We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Khaled Atallah a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Khaled , appreciate you joining us today. So, let’s start with trends – what are some of the largest or more impactful trends you are seeing in the industry?

The e-commerce industry in general is rich in growth and opportunity. But with that comes a ton of moving variables, ways to always do things better and notice new demand, and overall trends in this ever-changing industry. In my specific niche of hair, beard, and body care, people are showing more and more that they’re looking for a quality product. Whatever used to be cheap and quick is no longer what catches the eye. People want to invest in their health and lifestyle, and I’ve been able to find my slot there. There are so many generic products with chemicals that we can’t even pronounce, and people are using them every day. Then there are natural products from Mother Nature that provide us with an even better and more natural benefit. So now what’s trending is that awareness and the accessibility to those ingredients. People want to invest in the natural alternatives, they want to care more. With the trends of awareness and demand combined, this entire category is going to launch at a much higher level for anyone interested in taking care of themselves, even if they once thought they wouldn’t be able to afford a quality product.

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 background and context?

Buckle up, I can guarantee you haven’t read an About Us story like this. In 2017, I began losing hair at the young age of 18. A spiral search on the internet led me to realize that I couldn’t just blame genetics or luck, I had to blame myself. I was at fault for using store-bought products without looking at the ingredients, without understanding the label, without putting my effort where it belonged: ingredients that were beneficial, ingredients that I could pronounce. And that’s when Noun Natural was born – at the time, Habibi Life. My mother began giving me remedies that relied more on natural ingredients like oils and these solutions completely replaced all of the store-bought items that were doing the exact opposite: thinning my hair, drying my scalp, and so much worse. So far so good in terms of brand story, right? I had a problem, I solved it. But let’s throw another problem into the story. In 2019, Habibi Life was sued. Didn’t see that one coming, right? There’s an explanation, though. Since I was so young, I didn’t know trademark infringement was a thing. But there I was, stuck in a plaintiff-did-not-want-to settle situation. To keep the story short and sweet, I had to battle against my ego and accept the settlement. I felt like I had the rug pulled from underneath me; no brand to my name, no logo to slap on business cards. I felt lost – but that exact feeling is what pushed me to look for a way out. And that goes right into what I’m so proud of. I had to let go of my first brand due to infringement, but I believed in my product and I believed in myself. And just like my products, I had to make it from scratch all over again. That realization and acceptance is the most important part of entrepreneurship – to know what’s best for you, to believe in yourself even when the world is pushing you away. Noun Naturals is a living and breathing piece of proof that a quality product and a hard-hitting work ethic is exactly what people are looking for. They might not know Khaled Atallah, but they can feel and see the passion behind the brand, and that’s never going anywhere.

Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?

I was on top of the world when I created Habibi Life. I was 18 and selling the perfect hair product. When I ended up in court in 2019 for trademark infringement, it felt like that same world came toppling down on me. Just when I felt like I was going to give up on all that I had built, I decided to settle in court, give up the Habibi Life brand, and start from scratch. I built Noun Naturals from the ground up all over again out of faith in myself and faith in my product. This exact story is the first and most prominent showcase of resilience in the business, but it surely won’t be my last.

We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.

Yes, I actually handmake and develop all of my products myself. From idea, to formulation, to label design and packaging, I am the product developer through and through. i started this process myself because I hated generic hair styling products that damage hair and scalp, so I looked into natural alternatives and did not want anyone else’s process to tarnish what my research had built.

The most important lesson I learned manufacturing your own product:

You might have the best product out there, but I wholeheartedly believe a good product will have a ceiling without the proper branding and design. Design is crucial in product development, not only because of the physical appearance, but the premium attention to detail that your consumer will know and feel from it. Don’t stop at just what’s in the jar: continue crafting until it looks perfect inside and out.

Contact Info:

• Website: NounNaturals.com
• Instagram: @NounNaturals
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaled-atallah-73977617a
• Twitter: Twitter.com/NounNaturals

Image Credits
@nounnaturals on Instagram