We were lucky to catch up with Jade Clark recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jade thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Let’s start with important influences in our lives. Is there a historical figure you look up to?

Katherine Dunham is by far one of the most influential historical figures. Through her artistry I learned the importance of recognizing our history and where we come from. More than that, I learned the value of community, finding the rhythm that binds us all and using it to bridge the gap between different communities.

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

My name is Jade Clark, I am the founder and CEO of Loc’d & Key. We make and sell all natural hair and skincare products. Additionally we provide loc maintenance services. Loc’d & Key has very humble beginnings. It all started when I began looking for hair and skincare products that worked great for me, my husband and our children. The problem was the lack of products that was universal for adults and children, not to mention many of these products did not help our sensitive skin. One day we did find a natural product, but the problem was it made self-care into too much of tedious routine. That is when I discovered that our hair and skincare shouldn’t be routine, it should be a pampering self-care experience. So I began working on specially made, hand-crafted products that will not only give your healthy and radiant hair and skin, our products will transcend your simple routines into self-nurturing pampering experience.

Our special attention to the Loc Community, makes Loc’d & Key the ideal company to start and maintain your loc journey. We have designed a haircare line that focuses on the needs of locs, providing moisture and shine to all forms of locs. As an artist, I believe in the artistry of dreadlocks, I love the diverse beauty and patterns found in each loc. As your loctician, I pay close attention to the natural way in which your locs form, and I work to pamper you as your begin and/or maintain your journey. Each journey is special, and we make sure to never disrupt the delicacy of your locs.

We believe that self-care is the key to radiance, which is why each of our products are carefully hand-crafted with the finest natural ingredients. We pride ourselves on our simple, yet powerful recipes that will heal beneath the surface and accentuate the natural beauty within. We want our customers to feel like they left a 5-star resort after each use.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Any small business owner will tell you, one of the biggest things you need to do in business is your name out there. Since starting Loc’d & Key, I struggled finding ways to promote. I finally made the right connections and was able to bring Loc’d & Key to a major event in Atlanta. I spent months preparing, spending a lot of money to make sure I had everything I needed for the event. Unfortunately, three months prior to the event, my landlord decided to kick me and my family out, no warning, no reason, just out of the street. We spent two in half months homeless. I lost all of my products and ingredients. I wanted to cry when I missed my opportunity to bring Loc’d & Key to a bigger audience.

After the initial breakdown, I started to really look at my business plan. With a new fresh set of eyes, I saw where Loc’d & Key could be improved, and I began working. I am proud to say that today, my family and I bought a new home, and Loc’d & Key has fulfilled three big orders, started three new clients on their loc journey and gained five new clients to maintain their locs. The moral of the story is, sometimes what seems like a setback or a stand still is an opportunity for reflection and elevation.

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been to focus on one aspect of the business at a time. Often times we get so excited about the larger picture, that we give some much at one time that everything gets jumbled together, and the overall vision gets lost. However, I learned that when you take your time and focus on one detail at a time, everything else will fall into place.

While Loc’d & Key provided both hair and skincare products, I started focusing on promoting just the haircare line, more specifically just the products designed for locs. As the loyalty of my clients grew, they began to become more interested in what else Loc’d & Key had to offer. In that moment I was able to bridge the gap between our haircare products and our skincare products.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.locdandkey.com
• Instagram: locd.and.key
• Facebook: Loc’d & Key lllp
• Youtube: Coming Up Clark