We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Billy D Nelson. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Billy D below.
Billy D, appreciate you joining us today. One of our favorite things to brainstorm about with friends who’ve built something entrepreneurial is what they would do differently if they were to start over today. Surely, there are things you’ve learned that would allow you to do it over faster, more efficiently. We’d love to hear how you would go about setting things up if you were starting over today, knowing everything that you already know.
If I were to start my business over from the beginning, I would do everything much differently. Not saying what I did in 2020 was incorrect, but with the capital I had at the time I could’ve saved much more. In the beginning stages I didn’t have much guidance because no one knew I was starting a business. When I began everything, I knew exactly what steps I had to take, but the only thing that was stopping me were my funds. I contemplated using the capital in my bank account or should I just sell my personal belongings to get my business started. Me being young minded I decided to sell my personal belongings which were my shoes! ‘Til this day I regret selling half of my shoe collection because I should’ve just used the funds from my account, and the money would’ve all came back in the end. Everything happens for a reason, but just know I went with my gut in every decision I’ve made!
Now, the next thing I would’ve done differently is taken the time to research different websites/vendors on where I could purchase my supplies from. Initially I would to go to local beauty supply stores to purchase small quantities of my shea butter and oils which eventually began to burn a whole in my pockets. I would say I’d go to these beauty supplies about 3-4 times a week because I would run out from having so many orders to fulfill. Doing that constantly began to get old, so I decided to google different websites where I could purchase my supplies in bulk, and never have to visit another beauty supply again! Amazon has become my best-friend, and I was also able to find a website where I could purchase all my oils by the gallon! It doesn’t hurt to spend the extra money to get what you need because it will all pay off in the end.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
My name is Billy D Nelson, 25 years old from Houston, Texas and the CEO of Protekt Your Krown. I started my business in 2020, but the way the idea came to me will blow your mind! At the time I was living in Austin, Texas but I was in Houston at the time visiting my dad for the weekend. Just a late night scrolling on Instagram when I came across a video of an older gentleman in the mall promoting his hair care brand. He was in his 30s, and he was speaking with a kid the age of 13, and what he said to the kid sparked the idea in my mind! He said, “it took me 7 years to get successful… what if I started when I was your age”? That was all it took for me to tell myself if he can do it why can’t I? Right away, I went to on YouTube to search for videos on how to make hair products and researched what type of oils I wanted to use that are beneficial to all hair types for women and men.
My signature products are my Butterkream, Hair Growth Oil, and Beard Balm. The Butterkream targets all my wavers, straight hair, curly hair, beards, and skin. Being 100% natural with oils that work perfectly with your hair! It’s used to keep a strong hold on your hair while keeping your hair moisturized daily. I can’t forget that it also adds shine to hair, boost curls & waves, and prevent dry scalp! My hair growth is also for all hair types, beards, and even dreadlocks. The oils used for this oil promote hair growth, and it also leaves your hair with shine daily. Lastly, my beard balm works as a leave in conditioner which will style, moisturize, and soften your beard. While keeping your beard looking healthy; it also promotes proper beard growth to the fullest. All natural oils that will work to deeply moisturize your hair follicles and prevent breakage.
When it comes to setting yourself apart from others it’s not hard if you have Consistency, Determination, and Self-Motivation. That will set you apart from everyone who wants to do what you’re doing or trying to be where you want to be. When times get hard, and a drought in sales appear you must keep going because it happens. It can be times where it does get discouraging, but only the strong survive in the end. Starting a business in 2020 wasn’t just to benefit myself but benefit others who have the same goal as me. The goal of having and maintaining healthy hair! The ingredients in my hair products are in the popular products that individuals use on their hair, but they aren’t 100% natural like mine. My products are for all hair types, and once you start using them, you’ll never look back!
I am most proud of being able to get my products in multiple barbershops/beauty supplies, shipping worldwide to over 30 states, and being featured in multiple articles for the hard work I’ve put in. During my time in Austin, Texas I didn’t know many people, so my main goal was to network, and get my brand out there. Driving from Houston, San Antonio, and back to Austin meeting with different barbers I eventually was able to get them to buy into my products. I had 2 barbershops in Houston, 3 barbershops & 2 beauty supply in Austin, and 2 barbershops in San Antonio! Now, shipping to over 30 states was a huge deal to me because when I received orders outside of Texas, I always wondered how did people know about me? Then I thought to myself “word of mouth” and of course promotion on different social media platforms.
The main thing I want my potential clients and followers to know is that anyone can start a business; you just need to do it! It takes a lot of courage to get started, but once you do, you’ll never look back. That idea you’ve been sitting on for years and years is just waiting to be released, so all I can is just do it! Even though dreams don’t have an expiration date opportunities do, so take advantage of them. The best advice I could ever give to someone wanting to start a business is not to tell anyone. That one negative comment can change your entire perspective on everything, so when it’s time to launch that business, it flourishes, and you receive all the blessings you’ve been waiting on!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy for growing clientele is letting them know you’re a real person. Most people only know you over social media and base you off the things you post when they’ve never met you. In the beginning stages of my business, I would drive all over delivering orders to local customers to let them know I was a genuine person. Meeting with them face to face, having quick conversations about the products they ordered, and how to apply them correctly for quality results. I am big on customer service, so I want to make sure my customers are always taken care of because they’re the reason I’m in this position now! Continuing to grow every day and coming up with different ideas on how to keep my audience is challenging, but I asked for this, so I’ll never stop.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
There are 3 books that have changed the way I live my day-to-day life, and I recommend everyone reading this article to please read them. The books are Rich Dad Poor Dad, The Alchemist, and The way of the Superior Man. I have favorite quotes from each book, and the first one is from Rich Dad Poor Dad “Start minding your own business. Keep your daytime job, but start buying real assets, not liabilities.” Next is from The Alchemist “When we love, we always strive to become better than we are. When we strive to become better than we are, everything around us becomes better too.” Lastly, The way of the Superior Man “Your fear is the sharpest definition of yourself. You should know it. You should feel it virtually constantly. Fear needs to become your friend, so that you are no longer uncomfortable with it.” These books have impacted my life in ways I can’t explain, and I don’t take any of them for granted because they have truly changed my life.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.protektyourkrown.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/protektyourkrown/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Protektyourkrown/
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billydnelson/
- Twitter: https://www.protektyourkrown.com
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCC8I0R-NRQuODpOAn7QyCDg
- Yelp: https://www.undergroundhtx.info/
Image Credits
Credits – Caleb Instagram: truly_blessed_visuals