Diary of a Founder: Relationships Are Everything!

Do you recall an extraordinary moment when your community came together organically and you found yourself centered in your brand’s mission? Tuesday night was that moment for me. Supported by MasonHub, the fulfillment platform for beauty, fashion, and wellness brands, BrainTrust Founders Studio co-hosted a curated meal for our founders in celebration of National New Friends Day.? Each guest arrived with the energetic, and jovial energy that set the tone for the evening.?

Most founders present had not yet met in person. We had a founder fly in from Chicago, another from Alabama, and others from the tri-state and adjacent areas. One founder shared that it was her first time attending a non-family event since the onset of COVID. The general sentiment in the room was a readiness to meet other founders who may have also had to pivot during COVID, make decisions about launching, manage as a solopreneur or learn how to build a team.? Together, we enjoyed cocktail hour, a three-course meal, formal introductions, and, to the delight of several founders, a presentation by Beckie Salzberg and Mickey Corporon on the broad fulfillment services of MasonHub.? We ended the evening with a super fun Golden Elephant product exchange where coveted items were gifted, “stolen” and regifted all with the goal of learning about each brand and founder.?

In an earlier meeting that day, Tenaj Ferguson, Multicultural Marketing Director at L’Oreal, described BrainTrust Founders Studio as a “hub and a lighthouse and a safe harbor” where founders who care about multicultural beauty and generational legacy can come to “re-anchor.”? I was floored by that metaphor as the dinner brought me full circle to her words; the night felt like we were all sharing a safe space where personal exchanges and business acumen flowed effortlessly. Let me give you a sense of the conversations in the room: Katy Saintil, our Head of Community and Programs, leaned into conversations with Lauren Napier about the inspiration for Lauren’s book Dinner for One and with Rhonda Davis, founder of Ayira Beauty, on a potential new formula for hair moisture. Makeba Lloyd, founder of Butter by Keba and Scentonomy, talked about her experience as a new tech founder and chatted with Tenaj and others about the best usage of various digital tools and the importance of being in spaces where people support your growth. At Rhonda and Dr. Natalie King’s table, one conversation was about how their respective hair journey and science backgrounds led to founding the formulas for their brands. There was also talk about the lack of representation in the medical field and the pressing need to identify indicators that may be particularly critical to certain marginalized groups. Julie Napolitano, founder of Puppington talked about her recent pivot and managing a successful marketing campaign as one of few clean pet wellness brands.? At my table, some of the conversations focused on Rebecca Allen’s journey as a successful entrepreneur and her path to developing her new line in the hair care space. Camille Martin, founder of Seaspire, focused on leveraging diverse engineers and chemists and creating opportunities for more careers in STEM. New founder friend Shemika Jackson shared her passion for launching Kafune Hair due to her own diagnosis of Cicatricial Alopecia while La’Juana Smith-Huebner, founder of The SPAaaht LLC, shared more about the significance of her day spa surviving beyond covid.?

I continue to be fueled by the grit, passion, and brilliance of our founder members who drive the future majority often with limited capital, and while inventing their own roadmap as they go.?

In the words of Shemika, “Relationships are Everything.”