We were lucky to catch up with Anita Grant recently and have shared our conversation below.

Anita, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?

Hello Hair was born from a deeply personal journey—one rooted in representation, self-discovery, and the power of embracing our natural selves. For me, this mission is more than just about hair; it’s about rewriting the narratives we inherit and creating a world where every child grows up knowing they are seen, valued, and celebrated.

Growing up, I struggled with my own hair journey. Being called “Big Eyes and Baldy” as a child shaped a limiting belief about my hair and beauty. It wasn’t until I became a mother to two daughters that I realized the importance of ensuring they never had to question their worth based on how their hair naturally grows. I wanted them to see their beauty reflected in the world around them, to have access to education that empowers them to care for their curls, and to understand that their hair is a crown to be worn with pride.

That’s why Hello Hair exists, to educate, celebrate, and build confidence in future generations. What started as a heartfelt children’s book has grown into a movement that bridges the gap between hair care, culture and self-esteem. Our mission is to provide the tools, resources, and representation needed to ensure that no child, parent, or caregiver feels lost when it comes to learning about textured hair.

Through storytelling, hands-on education, and community engagement, Hello Hair is redefining beauty standards and empowering young people to rise in their roots. Because when we embrace our natural selves, we don’t just change how we see ourselves—we change the world.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Anita Grant, the founder of Hello Hair, a brand dedicated to education, representation, and celebrating the beauty of natural hair. My journey into this space was deeply personal—rooted in my own childhood experiences and the desire to ensure my daughters, and children everywhere, grow up seeing their natural hair as something to be embraced and celebrated.

I started Hello Hair as a way to fill a gap I saw firsthand: a lack of accessible hair education and representation for children with textured hair. It began with a children’s book that told a story of self-love and confidence, but quickly evolved into a brand that offers hands-on education, storytelling, and tools to empower both young people and their caregivers.

What We Offer & The Problems We Solve
Hello Hair provides educational resources, dolls with textured hair, workshops, community events, and digital tools to help families, schools, and organizations learn about textured hair care. Many parents, especially those who didn’t grow up with textured hair themselves, struggle to find the right products, techniques, or confidence to care for their children’s hair. Our brand bridges that gap by offering education, representation, and empowerment. Our first product is a chidren’s book, inspired by 90s black hair magazines, features 100 different hairstyles including afro, braids, twists and locs. Our second book is in collaboration with influencer, CurlCodeBlack. This workbook takes the reader through a series of experiments to understand the science of their hair and specific recommendations based on their hair type. Then the Hello Hair dolls feature the four characters: Tiana, Tamia, Jade and Liz with 100% textured human hair to provide hands on practice from children and adults

Through our Crowning Confidence workshops, partnerships with schools and community organizations, and soon, our digital hair education platform, we ensure that no one feels lost in their hair journey. Our dolls allow children to practice styling on a texture that looks like their own, building both skill and self-esteem.

What Sets Hello Hair Apart
What makes Hello Hair unique is that we’re not just about hair—we’re about building confidence, fostering community, and shifting the narrative around textured hair. We focus on education, not just products, ensuring that every child, parent, and caregiver has the knowledge to embrace and care for natural hair. Our work is hands-on, immersive, and deeply personal, offering an experience that is both practical and transformative.

What I’m Most Proud Of
One of my proudest moments was seeing the impact Hello Hair has had on children and families—whether it’s a child lighting up because they finally see a doll that looks like them or a parent feeling empowered after attending one of our workshops. I’m also incredibly honored to have been featured in Forbes, Essence, and CBC, and to have shared Hello Hair’s mission on Dragons’ Den.

Beyond the recognition, I’m proud of the community we’re building—one where natural hair is celebrated, where families feel supported, and where education empowers the next generation to rise in their roots.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My journey as an entrepreneur has been anything but linear—it’s been full of lessons, setbacks, and reinvention. One of the most defining moments of resilience in my career was the rise and fall of Fleeky, my first venture, and how that experience shaped my approach as I started fresh in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) space with Hello Hair—an industry I had no background in.

