400 --> 00:46:46.720] Oh my gosh, I know that position.
[00:46:46.720 --> 00:46:48.080] It's like, don't you get it?
[00:46:48.080 --> 00:46:49.680] If you don't get it, I don't want to talk to you.
[00:46:49.680 --> 00:46:52.000] Like, you know, I'm out of here.
[00:46:52.400 --> 00:46:54.400] I'm like, you're asking me about Shea Better.
[00:46:54.400 --> 00:46:57.920] Like, it's Shea, you know.
[00:46:57.920 --> 00:46:59.360] They're like, who's gonna buy it?
[00:46:59.600 --> 00:47:00.560] So frustrating.
[00:47:00.560 --> 00:47:10.880] I'm like, black women, anyone that's ashy, like, you know, but no, but it's definitely, it's a, it's been a learning curve.
[00:47:10.880 --> 00:47:12.640] It's an important skill.
[00:47:12.640 --> 00:47:13.840] It's an important skill.
[00:47:13.840 --> 00:47:18.000] And it's something too that I realized I want to do really well at.
[00:47:18.000 --> 00:47:22.160] Like, if there's one thing about me, I like to be good at things.
[00:47:22.160 --> 00:47:27.040] And I get, you know, and so with this, I used, I was having this like kind of narrative in my head.
[00:47:27.040 --> 00:47:28.480] It's like, I'm not good at this.
[00:47:28.480 --> 00:47:29.200] It's okay.
[00:47:29.200 --> 00:47:30.600] You're just not good at it.
[00:47:30.600 --> 00:47:35.400] And then I was talking to, she's our deal lead, Ola Linka, and she's like, relax.
[00:47:29.680 --> 00:47:35.960] You're good at it.
[00:47:36.200 --> 00:47:37.400] It's not that you're not good at it.
[00:47:37.400 --> 00:47:40.520] It's just that you may not like it, but you can get good at it.
[00:47:40.600 --> 00:47:41.960] And you also need practice.
[00:47:41.960 --> 00:47:44.200] You also get better with practice.
[00:47:44.200 --> 00:47:45.000] Exactly.
[00:47:45.000 --> 00:47:49.080] But yeah, I mean, we definitely have taken out outside investment.
[00:47:49.080 --> 00:47:57.560] We've also done a lot of the Shopify loans that they do too, because if your sales are growing, they see and they're like, okay, do you got any money?
[00:47:57.560 --> 00:47:58.680] I'm like, yes, we do.
[00:47:58.680 --> 00:47:59.480] We do.
[00:47:59.480 --> 00:48:00.040] Right.
[00:48:00.040 --> 00:48:01.400] Shout out to Shopify.
[00:48:01.400 --> 00:48:03.320] They're sponsoring this episode.
[00:48:04.200 --> 00:48:05.000] Yeah, but they're awesome.
[00:48:05.000 --> 00:48:05.240] Yeah.
[00:48:05.240 --> 00:48:11.240] And if you guys didn't know, yes, that's one of the things they provide opportunities for loans for your business.
[00:48:11.240 --> 00:48:12.680] So thank you for mentioning that.
[00:48:12.680 --> 00:48:18.200] Now, before we jump into the lightning round, speaking of Ashy, I got to talk about this campaign you did.
[00:48:18.200 --> 00:48:19.960] Was it called New Year Never Ashy?
[00:48:20.280 --> 00:48:21.160] Yes.
[00:48:22.440 --> 00:48:28.440] So I read that that actually came to be due to a supply chain setback.
[00:48:28.440 --> 00:48:33.720] So tell us that story because I think it's so cool that you were able to pivot and do that.
[00:48:34.040 --> 00:48:45.080] So we were planning a rebrand, which is so funny because we're literally about to launch another rebrand, but we were planning a rebrand in October 2020.
[00:48:45.080 --> 00:48:47.800] It was supposed to launch in November 2020.
[00:48:47.800 --> 00:48:52.840] And literally, I think the first day of November, I was walking to the grocery store.
[00:48:52.840 --> 00:48:57.640] I get a call from our vendor and they're like, Hi, yeah, the products have not left.
[00:48:57.640 --> 00:48:59.960] Your packaging is still in Taiwan.
[00:48:59.960 --> 00:49:02.440] And I said, oh, that's crazy.
[00:49:02.440 --> 00:49:05.400] Cause I thought you were calling me to tell me it was coming.
