Latest news with #Brooklyn-bred
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
How True Hair Company Founder Karen Mitchell Turned a Side Hustle Into an Eight-Figure Hair Empire
From Rihanna to Demi Moore, Lizzo, and even Beyoncé, Hollywood's biggest stars have turned to True Hair Company for luxury hair extensions and wigs. But behind the glam is Karen Mitchell, a Jamaican-born, Brooklyn-bred entrepreneur who transformed a side hustle into an eight-figure business that's redefining the Black hair industry. The company not only supplies hair pieces for A-list celebrities, but also provides professional women, businesswomen, and the everyday fabulous woman with premium hair units and pieces, giving them the confidence they need to walk into any room while building their businesses and careers. Mitchell, a noted hair extension expert, launched True Indian Hair, the product brand under the umbrella of True Hair Company, after noticing a lack of diversity in ownership within the billion-dollar Black haircare industry. Coupled with her passion for hair and beauty, she embarked on a mission more than two decades ago to provide career women with high-quality extensions and wigs. 'I started True Hair Co/True Indian Hair in 2004 as a side hustle while working my 9-to-5,' she told BLACK ENTERPRISE. Initially, it was 'just something to make extra money for my social activities,' she said. However, she realized that selling imported Indian hair to friends and family was a lucrative business that eventually mirrored the $60,000 yearly salary she earned as a production coordinator in the fashion industry. 'So, when I got laid off from my 9-to-5 in 2006 and was unable to find another job, I decided to gamble on myself and open a store,' she said. With just $15,000 in savings, she cashed in her 401(k) retirement fund and used loans from family and friends to open the first official True Hair Company store in Brooklyn, New York, in 2007. 'It was the scariest decision of my adult life because I had no business knowledge outside of college economics classes. But I felt I had no other option.' Mitchell's lack of financing and experience as a full-time entrepreneur presented a new set of challenges, forcing her to survive on canned soup for months. She realized that stocking a hair store with bundles, closures, frontals, and wigs, along with purchasing stock goods for online orders, required hundreds of thousands of dollars in upfront costs. 'I didn't have the funding for that,' she said. 'The first two years, my store stock was pretty weak,' she admits. At the time, 'there was no other hair store in Brooklyn selling raw Indian hair, and everyone wanted some True Indian Hair. So, there was a huge demand for my product and customers were willing to wait,' she explained. The high demand forced her to learn what she calls 'the flipping game' quickly. 'I would sell and use the profits to buy twice the amount of the last order, and then three times the amount, and so on. Eventually, the positive cash flow flowed enough from flipping bundles to fully stocking my store.' Today, True Hair Company has become an eight-figure business, providing clientele with luxurious hair ethically sourced directly from donors in India. In addition to the original brick-and-mortar in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Mitchell also runs a 3,000 sq. ft, multi-level flagship store in the heart of Manhattan as well as a successful e-commerce website. 'True Indian Hair was one of those side hustles that evolved beyond a hustle into a real business. It wasn't planned, but once I saw the trajectory. I knew I had something special to offer,' she said. Beyond business success, Mitchell founded the nonprofit True Strength, which provides monthly hair and beauty makeovers to women who have experienced hair loss due to cancer-related treatments. Mitchell and her team intend to expand within the next couple of years to other markets, including Atlanta and New Jersey. Her long-term goals include franchising, launching a new haircare product line, and opening locations in Houston, Miami, Washington, Washington, D.C., and London. In an interview, the hair mogul shared insights about her journey, building her celebrity clientele, and strategies for those looking to launch or expand a business. BE: Where does your entrepreneurial spirit stem from? I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset since I was in high school and college. From selling Avon to selling bracelets out of catalogues, I just had a thing for business. My long-term goal was to open a hair salon. I think my entrepreneurial mindset comes from my mom, who sold commodities in Jamaica for a living. Also, my first job out of college was for a fashion company led by a woman. I stayed with that company for 10 years and, looking back, I now see how my boss influenced me as a woman in business. BE: What makes True Hair Company different from other hair extension and wig companies? We set our company apart by primarily focusing on ethically sourced raw Indian hair for our hair bundles and wigs. We have partnered with our factory in India and have our own team on hand in the factory to select only the best premium raw hair for our production. The quality control continues to our NYC hub where every piece of hair is rewashed to ensure there are no tangles or visible hair issues before it is sold to customers. Because of this, we have a less than 3% return or complaint rate. I think being a woman who actually wears my products has been a great asset. I look at every piece of hair as if it's going into my head. I'm not only the owner; I'm also a client. BE: How did you build and maintain relationships with celebrity clients? We have been blessed to have an amazing list of celebrity stylist and brands who trust our products for their clients. Normally, they