Today we’d like to introduce you to Ariel Butler.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I was raised in a hair salon as my mother was a hairstylist my entire life. Spending every evening from age 3-17 after school in a salon, I learned the importance of hair in my community. Even as a young child, I noticed that our hair tied directly to our confidence. If our hair wasn’t straightened, primped, or chemically treated to perfection, then it completely damaged our self-worth. Unfortunately, this is still prevalent within the community because of years of societal assimilation. Upon graduating with my engineering degree, I decided that I wanted to create my own hair products that also offered tools outside of the product itself. I am very passionate about this huge problem within the Black community because although the natural hair movement is booming, the textures of the majority are still ignored. It’s also damaging that the products created for the “majority texture” can be expensive with unclear instructions on how to use them. This may sound insane but many black people have been manipulating their hair for so long that they don’t have the tools or understanding of how to care for their hair in its natural state. For years, the community has resorted to self-education on YouTube to care for something that is already naturally within us. Therefore, I am creating a haircare brand that offers effective products, hair education materials, and the mental health healing needed to align our feelings with how we look.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Marketing has been by far my biggest struggle with maintaining consistent sales. I am fortunate to have about 100 loyal customers to consistently purchase but this isn’t enough to keep me in business full time, which is my dream. Being able to share my products and mission with a larger audience will allow me to reach my monthly sales goals and spread more self-confidence within the Black community.
As you know, we’re big fans of Shea Adé. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Shea Ade is a natural hair wellness brand that promotes growth inside and out. High-quality ingredients are used to formulate products to hydrate, repair, and grow kinky and coily textures. I have made day-to-day hair care easy by organizing the products into simplified routines to take out the guess work of what’s needed to achieve the customers’ hair goals. Affirmations as product names was also designed to encourage positive self-talk and gratitude. With these two concepts combined we offer a unique beauty brand that celebrates beauty and the journey it takes to feel beautiful.
I am so proud of the amount of support I’ve received for my business since re-launching May 2021. I took a mental health break in 2020 to figure out what kind of impact I would like to create and how my business will reflect that. Working at a job I wasn’t passionate about was incredibly draining and it stifled my dreams. After taking some months off to give my business a proper launch, I released only two products, a fan-favorite product and a new product. As a result of the re-launch, I achieved my sales goal of $1k in just 12 hours. I am always honored every time I get an order but it was especially validating this time because I was never able to look at my business outside of being a hobby until now. Since that day, my business has been my full-time priority and I have dedicated myself to providing consistent education and marketing content to potential customers through social media. Additionally, I provide daily email affirmations to over 320 customers to encourage them to start their day with an open heart and a positive mind. Entrepreneurship has been such a fulfilling experience for me because I’m able to actually change the way people look at themselves. Numerous customers have stated that I took the guesswork out of achieving their hair goals!
What do you think about luck?
I’ve always consider myself to be an extremely lucky person even well before starting my business. It has been such a blessing to have the amount of support from customers, friends, and family. I’m fortunate to have been able to keep afloat during these 6 months of being a full-time entrepreneur.
Pricing:
- Whipped Body Butter – $30
- Perfect Twist Curl Cream – $16
- Herbal Hair Growth Oil – $13
- Refreshing Tonic – $13
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: sheaade.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/sheaade
- Facebook: fb.com/sheaade
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@sheaade?lang=en