[00:49:05.400 --> 00:49:08.520] She's like, no, it won't get here till December.
[00:49:08.520 --> 00:49:11.880] You know, COVID, supply chain, all the things.
[00:49:12.360 --> 00:49:17.280] And so we just had to, I mean, I, I, I think that was a, there's a video probably.
[00:49:17.840 --> 00:49:19.840] I do these like, um, what is it?
[00:49:19.840 --> 00:49:22.720] Journal, um, video journals sometimes for myself.
[00:49:22.720 --> 00:49:24.080] And I was just like crying.
[00:49:24.080 --> 00:49:26.800] I was like, what am I going to do?
[00:49:26.800 --> 00:49:28.240] I'm spent all this money.
[00:49:28.240 --> 00:49:32.720] It was the first time I think I spent like a chunk of like $20,000 straight.
[00:49:32.720 --> 00:49:34.480] Like, I was like, what is this?
[00:49:34.480 --> 00:49:36.160] This is crazy.
[00:49:36.800 --> 00:49:40.880] And then I remember talking to our consultant at the time.
[00:49:40.880 --> 00:49:42.880] And we were just like, you know what?
[00:49:42.880 --> 00:49:44.560] Let's just flip the switch.
[00:49:44.560 --> 00:49:45.840] Let's change it up.
[00:49:45.840 --> 00:49:47.600] Let's just put it into the new year.
[00:49:47.600 --> 00:49:51.200] And so then it was like, you know, it's a new year and we're not going to be ashy.
[00:49:51.200 --> 00:49:52.160] We're never ashy.
[00:49:52.160 --> 00:49:54.960] We always have no reason to be ashy.
[00:49:54.960 --> 00:50:01.520] And so it's, that's just every year just to remind people, like, there's no need to be ashy when Hannah Hanna is around.
[00:50:01.520 --> 00:50:03.120] And so that's been our push.
[00:50:03.120 --> 00:50:05.680] And we just kind of flip the switch.
[00:50:06.320 --> 00:50:08.320] I love that way to pivot.
[00:50:08.320 --> 00:50:13.360] What did you learn from a supply chain and planning perspective from that experience?
[00:50:13.360 --> 00:50:14.240] Plan ahead.
[00:50:14.240 --> 00:50:21.440] And also, the best thing about these things is no one ever knows when you're actually going to launch until you tell them.
[00:50:21.440 --> 00:50:23.760] You know, like no one knew we were going to launch.
[00:50:23.760 --> 00:50:25.840] So it was only a setback for us.
[00:50:25.840 --> 00:50:28.000] Like our customers didn't know.
[00:50:28.000 --> 00:50:29.840] And also just like be ready.
[00:50:29.840 --> 00:50:32.880] It just, I think it helped us like as a brand.
[00:50:32.880 --> 00:50:39.200] If we want to launch something in July, we start working on it almost like eight months beforehand.
[00:50:39.200 --> 00:50:49.120] And it just really got us to this point as a team where we could, we understood you can't launch something, a brand in three months, you know, like how I started, you know?
[00:50:49.120 --> 00:50:50.880] So it just really helped.
[00:50:51.360 --> 00:50:53.680] Not everything can happen in 90 days.
[00:50:53.680 --> 00:50:56.240] Yes, not everything can happen in 90 days.
[00:50:56.240 --> 00:51:05.000] But, but, yeah, I think it just really helped us around planning and understanding that, like, you can always pivot and you can always be able to strategize around things.
[00:51:05.640 --> 00:51:06.360] Have you been?
[00:51:06.360 --> 00:51:08.680] You said you moved back after you graduated.
[00:51:08.680 --> 00:51:09.720] Have you been there since?
[00:51:09.720 --> 00:51:12.760] Like, you just live in Ghana or you kind of go back and forth?
[00:51:13.000 --> 00:51:15.880] So now I live in the States now.
[00:51:15.880 --> 00:51:22.360] So when 2020 happened, I came back and I was supposed to just come right back again, but then no one was able to fly.
[00:51:22.360 --> 00:51:25.640] And that's when it allowed me to really like settle down and build my business.
[00:51:25.640 --> 00:51:27.480] But I go back and forth.
[00:51:27.480 --> 00:51:28.840] I'm in Ghana right now.
[00:51:28.840 --> 00:51:32.760] We go, you know, twice a year for our healthcare days.
[00:51:32.760 --> 00:51:37.000] I would love to be able to move here and be a little bit here more permanently.