will reach out to us with their specific needs. Yusef, who styles Rihanna, to Tokyo Stylez, who styles Cardi B, to Hairassasin, who styles JT, to Tym Wallace who styles Mary J. Blige and Taraji P. Henson, to Chis Appleton, who styles Kim Kardashian, and [celebrity hair stylist] Q Hardy, who has trusted our products from day one. This includes working with fashion brands such as LaQuan Smith for NYFW. They love and trust our quality, and we nurture those relationships. BE: What tips would you share with entrepreneurs struggling to generate revenue and build their business? Access to information for funding is easier now than it was when I started my journey almost 20 years ago. Small Business Loans (SML) are available for businesses to borrow for startup or reinvestment. There are also grants available for startups. I find that we sometimes do not do enough research in our communities. Information will not come to you. You have to seek it out. Start with Google. Visit your local chamber of commerce. They are there to serve you. Find a mentor to guide you and be a sounding board, but do so only after you have done your own research and can communicate your wants or needs. No one wants to help someone who doesn't want to help themselves. Before starting a business, an entrepreneur must know who their target audience is in order to know who to market to. Today, digital marketing is huge, and the best free digital marketing is social media. Use it to your advantage. You have to know your audience and engage your audience with content that not only appeals to them but drives them to buy. Build relationships with your customers to create trust and repeat buyers. Hire strategically. Your team has to add value to your company. Lastly, cut unnecessary expenses that are not contributing to the growth of your business. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Black America Web
24-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Black America Web
Spike Lee & Supreme Dropping 40 Acres & A Mule Capsule
Black America Web Featured Video CLOSE Source: Supreme / Supreme Hate or it or love, Supreme is always good for a clutch collaboration. The ubiquitous streetwear brand has linked with Spike Lee to create a capsule collection with the renowned director's 40 Acres & A Mule production company. Source: Supreme / Supreme The Brooklyn-bred director and screenwriter skyrocketed to fame after the release of his self-funded, black and white classic film She's Gotta Have It . The flick also happened to feature Lee himself portraying the now iconic Mars Blackmon character, which Nike soon enough co-opted for the famed Air Jordan campaign considering he wore a pair of Air Jordan 1's in the film. Lee discussed how it went down in a sit down interview (which also features plenty of dope insight into his decades of work) released by Supreme (see below). But, there are no Air Jordan callbacks in this Supreme drop. Instead, Lee's critically acclaimed Malcolm X and Clockers make their way into the mix. The collab consists of an ill black Varsity jacket, a couple of tees, a Clockers 6-panel hat and a baseball jersey. While one tee is attuned to Malcolm X , the other features a photo of Lee while he's in director mode. The collection releases Thursday, April 24 at the usual 11am ET online drop time, and in stores. Asian shops gets their product the next day. Check out detailed photos below. Spike Lee & Supreme Dropping 40 Acres & A Mule Capsule was originally published on Source:Supreme Spike Lee x 40 Acres x Supreme spike lee x 40 acres x supreme Source:Supreme Spike Lee x 40 Acres x Supreme spike lee x 40 acres x supreme Source:Supreme Spike Lee x 40 Acres x Supreme spike lee x 40 acres x supreme Source:Supreme Spike Lee x 40 Acres x Supreme spike lee x 40 acres x supreme Source:Supreme Spike Lee x 40 Acres x Supreme Source:Supreme Spike Lee x 40 Acres x Supreme spike lee x 40 acres x supreme Source:Supreme Spike Lee x 40 Acres x Supreme spike lee x 40 acres x supreme Source:Supreme Spike Lee x 40 Acres x Supreme spike lee x 40 acres x supreme Source:Supreme Spike Lee x 40 Acres x Supreme spike lee x 40 acres x supreme
Yahoo
03-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Chris Rock won't rule out hosting Oscars again 3 years after Will Smith slap
It's never say never for Chris Rock, who revealed that he hasn't ruled out hosting the Oscars again — three years after the infamous Will Smith slap. When asked if he would preside over Hollywood's biggest night again after the physical altercation during the live 2022 telecast, the 'Saturday Night Live' alum said 'you never know.' The Brooklyn-bred funnyman, who hosted the Academy Awards in 2005 and 2016, was presenting the 2022 award for Best Documentary when he made an unscripted joke about Jada Pinkett Smith's shaved head — after which Smith jumped on stage and assaulted him. Pinkett Smith has said she has alopecia. Rock previously addressed the incident, mocking Smith in the live 2023 Netflix comedy special 'Selective Outrage.' He joked: 'I took that hit like Pacquiao,' referring to the former boxing champion Manny Pacquiao. On the red carpet for Vanity Fair's post-Oscars party on Sunday night, Rock shared: 'This is what I would say, the most miserable people on earth are people that can't forgive. And not just people, you have to forgive yourself sometimes. So, hey, you never know.' Four months after the public attack, Smith, who won the Best Actor trophy, apologized for the incident, saying in a nearly six-minute video: 'Violence in all of its forms is poisonous and destructive.' The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences condemned the 'Fresh Prince of Bel Air' star's actions and banned him from attending any event related to the organization for 10 years, including the Oscars. Smith also resigned from the Academy. _______
