Today we’d like to introduce you to Maya Smith.
Maya, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I’ve been a hairstylist for 25 years.
In 2008, I moved to Germany as a military spouse. I opened my first salon, The HoneyComb, where I served a multi-cultural clientele with a variety of unique needs. I found myself bouncing between product lines in two categories: straight/relaxed, and kinky/curly. There didn’t seem to be one brand that supported my philosophy. I wanted to create a range that people of all hair types could use, and that delivered salon-grade results at home. The result was The DOUX.
Using my clients as my focus group, I developed my product line and launched it Overseas. When the Doux gained popularity in the States, we decided to return to the U.S. and opened The Doux Salon in Macon, GA. I relaunched the line in my salon in 2015 and launched The Doux in Target stores in 2017. Since then, we’ve launched the brand in Walmart, Sally Beauty, Rite Aid, Bed Bath & Beyond, and hundreds of local beauty supplies.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Nothing comes easy. It’s my belief that every over-night success is 15 years old. One of the greatest challenges for me was navigating the business in a foreign country with limited access to distribution. Returning back to the States helped to eliminate the logistical obstacles, but by the time we returned, the market was flooded with hundreds of brands in the natural hair care category. Initially, it was a challenge to be heard through the static while remaining authentic to my brand’s values.
Please tell us about The Doux.
I’ve been a licensed cosmetologist since I was in high school, specializing in textured hair. I’m also the Creative Director for The Doux. I design all of the packaging, graphic design, ad campaigns, and the interior concepts for the salons. I’m extremely proud of the brand’s unique aesthetic. Influenced by street art and hip hop culture, I think that The Doux will always be a disruptor in the category because it is an authentic representation of who I am as an artist.
If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
I wouldn’t change one thing! The Doux is the brand that it is today because of what went wrong, not what went right. I didn’t have a graphic designer, so I became one. I didn’t have a publicist so I was forced to learn to find my own voice and market directly to my consumer. The things that may appear to be previous shortcomings and mistakes are always the very same things that have given us our “edge,” and defined who we are as a brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: thedoux.com
- Email: douxyou@thedoux.com
- Instagram: @ilovethedoux
- Facebook: facebook.com/lovethedoux
- Twitter: @thedouxofficial
Image Credit:
Brian Smith, Doux Life Photo
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