[00:51:37.000 --> 00:51:41.000] But I think right now in the growth stage of Hanahana, I need to be a little bit more closer to my team.
[00:51:41.000 --> 00:51:44.840] But anytime I can come back, I'm here.
[00:51:45.160 --> 00:51:46.040] I'm in there.
[00:51:46.040 --> 00:51:46.680] Yes.
[00:51:47.000 --> 00:51:55.560] And how are you managing the health care, the total care that you incorporated in your business for the women of the cooperative?
[00:51:55.560 --> 00:52:04.600] Yeah, so the Hanahana Circle of Care, I mean, what's really been great about that is that I've gotten a chance to work with my best friend, Tanny, who is our executive director now.
[00:52:04.600 --> 00:52:07.960] We've changed the Circle of Care into a nonprofit.
[00:52:08.280 --> 00:52:11.800] We're actually going through the process of becoming a B Corp.
[00:52:11.800 --> 00:52:25.480] And so one of the things that we learned from the time that I was living in Ghana, I would come up to Tamale on a monthly basis and was around the access to health care and optimization of production was like an issue.
[00:52:25.480 --> 00:52:28.920] And so what we do is bring health care to the neighborhoods.
[00:52:28.920 --> 00:52:31.480] And we're actually going to Tamale tomorrow.
[00:52:31.480 --> 00:52:45.920] And so we do twice a year, which is mimic after like six-month checkups of bringing health care activations to the neighborhood so people can see their doctor, they can get a checkup, and we do a focus round of it.
[00:52:45.920 --> 00:52:47.280] Oh, I love that.
[00:52:44.920 --> 00:52:49.200] Just that is how it should be.
[00:52:49.440 --> 00:52:55.760] That is how it should be when you go to a country and, you know, you're doing international business relations like that.
[00:52:55.760 --> 00:52:57.120] You know, take care of your people.
[00:52:57.120 --> 00:52:59.200] And I know it's not easy.
[00:52:59.440 --> 00:53:01.840] I know it costs money and time.
[00:53:01.840 --> 00:53:06.960] So I just give you kudos for that, for making sure that's part of your business.
[00:53:06.960 --> 00:53:17.120] So as someone who started with a more of a let's see where this goes perspective, what is your vision these days for Hanahana?
[00:53:17.120 --> 00:53:23.040] I mean, I'm excited for how product development can look like for us.
[00:53:23.040 --> 00:53:30.800] I really want us to tackle the space around like your daily use body care and skincare products.
[00:53:30.800 --> 00:53:39.600] You know, from pre-shower to shower to after, I want to see how we can create results-driven products in that area.
[00:53:39.600 --> 00:53:40.080] Yes.
[00:53:40.080 --> 00:53:48.240] And the same intentionality that we put into our shea butters, into our body bars, like what does that look like for a shower experience?
[00:53:48.240 --> 00:53:55.280] I'm really excited to see how we can grow just like internationally and globally too, like, you know, being a household name.
[00:53:55.280 --> 00:54:00.560] Because I think the funnest thing about this is that like, you know, our age group, we're having children.
[00:54:00.560 --> 00:54:03.600] Like there's kids that have grown up on Hanahana now.
[00:54:03.600 --> 00:54:13.840] And like, what does it look like to be like a family brand that, you know, we know Jurgens, we know all these different, you know, everything like that, but like Hanahana being one.
[00:54:13.840 --> 00:54:19.680] And that's the space that I really want to continue to like evolve in in that market space for sure.
[00:54:23.520 --> 00:54:25.520] Now we're going to jump into the lightning round.
[00:54:25.520 --> 00:54:26.400] You know the deal.
[00:54:26.400 --> 00:54:28.640] You just answer the first thing that comes to mind.
[00:54:28.640 --> 00:54:29.560] Keep it lightning.
[00:54:29.880 --> 00:54:31.000] So let's jump right into it.
[00:54:31.000 --> 00:54:31.640] You ready?
[00:54:31.640 --> 00:54:32.200] Yep.
[00:54:29.520 --> 00:54:32.600] All right.
[00:54:32.840 --> 00:54:40.520] So number one, what is a resource in your business that has really helped you that you can share with the Sidehouse a Pro audience?
[00:54:40.520 --> 00:54:41.160] Team.
[00:54:41.160 --> 00:54:43.240] I think it's just, team is resourceful.
