Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Amylah Charles. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Amylah, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

CurlyCrownz Haircare was created to nourish, embrace and enhance your opulent Crownz.
CurlyCrownz was founded when covid and injustice were on the rise in 2020 when I was 16 years. I wanted to find a way to not only nourish your crown but your soul.

I formulate and handicraft naturally based oils, butters, shampoo bars, and more for the Black and Brown community. We provide products for various states of hair such as curls, locs, beards, waves, and scalps.

Yet, Curly Crownz is “bigger than hair ”. We are a social justice-oriented brand that aims to innovate media representation of minorities through media and marketing. I aim to provide authentic and encouraging marketing which is one of the most exciting aspects of my job. The idea of being able to contribute to men and women embracing who they are gives me a reason to keep going.
I grew up seeing how naturally curly hair was not systemically embraced. That broke my heart and made me question my image. The industry lacks products for diverse states of hair, products that cater to diverse pain points, natural hair products for men, and the harmful chemicals in products marketed to Black and Brown consumers that cause cancer and ecological harm.

Amylah, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I began my journey with The Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship(NFTE) and the Los Angeles Urban League in their Biz camp program. I’ve been in business for 2 years and 9 months while refining my pitch for 3 years all the while pitching to investors, and competing in several competitions.

As an entrepreneur, I faced lots of ups and downs. When I embarked on my first business competition I was confident in my idea! I worked tirelessly on my pitch deck. I practiced 1,000 times! I had pitched with all my heart. When it was time for the verdict I was sure that I had won. When the time came, I didn’t even hear my business called for the top 3. I was crushed and perplexed. Experiencing rejection for something I worked so hard on felt like a boulder resting on my shoulders. But the weight of “ defeat” didn’t hold me down. I kept the faith. I grew to understand that a no is just a not yet. I stayed persistent and continued to compete, and launched my business despite my detours. I ended up winning the NFTE National Competition, making the Top 10 of Youth-owned businesses worldwide. I went from competing in my bedroom to competing on Wall Street and speaking in front of 500+ people. Pivoting in entrepreneurship is important! Taking the no’s as not yet is crucial, as well as persevering because we have a higher purpose which is innovation through social entrepreneurship. I did my entire business development as a high school student. There were times when I had to manage school and business affairs. There were times when I had to miss out on fun for the sake of my brand, customers, and future. I never regretted a single moment. This is bigger than me, this is bigger than hair. Now I hustle and motivate by keynote speaking, being a part of panels, and organizing events that encourage kids to “ Be everything outside of the box people try to put you in,” because if we let people’s preconceived notions of our capability dictate what we decide to go for in life we will never reach our divine purpose!

Have you ever had to pivot?

Being a young entrepreneur, I am no stranger to pivoting. In this industry, I faced lots of struggles that pushed me in a different direction. When I graduated high school my change in environment impacted my business. I was then living in communal dorms and had no access to a sanitized kitchen. Many people would ask me when I take a break now that I’m in college. Or, would I even continue running my business? I thought back to a phrase Rob Dyrdek uttered when he and I spoke on his podcast Build With Rob he told me “If it doesn’t feel right pivot in life”. I’ll never forget that moment we talked about our entrepreneurship journey. I had the pleasure of being on his podcast because he had selected me as the winner of his entrepreneurship challenge. I was just days away from starting my first year of college. Fun fact I had gladly missed a welcome week to be a part of the podcast. With that being said I was determined to pursue any endeavors that would help my business thrive.
So in college, I pivoted. How? Well since I didn’t have access to a sanitized kitchen on school breaks I would make my products at home in Southern California and take them to San Francisco State University to my fellow students who had purchased my product. I began to network with faculty and students who helped spread the word. I was eventually connected to an on-campus pitching competition where I won seed money for my business.
Stopping CurlyCrownz in college didn’t feel right so I knew I had to pivot and adapt to the situation at hand so that my business could continue to support our customers and expand!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

As an entrepreneur, you always want to make sure your target audience feels seen when you’re creating content. now as entrepreneurs, we may serve several different individuals so it is key to talk to each one within each piece of content. A tactic I have found useful for my brand is the nostalgia tactic. I had a Black history campaign videos that include my Grandma and I (affectionately known as Nani). I was sitting on her living room floor as she sat on the couch oiling my scalp with CurlyCrownz Hair Care Vanilla Scented Enhancing Oil. As she oiled my scalp she told a story about how her mother ( my great-grandmother Nana) used to sing a song to her every time she would do her hair. And she began to sing as she did mine. During this video I had underscored it with the instrumental from a significant 90’s sitcom to me and many members of my community Moesha. That Instagram Reel hit a personal record for activity on our page. Many commented that it reminded them of when their relatives used to care for their hair. Building community through detailed experiences is crucial when you are an e-commerce brand.That is an intimate and memorable time I was able to capture and share with social media.Content that feels like home is worth trying!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://curlycrownzhaircare.company.site
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curlycrownzhaircare/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CurlyCrownzHairCare/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amylah-charles-ab4406242
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC89Ey30m7Cd-l7vsSNJVgOw
• Other: Tik Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@curlycrownzhaircare?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc