Over the past 25 years, Carol’s Daughter has become a household name for naturalistas around the world.
As a pioneer brand in the natural hair care industry, their products have set a high bar for what kinky-curly girls should expect from their products. Especially in a market that often overlooks the needs of Black women.
However, the brand has come a long way from its humble beginnings in Brooklyn, New York. Founder Lisa Price reflected on the process of building her empire during ESSENCE Festival 2018 with ESSENCE beauty director Julee Wilson.
The natural hair care mogul began making products in her kitchen in 1993. Carol’s Daughter went from flea markets and a boutique shop in Brooklyn to being sold in over 30k retail locations across the country. Along the way, she has also gained the financial support of celebrities like Oprah, Jay-Z and Will Smith.
But even with the help of celebrity investors, Price says that there was one major key that helped her break boundaries for women of color in the beauty industry.
Her secret? Faith.
Price also reflected on how much easier it is for millennial entrepreneurs to market themselves today since she did not have the luxury of email blasts and hashtags back then.
The Smithsonian National Museum of African American History recently honored 25 years of Carol’s Daughter with an exhibit that highlighted Price’s contributions to the natural hair care renaissance.
Her story continues to serve as an inspiration to us all.