We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Charlese Milford. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Charlese below.
Charlese, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Have you ever had an amazing boss? What did you learn from them? Maybe you can share a story that illustrates the kind of boss they were or maybe you can share your thoughts on what you think made them an awesome person to work for?
One of the most influential leaders I’ve had the privilege of learning from was Gina Maxie, who was second in command at my very first retail job at Sports Authority. She didn’t just manage people—she led with intention, consistency, and heart.
What stood out immediately was her presence. She carried herself with confidence, but never intimidation. She kept a genuine smile on her face, and it wasn’t performative, it was rooted in how she treated people. Gina made it clear early on that the foundation of any successful business isn’t the product, the systems, or even the revenue, it’s the people.
She instilled in me a principle that I still operate by today: if you want to put the business first, you have to put people first. Your employees and your customers are not separate from the business, they are the business. Without them, there is no operation. She showed me what it looks like to genuinely take care of your team, to be present, accessible, and consistent. And in return, that team will take care of the business.
One moment that stuck with me was how available she always made herself, whether it was a work challenge or something personal affecting performance. Her support never wavered. That level of leadership builds trust, and trust builds results.
She also taught me something that shifted how I lead today: you don’t have to know everything as a leader, but you do have to care enough to go learn it. That mindset removed fear and replaced it with responsibility.
Gina didn’t just teach me how to manage, she taught me how to lead with people in mind. That lesson has carried into every role I’ve had, especially now as a business owner.
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.
I’ve always been a creator at my core. Whether it was writing, storytelling, or finding solutions to everyday problems, I naturally operate where creativity meets purpose. My journey into entrepreneurship, specifically with Hair We Grow LLC came from a very real place.
After giving birth to my youngest daughter, I became more intentional about what I was using on my body and on my children. At the same time, I was watching people close to me experience hair loss from tension styles, stress, and even chemotherapy. One situation that stayed with me was a friend who lost her hair during cancer treatment and struggled to regain it despite trying everything on the market.
What began as something personal quickly grew as others started seeing results and trusting what I created.
Today, Hair We Grow LLC is a purpose-driven brand offering high-quality hair, beard, and skin care products designed to promote growth, restore confidence, and support overall health. My collections are built around real needs, not trends.
One of the proudest validations of that work is that my men’s line, King’s Ritual, received the North Charleston Community Votes 2025 Award. That recognition confirmed what I already believed, when you build with intention and results, people notice.
The problem I solve is straightforward: people are tired of products that overpromise and underdeliver. They want results, transparency, and quality they can trust. My formulations are intentional, every ingredient serves a purpose. No fillers. No fluff.
What sets me apart is that I don’t just sell products—I understand the problem from a lived experience standpoint. I create from a place of necessity, not just opportunity. Everything I produce is something I would confidently use myself or on my family.
In addition to my business, I’m also an author, podcast host, notary, and master life coach. Writing has always been a major part of who I am. What’s interesting is—I never planned to go this far with it. I expected to publish one book, maybe two. Recently, I published my 12th and 13th stories, which speaks to how purpose can evolve when you stay consistent and open. Writing is not just something I do, I feel it’s a responsibility that I carry.
As an author, I create stories that allow people within the Black community to be seen in full dimension. Not just through struggle, not just through stereotypes, but as complex, layered, multifaceted individuals. My work reaches beyond entertainment. I write to connect, to challenge, and to reflect who we are at our core.
There’s a depth to our stories that often goes underrepresented in the arts. The emotional intelligence, the resilience, the vulnerability, the duality, we are not one note, and I refuse to write us that way. My goal is to create narratives that resonate on a deeper level, stories that sit with you, make you think, and in many cases, make you feel seen in ways you didn’t even realize you needed.
I explore themes that are real, sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes empowering, but always honest. Whether it’s through psychological thrillers, supernatural elements, or deeply human experiences, my intention is to expand the lens through which our stories are told.
Publishing my 12th and 13th stories recently was a full-circle moment for me. As a child I was told I couldn’t publish the first one, I never intended to get this far with my writings. Purpose has a way of evolving, and I’ve learned to follow it.
At the end of the day, I don’t just want to tell stories, I need to shift perspective, deepen representation, and create work that lasts.
What I want people to understand is that Hair We Grow is bigger than products. It’s about restoration, confidence, and ownership.
My brand is rooted in helping people reclaim something, whether that’s their hair, their confidence, or their sense of self. But beyond that, it’s about ownership on a deeper level. Ownership of your identity. Ownership of your ideas. Ownership of not just your future, but ours.
My vision for Hair We Grow goes far beyond product sales. I am building a company that unleashes innovators, leaders, and creators. I don’t believe in building something that only thrives as long as I’m at the center of it.
Within our community, we have brilliant men and women with powerful ideas. The talent is there. The vision is there. But the infrastructure, support, and alignment are often missing. And I understand that firsthand building this on my own.
My experience has shown me how critical it is to have a strong foundation of support. Not just encouragement, but real structure, real opportunity, and real access. That’s exactly what I want Hair We Grow to become.
I want this brand to evolve into a platform where other creators, ideas, products, and innovation is born.
This isn’t about being the only voice in the room. It’s about building a room big enough for multiple voices to thrive and be heard.
Real success isn’t just about what you create for yourself. It’s about what you make possible for others.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Resilience, for me, hasn’t been one defining moment, it’s been the decision to keep building, even during seasons when it was difficult to show up for myself.
I started this business at a time in my life where personally, things weren’t great. There were internal battles, moments of doubt, and days where simply getting through felt like enough. But at the same time, I was building a company. In many ways, I was building myself right alongside it.
That alone required a different level of discipline and honesty.
During that same season, I was also becoming a grandmother, not once, but twice. And that shifted everything for me personally and professionally. It gave me a new level of motivation and clarity. I realized I wasn’t just building for the present but I was building for whats going to come after me. That forced me to redefine how I showed up, how I thought, and what I was willing to push through.
So even on the days I didn’t feel my strongest, I still moved forward.
Maybe it was researching ingredients. Maybe it was refining a formula. Maybe it was simply reminding myself why I started. It wasn’t always big steps, but it was consistent ones.
What that season taught me is that resilience isn’t about having it all together. It’s about continuing to build, even while you’re still becoming.
Now, when I look at what I’ve created, not just the products, but the discipline, the mindset, and the vision, I know that none of it would exist without that period in my life because that made all the difference.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
Word of mouth. I’ve built my business on results and relationships. When people see real change, whether it’s hair growth, healthier skin, or restored confidence, they talk about it. And that kind of organic promotion carries more weight than any ad campaign ever could.
From the beginning, I focused on creating products that actually perform. No shortcuts, no fillers, just quality. That consistency builds trust, and trust turns customers into advocates.
I also make it a priority to stay connected to the people who support my brand. Whether it’s answering questions, educating them on how to use the products, or simply being accessible, I don’t treat transactions like one-time sales. I treat them like long-term relationships.
What I’ve found is that when people feel seen, supported, and satisfied they naturally share their experience. And that ripple effect has been one of the strongest drivers of my growth.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Hairwegrowllc.com
- Instagram: Hairwegrowllc
- Facebook: Hair We Grow LLC
- Other: Author@charlese.net
