Jesseca Faye Harris-Dupart has always bet on herself.
The NOLA native learned early on that keeping promises is key, especially those you make to yourself. Growing up, she had big dreams and embarked on an entrepreneurial journey as a home-based stylist as a teen. Quickly gaining popularity, her clientele grew to the point of needing a salon, leading Harris-Dupart to invest her savings in launching Kaleidoscope Hair Studio. Despite being a risky undertaking, the single mother leaned on faith.
“I was scared as ever, but I didn’t give myself the option to fail,” she told ESSENCE. “I was all in.”
She poured thousands into launching the upscale salon in the summer of 2014 and felt her dreams were being realized—until a nightmare struck.
“That same year, everything burned, literally.” About six months later, one of Harris-Dupart’s stylists mistakenly sparked a fire started by a faulty piece curling iron and caused what would’ve been irreparable damage—but again, Harris-Dupart trusted the process.
“I had to be still,” she said, explaining that although she had insurance, she couldn’t clean up the damage to the salon while an open investigation was underway. Despite the helplessness she felt, her firm belief in God kept her steadfast.
“I sat long enough to come up with another plan, and then I felt the need to finally move.” Harris-Dupart explained that through the support of her community, she was able to move to another fully furnished salon, most of which was donated by her supporters.
From there, word continued to quickly spread about the salon opening and she was fully back in business. After enjoying success of her client-based, Harris-Dupart set her sights on another aspect, products.
“I’ve always cared about the health of everyone’s hair that sat in my chair, so I began looking into ways to preserve and restore damaged edges,” Harris-Dupart explained, pointing out that Black women often battle issues with the perimeter of their scalp due to tension-inducing styles. Thus, Kaleidoscope Miracle Drops were born.
They were an instant hit. Although the concept of a hair-enriching product isn’t new, Harris-Dupart says her authenticity played a major part in the brand’s sustained success.
“I’ve put myself in everything I do,” sharing that she quickly learned the power of leveraging social media to showcase the product by way of her personality.
“It’s all about living up to the promises you make the customer and earning their trust over and over again by providing them with a quality product.
To date, the brand has raked in millions and is currently being distributed in nearly every retailer imaginable including Walmart, Target, CVS, and Sally Beauty.
“I risk it all when the ideas come to me because I believe in what I am trying to create,” Harris-Dupart said. I am not scared to have zero dollars in my bank account because I have been there before. When you trust in your ability and vision, you are not as scared to take chances.”