[00:54:43.240 --> 00:54:46.120] I know that seems really like, but without my team.
[00:54:46.440 --> 00:54:47.640] How do you build your team?
[00:54:47.640 --> 00:54:49.640] How did you find these awesome people?
[00:54:49.640 --> 00:54:53.880] I think it's important to take your time with team building and follow your intuition.
[00:54:53.880 --> 00:54:55.240] I think that's the biggest thing.
[00:54:55.240 --> 00:54:57.960] Like set up the expectations.
[00:54:57.960 --> 00:55:00.440] Like go through the interview process.
[00:55:00.440 --> 00:55:03.720] Go through having your reviews.
[00:55:03.720 --> 00:55:05.720] Like, you know, don't leave it to the side.
[00:55:05.720 --> 00:55:07.000] Make time for it.
[00:55:07.000 --> 00:55:11.240] Because I've found when I don't make time for it, that's when things start to boil up.
[00:55:11.240 --> 00:55:12.920] People may not feel valued.
[00:55:12.920 --> 00:55:16.200] And when you do, it's just like honest communication.
[00:55:16.440 --> 00:55:19.240] Another resource, I would say the book before agreements.
[00:55:19.240 --> 00:55:28.120] I make sure that every single person on my team reads it because it allows us all to be in this set for agreements around how we communicate and work with each other.
[00:55:28.120 --> 00:55:37.400] Number two, who is a black woman entrepreneur, non-celebrity that you would want to trade places with for a day just to get a little bit of their insight?
[00:55:37.400 --> 00:55:38.360] Issa Ray.
[00:55:38.360 --> 00:55:39.960] Oh, well, she's a celebrity, isn't she?
[00:55:40.920 --> 00:55:41.320] That's true.
[00:55:41.320 --> 00:55:41.640] That's true.
[00:55:41.720 --> 00:55:42.920] I was about to let you get away with that.
[00:55:42.920 --> 00:55:43.960] But she's a why.
[00:55:43.960 --> 00:55:45.720] So we're going to let her in.
[00:55:45.720 --> 00:55:50.280] Because, I mean, I grew up watching Awkward Black Girl in college.
[00:55:50.280 --> 00:55:58.280] And now she's been able to expand where she's literally helping people become directors, making shows, just like in that world.
[00:55:58.280 --> 00:56:06.440] And I secretly feel like there's a part of me that wish I could be in that space of like directing and production and acting too.
[00:56:06.440 --> 00:56:08.280] I feel like she's just a triple threat.
[00:56:08.280 --> 00:56:13.320] And it would be so amazing just to see what her day actually looks like in that space, you know?
[00:56:13.640 --> 00:56:14.240] Yeah.
[00:56:14.120 --> 00:56:16.720] She's in a hair care company.
[00:56:16.800 --> 00:56:19.680] Like she's doing what?
[00:56:21.120 --> 00:56:21.840] It's just so easy.
[00:56:26.160 --> 00:56:26.640] All right.
[00:56:26.640 --> 00:56:30.640] Number three, what's a non-negotiable part of your day these days?
[00:56:30.640 --> 00:56:31.680] Rest.
[00:56:31.680 --> 00:56:33.680] Definitely actually sleeping.
[00:56:33.680 --> 00:56:36.000] I think sometimes like people be like, no, sleep.
[00:56:36.000 --> 00:56:36.960] Sleep on your dead.
[00:56:36.960 --> 00:56:37.280] No.
[00:56:38.240 --> 00:56:38.640] No.
[00:56:38.640 --> 00:56:39.440] I got to sleep.
[00:56:40.240 --> 00:56:41.200] I got to sleep.
[00:56:41.200 --> 00:56:42.720] I have to make time for it.
[00:56:42.720 --> 00:56:43.600] You got to reset.
[00:56:43.600 --> 00:56:43.920] Yeah.
[00:56:44.160 --> 00:56:50.720] Number four, what's a personal habit that you think has really helped you to be successful in your business?
[00:56:51.360 --> 00:56:55.840] Having structure around my mornings is so important.
[00:56:55.840 --> 00:57:01.360] I think it just helps me set up, actually prepare for like teams to come in.
[00:57:01.360 --> 00:57:08.240] It was something that I learned was really helpful when I was living at HQ because it was like nine o'clock, everyone's in the door.
[00:57:08.240 --> 00:57:17.040] So wake up early, have those hours to yourself, get it together, do your meditation, do a workout, eat something good.
