Today we’d like to introduce you to Brandon Woods.
Brandon, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I was younger, I always knew I wanted to own my own business when I grew up. I remember In elementary school, I wanted to be an architect. Then in middle school, I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I didn’t really understand the meaning back then but I knew I wanted to have my own business. I had developed an interest in photography & graphic design so at the time, I wanted to have my own design firm/photography studio. Fast forward to high school, I really was into graphic design. It was a Bobbie for me and a way to express my creativity. I was known for making flyers and editing pics for people. I remember when Facebook came out and people used to ask me to edit their pictures. I used to put words and different filers on them to make them look “cool” & different, just thinking about it gives me a good laugh because I really thought I was out here doing it, but it was so much more out there to learn. I ended up attending the Art Institute of Atlanta Decatur for about two years then dropped out because it was too much. I was paying almost $400 a month for classes out of pocket.
Shortly after that boat sinked I went from Atlanta back to my hometown Albany, GA not going to lie, I was a little disappointed with myself and depressed because I felt like I couldn’t pursue my dream of owning my own design firm. I knew I couldn’t stay down too long so I started my first online business YRL Clothing Co. selling merch on Instagram with my logo that I made myself on it. That business wasn’t bringing in the extra money I needed so I started looking into other business ventures and stumbled across selling hair extensions. I started my first online hair extensions business back in 2016 called “luxury for her”. I remember using one of my refund checks to purchase $1000 worth of hair extensions. When I tell you it was so hard trying to move those 20 bundles of hair, it literally took about two months before I was completely sold out. I sold the hair slowly but not fast enough to see the flip. I didn’t give up though. I ended up learning about a new type of hair called “raw Indian” hair and it’s the most expensive and best quality hair on the market you can get. I changed my business name to “Raw Indian Hair Company” and started to sell this new type of hair that a lot of people wasn’t hip to. I ended up selling over $20,000 dollars worth and I couldn’t believe it but I did. I was so happy and tried my best to keep up with my growing business but ultimately it was just too much to handle at the time as I was doing this all by myself with no help. As sales kept declining and me not knowing why I kind of got discouraged and faded away from selling hair because I was trying to grasp the concept of branding & marketing.
Fast forward to 2020, I started to work on relaunching my business. I spent some time behind the scene learning about e-commerce, building a brand & learning how to market. Once I felt like I had enough know I did a whole rebrand. My former hair business is now called “Shop404Luxe” we are a beauty brand serving girls all over the world. We recently just relaunched the brand August 13, 2021. I’m still a one man band but now I’m more focused on the process than the outcome. I know it was take hard work & consistency to grow my brand into a million dollar empire. I think I have did most of the groundwork so that my business is to be known as professional & trustworthy. Only thing that’s missing is love & support.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It’s definitely been a rocky road for me especially. Dealing with social anxiety & depression, I’m really an introvert so I have to make myself talk most times. That alone is really a struggle because how am I gonna spread the word about my business if I don’t even like to talk to people. I know that a mind is a terrible thing to waste so I try my best to control my thoughts and not let my thoughts control me. I’m learning that anything that is holding you back from success in life, you can work through it. With practice comes mastery. Remember that everything happens in divine timing & to keep god close and your ancestors closer. You have help & guidance all around you just believe and have faith.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I founded Shop404Luxe LLC with one goal in mind: providing a high-quality, smart, and reliable Online Hair Extensions Store. My passion for excellence has driven us from the beginning and continues to drive us into the future. We know that every product counts and strive to make the entire shopping experience as rewarding as possible.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
My favorite learning tool to this date is YouTube. You can literally type in anything you want to gain knowledge on and hear people’s different perspectives. I also love watching the book “the secret” it’s on Netflix if anyone wants to check it out.
Contact Info:
- Email: Support@404luxe.com
- Website: www.404Luxe.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shop404luxe/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shop404luxe/
Image Credits:
@22productionllc
