Lexi P. is making a big stamp on the world and sending her message of self-love and natural hair to girls everywhere with her Curlanista brand. This teenpreneur is not only taking the hair world by storm, but she’s already authored a book. Beneath her savvy business style, she’s an active Girl Scout member and an honor-roll student. Now, that’s a winning combination if we ever saw one. Lexi P. is sure to make a mark on your world with her entrepreneur smarts and her incredible message that reaches out to young girls.
Her full, natural hair has always been a part of her life, and she felt it was important to share the lessons she learned about loving herself with other girls who might be struggling with confidence. A natural mentor, she saw an opportunity to spread the word with her debut book, “Curly Girls Love Your Curls.”
You’ll see the expression Curlanistas a lot, and it’s what she calls her girls with curly hair of all shades and backgrounds. Her message to Curlanistas is to embrace your natural hair with confidence.
Self-esteem is a crucial component of adolescence and teen years, and her book reinforces this. Positivity is something she can’t help sharing, and this incredible teen already wrote a second book which focuses on loving the skin you’re in. It’s called “Ice Cream Talk: Loving the Skin You’re In” if you’d like to look it up.
Lexi has followed her dreams and speaks the message loud to not only love yourself, but to believe in yourself. As for her writing goals, she envisions a line of books for children that will talk about different adventures and life-lessons.
Lexi’s made such a big splash on the entrepreneur front, that the young CEO was chosen by Verizon to be featured in their #Weneedmore initiative, which exposes youth to careers in STEM and entrepreneurship.
In Lexi’s public service announcement with Verizon, she shared her story on what it’s like to be a kidpreneur. Lexi uses her platform to inspire other kids to follow their dreams. She’s also been invited to speak at schools and forums to help inspire children to pursue their goals. Captivating her audience, she delivers a dynamic message of inspiration via conferences, seminars, and workshops, along with youth groups where she speaks of confidence and self-esteem.
She’s excited to introduce you to her latest business venture. Lexi is already an amazing, young woman inspiring people everywhere, but she’s got another message to shout loud and clear. With her new Magic Curlanista Hair Line, she’s expanding her brand. She wants to show girls how to continue loving their hair and how to care for their natural coils.
Her Curlanista line was chosen by Sally Beauty’s Cultivate — For Women by Women accelerator program! Imagine the honor. Not only was her line chosen, but it was brought to the Sally Beauty stores for consumers around the world. The exposure is one of a kind.
With Lexi’s background as a STEM student, she worked with her mother, and together they took their homemade concoctions and developed a hair care line to help girls’ curls pop non-stop!
Are you ready for Curls to Pop Non-Stop with Curlanista hair products?
We asked Lexi what inspired Curlanista and drove her to create her hair care line.
She mentioned that there were 3 things that stood out when it came to inspiration. The first was her love in helping others. Growing up, she said she’d been teased about her hair, and bullied. It left an impact on her, and she hated the negative attention. In return, rather than ignoring the torment, she tried to straighten her hair daily, but instead she ended up damaging her hair. She thought if her hair was straight, the bullies would leave her alone.
When she created the brand, she had visions of helping other girls that might be in the same situation she’d gone through. Her message was clear, if you love yourself, it won’t matter what other people say. She’s motivated by the that that there might be another girl out there that needs to hear her message. She teaches Curlanistas to love their hair, but it’s not just about loving it, it’s about learning how to care for their hair as well. I do this by showing them how my magical Curlanista products work.
The next thing that inspires her is family. Growing up, her parents influenced her by telling her to dream big and to reach for her goals. It was in these lessons, and telling us to do something we love, that she found the drive to go after what she wanted.
The third inspiration in her life is shared by two women: Beyoncé and Oprah. She appreciates how strong, giving, intelligent, and successful they are, and looks up to them.
How is Curlanista different from other similar products? What sets it apart?
Curlanista was created for kids. And, it was made by a kid. It’s relatable to them. She made sure to include scents and colors that spoke to that. Whether it was in choosing yummy bubble gum and candy scents or a bright, fun color like pink. She raves about how soft your hair will feel. It’s gotten great reviews, and parents are saying their kids love it.
Dealing with tangles can be painful and frustrating, so we put extra special magic in our product. This way kids can get detangled without tears, and instead say hello to perfect poppin’ curls.
With being a teen, are there certain challenges you face as an entrepreneur?
Her largest challenge was in finding balance. While she has a hair care brand line, she also has school, friends, and social events. Then of course, there’s the business and the events or conferences that go along with running a business.
She relies heavily on Google calendar, and feels she’s found better balance as time’s gone by. She says she’s a Virgo, which means structure is an important facet to her, and having her calendar help keep track of things has been vital.
She’s grateful to have the challenge, since she’s living her dream, and it feels amazing!
