LISTEN to Angela’s C. Styles’ special segment after Jermaine Dupri’s interview on ESSENCE Podcast Network’s UnBossed Podcast here:
Raising money as an entrepreneur isn’t as straightforward or glamorous as it often appears on social media. Serial entrepreneur and Emmy award-winning beauty industry vet Angela C. Styles, has learned how to navigate the vast world of funding her entrepreneurial dreams better than most and earlier in life than many. In the latest UnBossed podcast episode, she breaks down her story and the financial know-how she gained on the fly to make her dreams come true.
“The moment that I knew I wanted to be in the beauty industry was probably at some point when I was a child. I’ve always loved hair. Most people… liked to go to Toys “R” Us when they were a kid, I liked to go to the beauty supply. I knew that was my calling,” Angela reminisces.
“As far as becoming an entrepreneur. I think that’s something that I had to realize was a part of pursuing my passion, but it’s not something that they, as in the education spaces around cosmetology… They don’t really put entrepreneurship in that same conversation and so, you don’t really realize you have to be a full entrepreneur until you’re like, ‘okay, I’m getting this money. Now, how do I brand myself? How do I do that? Now I need an account, now I need…’ And so it’s one of those things that just kind of happens. And then you’ve decided to put the jacket on and say, ‘All right, this is who I am.'”
Early and quickly, Angela learned the importance of maintaining healthy credit and the diligence and persistence needed to apply for, and receive, grants and loans as a beauty entrepreneur.
“Credit has been probably one of the most beneficial things to my brand. And I’ve had the pleasure of generating a lot of capital through work. So I’ve used having credit and then also being able to build and generate my own capital to help feed that and grow the business.”
With a bevy of beloved stars from Eve to Beyoncé on her roster of clients, an Instagram following of over 100k, and a constantly evolving, niche skillset, she’s mastered pivoting in uncertain times to meet clients’ needs in the beauty space.
“I have a hair line called Conscious Curls. So I was selling and retailing wigs through that. I was also challenging customers who already had hair extensions to just send those to me and I could make wigs out of it just being resourceful in that way.”
You can hear the full episode of ESSENCE Podcast Network’s UnBossed on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you listen to podcasts.