Robyn Atwater is the founder and CEO of the haircare model Curldaze. Earlier than turning into a CEO, Robyn was a widely known hair and wonder influencer till sooner or later, she seen that her hair was falling out. As an alternative of grumbling, she needed to repair the issue as a result of she knew a number of the merchandise in the marketplace weren’t designed for Black ladies, and Curldaze was born. Now, in 2025, Curldaze shall be positioned everywhere in the nation in nearly each main retailer. It’s Black Girls’s Historical past Month, so it’s solely proper we begin with a queen who has helped repair loads of crowns. She is our visitor on the Enterprise Alternate at this time.
What units Curldaze aside?
It’s a number of issues that [set] Curldaze aside, the truth that our merchandise truly work. Not [to] say that every thing doesn’t work. We’re, like I mentioned, there’s a number of issues in the marketplace that simply [are] not for our folks. They’re not for us and it seems to be prefer it’s for us. The packaging seems to be cute and brown and appears prefer it’s for us, but it surely’s not for us, proper? And so if you truly get an opportunity to come up with these merchandise and apply them to your hair and notice they’re efficient, they’re moisturizing, and so they outline — like I get a wow second from lots of people. Like, I’ve gotten testimonials like, “, I used to be actual skeptic. I wasn’t certain, you understand, and I used it, and I’m throwing out every thing else as a result of it truly works.”
How did you find yourself within the main retailers?
Yeah, you understand, when issues like that occur to you so quick? , it’s not you, proper? In order that’s how I really feel that I’ve gotten right here by means of my journey, like I mentioned, I used to be capable of meet a number of unbelievable folks and make nice connections throughout that point. And so when it was time for me to launch, I knew I needed retail. And so that you sort of must know the place you wish to go day one sale one, you understand. And so I simply reached out to people who I met alongside the way in which, you understand, like, ‘Do you’ve got any recommendation? , that is the place I wish to go. I don’t know something however e-com proper now. Um, what do you suppose I ought to do?’ ? And so it was, it was these, ‘what do you suppose I ought to do?’ moments that led to being in retail. 9 months after launching, yeah, we met with CVS, and CVS took us on. So we’re grateful for CVS. We cherished [them] as a accomplice, and goal was after that, after which Walmart got here a yr later. So it’s been a whirlwind that’s occurred very quick, and that is larger than me, so I’m grateful for that and the angels which were in my life.
What ladies have impressed you?
My mama, Deborah Bowen. She is my first inspiration. She’s one of many hardest [working] ladies, that hardest working lady that I do know. She was the primary [Black] cheerleader at Marshall College. She was a college principal, an educator her complete profession, and she or he birthed two unbelievable youngsters. She is a powerful, sturdy, mighty lady that taught me the worth of arduous work. She taught me the worth of by no means giving up and all the time informed me that I’ve what it takes to do no matter I need. So she is my, my first inspiration, in fact, after which within the hair care area, Madam C.J. Walker, I believe is, is all the time the baseline of who we’re all making an attempt to be, as a result of what she did was revolutionary, proper? And we love revolutionists, and we like to be revolutionary and inventive.
