Have you ever wondered about the journey of a curly hair influencer in the world of haircare, or the secret behind the evolving product range from a popular brand like Cantu? This piece draws inspiration from a rich conversation that transpired at the Essence Girls United Disruptor Summit. The summit made space for an in-depth discussion about building small business power and showcasing new products that promise to revolutionize curly hair management.
The panel honed in on the real-world challenges of bringing a small business to life, offering crucial insights on Cantu’s novel product line, and presenting notable curl power moments. Holding the session was Senior Marketing Executive and bona fide curly hair influencer, Tiffany Renee, and to her side, Cantu Ambassador and founder of House of Curls, Sherly Tavarez.
Sherly commenced with a brief about her entrepreneurship journey and her experiences as an influencer endorsing curly hair. She spoke about her brand, House of Curls, which she founded half a decade back, primarily to uplift representation of natural hair in the Latin community.
The conversation then shifted to the dynamic perception of curls amongst influencers and the diversity that exists within this niche. Sherly recalled her early days as an influencer when YouTube was just making its debut. Like many others, she explored her curl power through content revolving around natural hair, understanding what her hair responded to favorably and picking out suitable haircare products. It was then that she discovered Cantu, and drawn by its effectiveness, it became one of her top-recommended brands.
Cantu’s commitment to consumers didn’t go unnoticed by Tiffany, who was impressed with the brand’s attentiveness to feedback. She stated that listening is integral to any business and applauded Cantu for their efforts in embracing customer inputs. This has resulted in Cantu’s products being reformulated to include superior ingredients, offering even more moisture for curly hair.
Sherly shared a similar perspective about Cantu and reflected upon her relationship with the community she has cultivated. Sherly expressed her devotion to her followers, referring to them as House Of Curls family, affectionately calling them the HOC fam. She values their feedback and continues to incorporate their ideas into her business model. Sherly emphasized again that creating a space for younger generations to embrace their natural hair was at the heart of her brand’s inception.
On being asked about her favorite Cantu products, Sherly swore by the Curl Activator Cream. She testified to its efficacy, crediting it for making her hair last a week without needing other products. Sherly also spoke about some of the key ingredients in the reformulated products such as organic coconut oil, fair trade shea butter, and vitamin B, stating how they had positively affected her hair journey.
Sherly divulged her self-empowerment journey, explaining how she used to be critical of herself when things didn’t go as planned, focusing on perfection rather than embracing her natural hair. With time, she learned to trust her intuition, thereby realizing the strength in authenticity over perfection.
To everyone contemplating a leap into entrepreneurship, Sherly had a piece of wisdom to share. She encouraged them to follow their instincts as it would always to lead them to success. Sherly advised not to wait for an ideal moment to arrive, as the most suitable time to do anything is ‘right now’.
In conclusion, the rapport between the two influential women demonstrated that success in the curly hair industry requires constant evolution, authentic relationships with a strong community, and unfaltering dedication to learning and improvement. Whether it’s Sherly’s journey or Cantu’s product reforms, change is inevitable and essential for growth.