The Rise and Fall of Fleeky
Fleeky was my first real step into entrepreneurship. It was a beauty-tech company that connected people with beauty professionals on demand, much like Uber for beauty services. I poured everything into it—my time, energy, and resources. It gained traction, we secured funding, built a platform, and launched in multiple cities. It felt like we were on the verge of something big.

But then, reality hit. Scaling a service-based marketplace in the beauty industry came with unexpected challenges—high customer acquisition costs, logistical difficulties, and razor-thin margins. The business model wasn’t as sustainable as I had initially envisioned. After exhausting every possible pivot, I had to make the tough decision to step away. It felt like failure, and for a moment, I questioned my ability as an entrepreneur.

Learning to Start Over
Walking away from Fleeky was painful, but it was also a turning point. I realized that failure isn’t the opposite of success—it’s part of the journey toward it. That experience taught me to be more intentional about market fit, understand scalability, and, most importantly, learn when to pivot.

When I started Hello Hair, I was stepping into another industry I had no prior experience in—CPG (consumer packaged goods). Unlike beauty-tech, where I was dealing with digital platforms and service providers, CPG meant product development, supply chains, manufacturing, retail partnerships, and navigating e-commerce. I didn’t have a blueprint, but what I did have was resilience, adaptability, and a deep understanding of how to build something from the ground up.

Building Hello Hair from Scratch
This time, I took a different approach:
-I listened before I built. Instead of jumping straight into the market, I focused on researching, understanding my customers, and validating the need for hair education and representation in CPG.

-I leaned on partnerships. I didn’t have CPG experience, but I sought out mentors, manufacturers, retailers, and experts who did. I learned how to navigate supply chains, price products for retail, and pitch to stores.

-I focused on education, not just selling a product. Unlike Fleeky, where we were competing in a crowded marketplace, Hello Hair has a mission that differentiates us—filling the gap in textured hair education.

-I embraced patience. With Fleeky, I was eager to scale quickly. With Hello Hair, I focused on building a strong foundation first—starting small with books and dolls before expanding into workshops, tech, and digital education.

What I Learned About Resilience
-Failure isn’t permanent—it’s a lesson. Fleeky didn’t work out, but the skills, connections, and experiences I gained made me a better entrepreneur for Hello Hair.

-You don’t need experience—you need execution. I didn’t have a background in CPG, but I immersed myself in learning and surrounded myself with the right people.

-Passion isn’t enough—strategy matters. With Hello Hair, I didn’t just follow passion; I built a sustainable business model around it.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

One of the most impactful books that shaped my entrepreneurial mindset was Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill. I read it during a pivotal time in my life—when I was working in sales, paying off my student debt, and questioning whether I had the courage to pursue entrepreneurship full-time.

Before reading the book, I saw success as something reserved for those with connections, generational wealth, or a traditional business background. But Think and Grow Rich reframed my entire perspective. It made me realize that success isn’t about luck—it’s about mindset, belief, and execution. Hill’s principles—definiteness of purpose, desire, faith, persistence, and specialized knowledge—became a blueprint for how I moved forward.

After reading it, I made a bold decision: I committed to paying off my student debt in just 16 months. That goal forced me to be disciplined, find creative ways to increase my income, and rethink how I approached financial freedom. Once I achieved it, I realized that if I could accomplish something that once felt impossible, I could take an even bigger leap—quitting my job to pursue entrepreneurship full-time.

The book emphasized that wealth and success start in the mind before they manifest in reality. That lesson carried into my journey with Fleeky—my first venture—and later, into Hello Hair. Even when I faced challenges or failures, I kept coming back to what Hill preached: a clear vision, unshakable belief, and taking action daily, no matter how small.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hellohairbook.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellohair_book/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellohairbook/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anita-grant-34486913b/

Image Credits

BlueClouds Photos