We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kayla Gorham. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kayla below.

Kayla, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I started my brand because I felt like there was a gap between affordable hair brands and true luxury brands. A lot of luxury hair products or experiences can feel out of reach, while more affordable options sometimes don’t give you that same elevated feeling or quality. I wanted to create something that allowed women to experience luxury without feeling like they had to overspend to feel beautiful or confident.

The idea really came from emotion and personal experience. Growing up, my mom always told me, ‘When you look good, you feel good, and you do good,’ and that stayed with me. I’ve always understood how much hair can impact the way a woman feels about herself. When your hair looks good, you carry yourself differently — you feel more confident, feminine, and secure in who you are. I wanted to create a brand that gives women that same feeling every time they interact with it: confidence, softness, beauty, and self-worth.

I felt like the idea would work because people don’t just buy products anymore — they connect with brands that make them feel something. What excited me most was creating a brand that felt elegant, intentional, and high-end while still being accessible and relatable to everyday women.

Kayla, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Kayla Monét, and I’m the founder of a luxury hair brand created with the vision of making women feel confident, feminine, and beautiful without feeling like luxury has to come with an unreachable price tag. I’m 27 years old, a mother of two, and also an engineer, so my life is a balance of structure, ambition, creativity, and womanhood all at once.

My journey into this industry started back in 2016 when I was a freshman at Tuskegee University. At the time, I was young, ambitious, and trying to balance school, life, and discovering who I was as a woman. Hair became more than just beauty to me — it became confidence, self-expression, and a way to feel put together no matter what was going on in life. Growing up, my mom always told me, ‘When you look good, you feel good, and you do good,’ and that mindset stayed with me.

While I was in college, I started selling hair and doing sew-ins for other students. Back then, sew-ins still included the full experience — the wash, style, and install — and I loved making women feel beautiful and confident after leaving my chair. One moment that really showed me the potential of my brand was when a friend referred a client to me who needed a last-minute sew-in but couldn’t find bundles anywhere locally. I had literally just launched my business and only had limited inventory, but she shopped with me that same night. Since then, she has remained a loyal client, and moments like that reminded me that people value quality, reliability, and the way you make them feel.

As I continued growing, I noticed there was a gap in the beauty industry. A lot of luxury hair brands felt financially out of reach for everyday women, while more affordable options often lacked the quality, experience, and elevated feeling women wanted. That’s what inspired me to create a brand centered around affordable luxury — something that feels feminine, intentional, soft, and high-end without making women feel excluded.

What sets my brand apart is the emotional connection behind it. I’m not just selling hair or beauty products; I’m creating an experience that helps women feel confident, elegant, and empowered. As a mother, engineer, and entrepreneur, I understand what it’s like to balance responsibilities while still wanting to feel beautiful and confident in your own skin.

What I’m most proud of is turning an idea I had as a college freshman into something meaningful and authentic. I want people to know that this brand was built with passion, purpose, and real-life experiences. Every detail is designed to remind women that luxury is not just about price — it’s about how you feel when you look in the mirror.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the biggest lessons I had to unlearn was the idea that I had to do everything myself in order for my business to succeed. When I first started my brand in college, I wore every hat possible. I was making eyelash strips from scratch, servicing lash clients, selling bundles, managing inventory, marketing, and trying to keep up with school all at once. At the time, I thought being a strong entrepreneur meant always being available and handling everything personally.

As my life evolved, especially becoming an engineer, relocating to Texas during the start of COVID, and later becoming a mother of twins, I realized that mindset was not sustainable. I was constantly trying to balance being present in every area of my life while also trying to maintain control over every detail of my business. It became exhausting mentally and emotionally.

I had to unlearn the belief that overworking equals success. I learned that real growth comes from structure, prioritization, and giving yourself grace. I also learned that sometimes slowing down, pivoting, or simplifying parts of your business doesn’t mean you failed — it means you’re evolving. That lesson changed the way I approach both business and life, and it helped me build my brand with more intention instead of pressure.

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

I’ve actually had to pivot twice throughout my entrepreneurial journey. When I first started my business in 2016 at Tuskegee University, the brand originally began as eyelash extension services and hair bundles. I was hand-making eyelash strips from scratch, servicing clients, and selling bundles all while balancing college life. At that stage, the business was very hands-on and service-based, and it taught me a lot about customer relationships and building trust early on.
The first major pivot came when I started my engineering career and relocated to Texas during the beginning of COVID. Suddenly, life changed very quickly. My schedule became more demanding, the world was shifting, and managing the service side of my business became difficult from a time and logistics standpoint.
The second pivot came when I became a mother of twins. That season of life completely changed my priorities and forced me to reevaluate how I operated my business. My biggest challenges became time management and vendor reliability. I was trying to be fully present as a mother, grow professionally as an engineer, and still show up consistently for my business and customers. It felt like I was being pulled in multiple directions at once.
Those experiences taught me how important adaptability is as an entrepreneur. Instead of giving up, I restructured my vision and focused on building a brand that could grow with me through every stage of life. The pivots helped me become more intentional, more organized, and more connected to the purpose behind my brand. They also reminded me that entrepreneurship isn’t always a straight path — sometimes your growth comes from learning how to evolve.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.saintmonet.com
• Instagram: @therealsaintmonet_

Image Credits

I would like to thank my mentor Jeokima Wade for all the guidance throughout the years. I want to give credit to all the people that have supported me through ever phase of the business and continues to support me. God gets all the glory!