We were lucky to catch up with Alicia Blair recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Alicia thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you talk to us about serving the underserved.

HerSol Beauty believes everyone should have access to quality, vegan hair and skin products that are better for you and safe for the environment. When opportunities arise, we’re glad to give back to our community. Earlier this year the call went out from a
teacher in the Greater Phoenix area. She wanted to bring the African American students in her grade level together to celebrate, instill sisterhood and friendship in themselves. Small business owners were asked to contribute to the gift baskets for each student.
We were happy to provide body butters for the students and a few extras for the teachers. About a month after the luncheon, one of the students contacted us on Instagram to tell us how much she enjoyed using the body butter. It warmed our hearts to receive
this message.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers?

My name is Alicia Blair, ​and I’m from Washington, DC. After graduating from the North Carolina A&T State University, I moved back home to figure out my next steps in life. It was during that time that I urged my mother to let me take care of her hair, braiding and treating it. I later decided to return to my roots and stop using relaxers in my hair as well. In taking care of our hair, I experimented with various products ​and ingredients. Shea Butter became a favorite of mine for how it softened our hair and kept it moisturized while in braided styles.

In 2013, an opportunity arose to temporarily move to Phoenix for work. I applied, not expecting to get the position since I technically didn’t meet the qualifications for the position. However, the interview process showed I was more than qualified. In preparing to come out here. I purchased a body butter from a high school classmate. It was great! It smelled good, kept ​my skin from being dry and was ​all natural. I set out to make my own version of it. I purchased a mixer, some quality oils and butters and went to work. I even sold some to my coworkers who loved it as well.

Fast forward to 2020 and I found myself being laid off and needed to figure out my next move. A friend suggested that I sell my handcrafted, natural goods. I started with body butter and Butter On the Go sticks. Over time, the product offerings of HerSol Beauty expanded. We now offer 15+ products, with a variety of scents. For those with sensitivities/allergies, we offer fully customizable body butter online. By request, any of our products can be customized as well. Lastly, we offer wholesale as an option for those who want gifts, custom packaging for weddings, showers and more.

HerSol Beauty exists to help you look and feel great, from our soul to yours. We strive to offer impeccable customer service and use quality ingredients to make top tier products that we stand beside and are proud of.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Prior to our first day in business, we started growing our social media following on Instagram and Facebook. Two months after launching, we had one thousand followers. We utilized follow trains, posts and groups on Facebook to help our numbers grow. Another strategy we utilized was offering free samples in exchange for completing a brief survey. Samples were given out in the Phoenix and the DC areas. We used the feedback to help us decide on how the product worked for others and narrow down scent choices. For those who provided us with feedback, we provided them with a unique discount code to use once we opened. This garnered us written and video reviews that were posted online. It helped establish trust and to build clientele. ​We also participate and host vendor events in the Phoenix area. This allows us to meet more clients, get instant feedback and help clients decide what’s best for them. Our events are always posted on our social media pages so others can join us. We’re happily still serving some clients who we call ​our Sol Mates.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

We keep in touch with our Sol Mates with an email newsletter that’s sent out quarterly. Sol Mates receive information before it’s posted online. They also know of specials first and enjoy secret sales/discount codes. Every online order also receives a free sample. And my favorite thing to do is to hand write thank you notes for each online order.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.HerSolBeauty.com
• Instagram: Instagram.com/HerSolBeauty
• Facebook: Facebook.com/HerSolBeauty
• Twitter: Twitter.com/HerSolBeauty
• Other: TikTok.com/@HerSolBeauty

Image Credits
Janaya McQueen Kebron Wegayehu