Cora Miller became the solution to the one recurring question she had after becoming a new mom: Why aren’t there specific hair products representative for boys of color?
As she was looking for products to style her son’s hair that were clean and plant-based, to her surprise, there were none, and that bothered her. After seeing this gap in the marketplace and talking through her frustration with her husband, Young King Hair Care, the first multicultural beauty and wellness brand for young men, was born.
Unlike other hair care brands, it didn’t start in the kitchen for this CEO. Instead, she did months of market research and found a research and development partner who understood her vision. In that search, Cora and her husband found a Black female chemist who had been working in the natural hair care industry for years, and their partnership took off! In a matter of a year, from research to final product, Young King Hair Care was ready to show young boys that it’s okay to groom themselves, and have a self-care moment just for them, too.
From the official launch date in Dec. 2019, to starting with a table set-up in her home hallway, which she affectionately called “Young King Fulfillment Center,” to now being sold on Target shelves, the Millers are well on their way to redefining male grooming for the next generation.
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For Mikaela Pabon, she is living a dream that would make her 8-year-old self ecstatic! She is the founder of the statement-making athleisure brand, Dressed in Joy. It’s interesting to think that she never thought she would be able to live out her fashion dreams, but here she is, today, doing just that as a full-time entrepreneur.
Her initial career path, although she didn’t like it, was in information technology (IT). Eventually, Mikaela found something in that line of work that she did enjoy in working with databases, which she did for about 15 years. But in 2015, the fashion enthusiast took her first dive into entrepreneurship and decided to call it quits after four years, and no profits made.
After some time away, her dreams started to come back to her, and she was reminded of her days of watching fashion shows and “House of Style” on MTV, and it led her to design. Not for profit, but for herself. And if you ask Mikaela, she did not intend for the business she has now to be a business. For her, she was just designing something she wanted and didn’t see in the market. And to her surprise, people loved what she had to offer. After learning from her past mistakes, facing her limiting beliefs, and responding to customers, she built a successful and expanding brand and business.
In this episode, you’ll hear:
☞ How Mikaela went from closing one business to opening another wildly successful one
☞ How she was able to leave her full-time job to focus on Dressed in Joy full time
☞ How Instagram Reels helped her to boost her audience in a short amount of time
☞ And why she believes that no matter the obstacle when it’s meant to be yours, it will be
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If you take a look at Danielle Finney’s body of work, you’ll see two common themes: warm expressions and joyful faces. Her signature style as a natural light photographer has connected her to clients and taken her places she never could have imagined.
Danielle originally began her professional career on the administrative track with aspirations to be an executive assistant because she had a desire to help people. And one thing’s for sure, she never saw herself doing photography full-time, even though she had taken a liking to it over time. It was just a side hustle.
Initially, her work was experimental and friends and family-centric — reaching out to them, trying new things, and learning by trial and error. And even after about four years of developing her creative eye, gaining clientele and finding her photography style, Danielle still didn’t see what she was doing as a “profitable means of making a living.”
That was, until life gave her a reason to put herself out there and believe in herself.
And the rest is history! Now, after 13 years in the photography arena, she helps women see themselves in their best light through beautiful, joy-filled photos. As well as, teaches other photographers how to improve their natural light portraits and enhance their client experiences.
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For Eniola Oshodi, nursing was all she knew. Her mom did it, so you could describe it as a generational transfer. But after over a decade of working in the medical field, she knew something had to change…
The scrubs, they had to change.
For something that healthcare workers had to wear for shifts on end, everyday, Eniola didn’t think traditional scrubs were flattering, comfortable, or looked good on her. And it was that push that made her create Dope Scrubs, a medical apparel brand that allows healthcare professionals to express themselves through their attire while working on the frontlines.
Upon having the revelation of wanting to make the lives of those like her better in the work wardrobe department, Eniola set out on her “journey of creation” to figure out how to make scrubs more stylish and comfortable, yet still functional. And after that, she designed the first versions of Dope Scrubs and wore them everyday, but never told anyone she designed them. Even though she didn’t say a word, people started asking about what she was wearing. Talk about a marketing plan!
With a little help from her family, she stopped sitting on what she had created (figuratively and literally), and pressed the “go” button on becoming the entrepreneur she was made to be.
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This episode is brought to you by:
Gusto
As a Side Hustle Pro listener, you’ll get three months free when you roll your first payroll. Sign up, and give it a try at gusto.com/shp.
Try FreshBooks free for 30 days! No credit card required. Go to freshbooks.com/sidehustlepro, and enter “SIDE HUSTLE PRO” in the ‘How did you hear about us section.’ And get more time back to build the business you love.
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For Alexia Grant aka “Chef Lex” aka “The Bubble Chef,” cooking was always a family affair, or how she puts it, “a collaborative effort.” And that motivation has taken her very far. She has cooked for the likes of Carmelo and LaLa Anthony, Malcolm Jenkins, Meek Mill, Angela Simmons and Lauryn Hill, and worked with brands like Lululemon and Verizon.
Growing up with a garden outside of her home, and a loving family who made sure she had a good breakfast in the morning, food was a big thing for her. Although Lex wasn’t sure of what she wanted to do post-high school, it was her grandfather who was her motivation to pursue a career in cooking. Before he passed, he had a real sit-down moment with her about next life steps, which encouraged her to eventually apply to culinary school.
At 19, Lex got her first high paying catering job that catapulted her into the side hustle of catering, which ultimately led her to full-time entrepreneurship. Not to mention, after that catering job, she started telling everyone that she was a “chef” and no one could tell her otherwise.
From contracting her services to now running her own lifestyle management firm, and having her own pop-up restaurant, Comfort Kitchen, Chef Lex is a force to be reckoned with. And as my Jamaican sista, I must say, her grind is impeccable.
Listen to this episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Soundcloud
This episode is brought to you by:
Gusto
As a Side Hustle Pro listener, you’ll get three months free when you roll your first payroll. Sign up, and give it a try at gusto.com/shp.
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Chef Lex Grant (Instagram) – @cheflexgrant
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Side Hustle Pro – @sidehustlepro
Hey Guys, I'm excited to announce that my new side hustle is here. That's right, my new YouTube channel is live: https://www.youtube.com/c/nicailatv
Check it out and like and subscribe!