[00:57:17.040 --> 00:57:22.960] And just having that structure and not letting anyone take that away that has been really, really important.
[00:57:22.960 --> 00:57:32.480] And then finally, what is your parting advice for fellow women, entrepreneurs who want to be their own boss, but are worried about not having a steady paycheck?
[00:57:33.120 --> 00:57:37.440] I mean, I think I've even said this earlier, but I think it's two things.
[00:57:37.440 --> 00:57:47.280] I would say that one, you really do have to prioritize your personal growth, like in the things that, because when you're working in a startup, everyone sees you.
[00:57:47.280 --> 00:57:52.400] Like they see your falls, like they see your value, they see the things that maybe you want to work on.
[00:57:52.400 --> 00:57:56.880] So you really have to prioritize the things that you want to be better in, you know?
[00:57:57.200 --> 00:58:03.160] And I think this just came to me a couple of days ago around the fact that like blessings happen through people.
[00:57:59.840 --> 00:58:06.120] And you need a lot of blessings for a brand to grow.
[00:58:06.440 --> 00:58:17.000] And so like how you really interact with the people around you will show how your brand will grow because it's who you can attract to be in, which can be good or bad, right?
[00:58:17.320 --> 00:58:20.600] It's your own ways of like you're always going to be making choices.
[00:58:20.600 --> 00:58:26.040] So like I think those two and two together and knowing that is just so helpful.
[00:58:26.520 --> 00:58:49.480] Not to get like spiritual or anything or like, but I think one thing that I've learned is like there's this thing around, I was listening to a sermon once that said like understandings really leads you, lead you to a level of wealth because when you're able to understand how people work, understand what works for people, what doesn't, it really can help you navigate what you can give and what you can get also in that space.
[00:58:49.480 --> 00:58:51.960] Very, very important information.
[00:58:51.960 --> 00:58:54.200] So take all of that in, you guys.
[00:58:54.200 --> 00:58:59.880] And so where can people connect with you and Hanahana Beauty after this episode?
[00:58:59.880 --> 00:59:00.440] Of course.
[00:59:00.760 --> 00:59:06.200] Well, you can connect with us online at hanahanabeauty.com.
[00:59:06.520 --> 00:59:10.760] You can follow us on Instagram at Hanahana underscore beauty.
[00:59:10.760 --> 00:59:16.360] If you want to follow myself, it's beaniebwama on Instagram and like everywhere.
[00:59:16.680 --> 00:59:21.720] And yeah, you know, just search us, H-A-N-A-H-A-N-A Beauty.
[00:59:21.880 --> 00:59:22.520] We're there.
[00:59:22.520 --> 00:59:25.960] And you'll also soon see us in an alta near you.
[00:59:25.960 --> 00:59:27.640] So very exciting.
[00:59:27.880 --> 00:59:28.600] I can't wait.
[00:59:28.600 --> 00:59:30.680] This has been so awesome.
[00:59:31.000 --> 00:59:32.360] Thank you for what you do.
[00:59:32.360 --> 00:59:36.120] And I want to personally thank you for creating my current favorite product.
[00:59:36.120 --> 00:59:37.480] And just thank you for being here.
[00:59:37.480 --> 00:59:39.400] I'm so glad we're finally connected.
[00:59:39.400 --> 00:59:42.680] And with that, you guys go out and check out Hanahana.
[00:59:42.680 --> 00:59:45.200] And I will talk to you next week.
[00:59:44.440 --> 00:59:49.520] Hey, guys, thanks for listening to Side Hustle Pro.
[00:59:49.840 --> 00:59:54.320] If you like the show, be sure to subscribe, rate, and review on Apple Podcasts.
[00:59:54.560 --> 00:59:58.000] It helps other side hustlers just like you to find the show.
[00:59:58.320 --> 01:00:02.960] And if you want to hear more from me, you can follow me on Instagram at SideHustle Pro.
[01:00:02.960 --> 01:00:10.000] Plus, sign up for my six-foot Saturday newsletter at sidehustlepro.co/slash newsletter.
[01:00:10.000 --> 01:00:17.440] When you sign up, you will receive weekly nuggets from me, including what I'm up to, personal lessons, and my business tip of the week.
[01:00:17.440 --> 01:00:22.160] Again, that's sidehustlepro.co/slash newsletter to sign up.
[01:00:22.160 --> 01:00:23.440] Talk to you soon.
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