Today we’d like to introduce you to Jason Hawkins.
Jason, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Respected Roots was created in 2015 by my business partner, Jaret Patterson, and me as an e-commerce company. We created a natural-ingredient grooming product for men to use for beard and skincare. It was our Original scented leave-in beard conditioner. Jaret is the mixologist for all our formulas and I oversee the day-to-day operations.
Initially, we wanted to fulfill a necessary void of self-care products for all men but, more importantly, men of color. As black men, we understood the issues most men of color suffered from. For example, razor bumps, dry and flaky skin, itchiness, dry scalp and beard dandruff due to the lack of education in self-care maintenance and the lack of adequate self-care products specifically for ethnic hair and skin. Although we believed our signature beard conditioner was unparalleled in the marketplace, we also believed that we could and should do more to satisfy not only the grooming needs of men but to extend the line for the entire family.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
We knew we had something great and started traveling all over the U.S. to introduce the brand. However, the more we grew, the more costly the business became to satisfy the demand. The industry is filled with new emerging companies who want to become the next hotline but most of them are very unfamiliar with the status quo landscape of doing business within the grooming products industry. We were baptized into the fire too! Not to get it confused but Jaret and I had a plan and we learned quickly that the path we wanted was less traditional and knew we would have to move differently if we wanted the success we desired.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Respected Roots is the “golden standard in personal grooming.” Our unisex products are curated with premium natural ingredients such as Shea, and Cocoa butter, apricot, vitamin E, and tea tree oils, etc. Perfectly blended to promote optimal hair and skin appearance for the family.
Our business model differentiates us from most competitors because we are the proprietors of our formulas, we do not contract other manufacturers to mix our products we create and manufacture all of them ourselves here in Atlanta. GA. We are very proud of the commitment we made from day one to produce high-quality products for the public to consume.
What were you like growing up?
My childhood and adolescent years were both astonishing as the youngest child of six and trivial because of curiosity. I was raised within a loving and caring family with two great parents. My mom introduced all of us to Christ and my pop taught us to work hard. Hussle was the mentality but treating people with respect was embedded into our DNA. My disposition was mostly no-nonsense. I was a natural competitor at heart that wanted to learn through life experiences. I loved playing sports, especially baseball but never received the appreciation for my talent in my hometown because of my darker skin. I grew up in a small rural town outside of Memphis, TN, called Milan. Our population was about 7-8,000 people but the community was mostly white. I never felt it was a place I wanted to live beyond my 18th birthday. I am an Aquarius so I was full of ambition so I decided to join the U.S. Navy after graduation to travel the world.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.respectedroots.com
- Email: respectedrootsonline@gmail.com
- Instagram: RespectedRoots
- Facebook: RespectedRoots
Image Credit:
Mother: Lou A. Hawkins in the red sweater with me & my daughter Diamond Chantel
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