Today we’d like to introduce you to Rochelle Smith.
Hi Rochelle, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in Toronto (Canada) and have always dreamt of using my voice and resources to positively impact those around me. Like many, at the beginning of the pandemic, I realized how important it was to build something of my own. Despite the pandemic being the catalyst for my launching my own business, This journey unknowingly began when I met my (now) business partners at University. Our collective experiences fueled our passions to consistently advocate and amplify the voices of Black men and women in any capacity we could. Post university and a leap of faith from a message in our group chat later, we felt the need to continue sharing our passion with society and thus, Beauty Braids & Beyond (BBB) was born. We recognized that there was a disparity in the beauty supply industry in addressing the concerns of women with textured hair and so we created this business to address this disparity. Our main objective with BBB is to leverage innovations and education to ensure our clients can make informed decisions when purchasing products to address their needs.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has not been a smooth road at all – more of an uphill battle! The main struggle was getting to that point where we could launch our business. We initially aimed to launch in November 2020, but after talking to some industry professionals, we quickly realized that entering the beauty supply industry was one that you had to enter aggressively. For those who may not know, the beauty supply industry is heavily monopolized by individuals who don’t really the people these types of businesses cater to. Being cognizant of that, we had to enter this market in the same capacity that the non-Black-owned beauty supply stores are already operating at and that required money. We were able to secure a loan that was able to finance our start-up costs which allowed us to have competitive prices and a successful launch. The second struggle we are currently experiencing is changing consumer habits within our community. Typically Black-owned beauty supply stores do not have competitive pricing, which steers our target audience away. Our approach to resolving this is to remain consistent and get our name out there as much as possible, and slowly but surely, our community will recognize we are the preferred beauty supply retailer.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Beauty, Braids & Beyond (BBB), co-founded by myself(Rochelle), Tosin, and Jada, is an e-commerce beauty supply retailer that aims to revolutionize the beauty supply industry. Using innovation and education, our mission is to make accessible the tools customers need to achieve their hair, skin, and beauty goals. Our Vision is to become a cutting-edge beauty supply retailer that works to actively break the barriers and standards of beauty for Black women worldwide. In the virtual space, our platform eliminates the need for sensory retail and provides our curly/textured hair- customers with an experience that makes them proud and excited to be Women/Men of Colour.
As I said, we are dedicated to educating women and men on the intersectionalities between science, culture, hair care, skincare, and beauty. Globally, many people of colour are unaware of the science behind healthy hair and skin. As a result, they routinely purchase ineffective hair and skincare products or utilize the wrong sequence of products to achieve their desired results.
Our core values are Collaboration, Community Building, and Client Commitment (The 3 Cs). The 3 C’s encompass our vision and mission to transform the beauty supply culture. To learn more about us connect with us on our socials and check out our website!
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up, I’ve always been extremely optimistic that I could be whoever I wanted and accomplish whatever goals I set out to accomplish. I’ve always wanted to positively impact my community, but truthfully I never thought about how that would manifest itself. It’s still a long-term goal of mine and I hope BBB continues to give me and my partners the opportunity to empower and positively impact the lives of others.
Contact Info:
- Email: info@beautybraidsandbeyond.com
- Website: www.beautybraidsandbeyond.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybraidsandbeyond/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautybraidsandbeyond/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClCTjN4_Ltwc7tVdo-JzYjQ
