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

Rochelle, appreciate you joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

It all began with curiosity. I had this idea in my mind, and the first thing I did was start asking my close friends questions. Their feedback made something very clear early on: I could not do this alone. So the first real step was finding the right partners and people who could help bring the idea to life.

The next day, I bought the domain and registered the business. At the time, I thought we would launch with four products, including Jamaican Black Castor Oil. I even ordered a litre from Jamaica and ended up getting scammed, which I can laugh about now. That moment pushed me to slow down and work more closely with my partners. We created a business agreement and signed up for every free business course we could find because we knew we had a lot to learn.

Around then, one of my partners connected with a mentor who was already in the beauty industry. At the same time, I began building our social media presence so we could start gaining traction while we were still developing the idea. We also launched a survey to understand what people with textured hair were really looking for. This came directly from one of the courses we took. We realized we needed real market research to ensure we were solving a real problem.

While all this was happening, we also began studying the industry deeply. We researched textured hair, ingredients, the history of the industry, and other hair businesses. We took detailed notes on everything because we knew that education would become one of the core pillars of our brand. We wanted to build a business that not only sold products but taught people how to care for their hair.

We started this entire process in June 2020, believing we would launch in November 2020. But the more we learned, the more we realized we needed to slow down and build a stronger foundation. We did not actually launch until November 2021.

When we finally set that launch date, we said to ourselves that no matter what, we were launching on that day. Even though our website was not complete, we stayed up the entire night before launch, all of us collectively adding the products we had not had time to upload. It was chaotic, exhausting, and exciting all at once.

Before that moment, we had also met with our mentor again to share our original vision of launching with four products. Her feedback was honest: if we launched that way with no traction and no capital, we would get wiped out before we even started. It was discouraging, but we took that feedback seriously. We joined a startup program and spent months building a detailed business plan that showed not just what our idea was, but how much potential it had.

Our mentor told us something I still remember: “Do not worry about the money. When you have a good idea, the money will always come.” And she was right. As soon as our business plan was complete, a new fund for Black businesses launched. We applied and secured the capital we needed to enter the market competitively.

That is how we moved from idea to execution. It happened through curiosity, community, research, learning, and a lot of determination. We did not have everything figured out at the start, but we kept going step by step until the idea became real.

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 Rochelle and I am one of the Co-founders of Beauty Braids and Beyond, North America’s leading online beauty supply store dedicated to textured hair. My background is in Political Science and Communications, and although I did not originally envision myself entering the beauty supply industry, my journey began from a place of frustration, reflection and deep community care.

The idea came to me during a time when the Black community was experiencing immense tension. I noticed that many businesses that profited from us were not acting as true allies within our community. This made me reflect more deeply on the experiences of Black women, particularly how often we are underserved in traditional beauty supply stores, how many of us did not grow up with proper knowledge about our own hair, and how societal expectations influence the way we feel we should present ourselves.

I saw firsthand that beauty supply stores catered to textured hair were falling short on affordability and customer service. My business partners shared similar experiences. Jada, my co-founder moved to Ireland for law school where products were scarce and extremely expensive. Tosin often struggled to find reliable information on how to care for her hair. These shared frustrations made us realize that if we were struggling, countless other Black women and women with textured hair must be facing the same challenges.

With that in mind, we surveyed over 200 women with textured hair. The responses revealed clear and recurring frustrations: limited product knowledge, a lack of diversity and representation, and poor customer service. Many of these women told us they spent at minimum one hundred dollars a year on hair care out of necessity, not desire. This made us ask an important question. How could we redesign the textured hair care experience to make it more accessible, educational and empowering.

Beauty Braids and Beyond was created as the answer to that question. BBB is an online beauty supply retailer that is reclaiming the industry by prioritizing accessibility, innovation and education. We focus on geographic accessibility, educational accessibility and economic accessibility. This ensures that no matter where our customers live or what their level of knowledge may be, they can access affordable and tailored hair care solutions along with exceptional service.

Today, our website carries over eight hundred products and provides a comprehensive virtual shopping experience. Our customers have access to detailed product education and a chatbot for personalized support and a diverse library of imagery to help guide product selection. We ship across Canada, the United States and the United Kingdom, including remote regions that traditional retailers often overlook.

Innovation remains one of our core values. We are continuously exploring new ways to improve our online platform so we can offer even more tailored support for our customers. Our goal is to make it easier for individuals to find the right products, understand how to use them and feel confident in caring for their textured hair. We believe that technology, thoughtful design and customer feedback will continue to help us enhance the shopping experience so that it remains educational, accessible and empowering.

On a personal level, my passion for empowering women with textured hair has grown so much that I decided to apprentice as a hairstylist. I wanted to pair theory with hands on expertise so that the guidance we provide is not only informed but practical. Connecting with women directly has reinforced for me that this journey has purpose. There are so many women seeking support, education and confidence in their hair care, and our business exists to meet that need.

As Beauty Braids and Beyond continues to grow, our commitment to uplift and educate women with textured hair grows with it. I want potential customers and followers to know that our brand is rooted in cultural understanding, community care, innovation and a genuine belief that every woman deserves to feel informed, confident and supported in her hair journey.

How’d you meet your business partner?

I met Jada through a mutual friend who introduced us on campus. One day I dragged her on a long walk with me so we could “study,” but really I just talked nonstop to fill the silence because she was so quiet at the time. Even in those early moments, when business was nowhere on our radar, I could tell she was brilliant. Her work ethic, discipline and focus stood out immediately. She has always been passionate about hair, and I learned so much about textured hair care simply from being around her.

I met Tosin in our globalization class. We were two of only three Black girls in the room, sitting directly across from each other. We would exchange the unspoken “I see you” nod, and if you know, you know. One day she approached me in the cafeteria to ask about the Black sorority I was part of, and that conversation turned into a genuine friendship. There was a period where Tosin and I were inseparable. We were so in sync that we would sometimes show up to campus wearing the exact same outfit without planning it. Tosin is effortlessly smart, something I admire about her. Our banter kept me going through stressful exam seasons and now through the trials and tribulations of running a business.

During the pandemic, the three of us were all working remotely and created a small “support group” to get through our days. It was this group that I first opened up to about the idea, and it was this same group that I asked to build Beauty Braids and Beyond with me.

I truly believe the way we all came together was divine. We each bring something different and equally important to the business. Beauty Braids and Beyond would not be what it is today, nor what it has the potential to become, without the unique strengths, perspectives and energy that each of us contributes.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Before we officially launched, our Instagram and Facebook pages were focused entirely on hair education. We weren’t selling anything yet—we were just showing up consistently, sharing valuable information, and building trust. Everything was clean, aesthetic, and intentional. We posted regularly, used strategic hashtags, and actively engaged with hair creators and everyday people who were passionate about hair care.

Even though we’re still growing, I can confidently say that our earliest traction and first few sales came directly from the audience we built before launch. People already knew who we were, what we cared about, and the type of value we offered. By the time we introduced products, there was already a warm community waiting for us.

My biggest advice for anyone building a brand from scratch: Build the platform before you launch the product.

Focus on growing your community and sharing genuinely helpful knowledge within your niche. When you do this well, the right people will find you, follow you, and support you naturally. And when you’re finally ready to launch, you’re not speaking to an empty room—you’re selling directly to an audience that already trusts you, relates to you, and sees you as a credible source.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.beautybraidsandbeyond.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beautybraidsandbeyond
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beautybraidsandbeyond
• Linkedin: https://ca.linkedin.com/company/beauty-braids-beyond
• Twitter: https://x.com/beautybraidsand
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@beautybraidsbeyond