Has there been a reward from the experience that’s stood above everything else?
She says the greatest reward has been making a difference and inspiring other girls. She loves hearing from teachers, parents, and her Curlanistas about how she helped another young girl. She loves knowing that her brand is making a difference.
Your mother is an important inspiration to you. How else did she encourage and help you chase your dream?
Lexi says that her mother is her biggest cheerleader. She’s given her opportunities and experiences that allow her to try new things. She raves about her mother’s continual support when she wants to venture into new territory. When she mentioned singing to her mother, she went out and got her a microphone and lessons.
When Lexi first thought of writing a book, she encouraged her by promising to get it published if Lexi took the time to write it. She never ceases to amaze Lexi, and feels that with the unending support, she can do anything. She helped her build her confidence and helps push if something gets hard. Lexi doesn’t give up, knowing her mother is by her side.
She goes on to say, “Actually, both my mom and dad are the best. My dad helps promote my brand, too. He’s like my personal photographer. I’m so thankful for both of my parents.”
Going through the process of creating hair products, what did you learn about hair? Is there anything you can share with us?
One of the greatest lessons she learned was that nature knew what it was doing. It’s pretty cool just the way it is. Whether she blows her hair out, it doesn’t matter, because once it’s wet it curls up. Nature chose for her. She also learned that like anything, if you love something, it will love you back, and that includes her hair.
She’s been doing her own hair since she was 8. During that time, she learned a lot, especially the fact her hair needs moisture. This is crucial. In fact, if she fails to moisturize, it shows and starts breaking off.
By using her Curlanista Magic detangling product daily as both a moisturizer and leave-in conditioner, it keeps her curls happy. It was in doing her own hair and playing with different ingredients that she learned what works and what doesn’t. She reminds, it’s important to care for your hair and love it to get it healthy.
What advice do you have for other young girls who want to explore the teenpreneur life?
She says to get out there and go for it. Whatever your dream is, to chase it and not give up. Tell anybody you trust about your goals, and don’t be afraid to ask for help. She reminds us that you can do anything you put your mind to.
It’s important not to give up. Even though you’re a teen, you have a voice. You want people to take you seriously, so when presenting ideas and business to adults, look them in the eye. Think about what you want to say and show them your ideas are serious with hard work and consistency. It comes down to showing you’re dedicated to finishing your idea and following through.
You spoke about balance earlier. How do you balance student life, personal life, and being a young business woman more specifically? How do you fit everything in?
Lexi says that other than her Google calendar, she uses a dry erase calendar board. She also relies on notes and reminders in your mobile phone. She emphasized that phones and computers have a lot of different organizational programs that can help you stay focused, productive, and organized — whether it has to do with business, book signings, birthday parties, or homework assignments. She truly does do it all!
She stresses that education is her priority. From there, she focuses on her business each day, even if it’s a small amount of time, she still puts the time forth. Her mother also helps her with the balancing process and goes over opportunities. They then look at and organize her schedule again, to make sure things fit in.
That may mean giving up social time or other activities, because she knows the work put into her business now will help it continue to grow. She has future goals, and promoting her brand today, means that by the time she’s 25 she’ll be where she wants to be. You have to pay attention to what you can do today, so you can do what you want tomorrow.
It sounds like your mother is a big piece of your business. How involved in the process are you?
“We’re a team.” Lexi is highly involved in the business. “My mom doesn’t give me much of a choice and I appreciate that.”
Early on, Lexi found her mother did most of the harder work, and she got to do the fun parts like social media and playing with ingredients. As time passed, she got older, she became more involved because there was so much to learn. Her mother shows her each step of the journey, how orders come in, and now Lexi leads and attends meetings. Her involvement has only grown with time.
What have you learned during the journey, whether it has to do with delegation, being a teen boss, or the impact you may have had on others?
Lexi says that the biggest thing she learned is that she has the influence to make a difference. “You don’t realize it sometimes, until you hear something. I was at a trade show, the FabUNatural trade show in Tampa, and a little girl came up to me. She ran up to my booth, all green eyes and big, beautiful curly hair. The girl’s mother said her daughter follows me on Instagram and wanted to come and see me in person.”
She was honored that the girl wanted to meet her, and also asked her to sign a copy of her book. Apparently, early on the little girl wasn’t happy with her hair and recognized the feelings Lexi had talked about in her book. Ever since she started using the Curlanista products, and having read the book, the little girl’s mother said that Lexi’s message made a difference and helped her daughter.
In Atlanta, when she spoke at the Harvey Foundations Girls Who Rule the World (GWRTW) last year, she was surprised by how many girls came up to her to rave about her message about self-care and loving yourself. “When you learn that you inspired them to wear their hair naturally and to follow their goals, it’s touching. Knowing you’re helping people feels so good.”
Where do you see your brand in the future? Do you want to take it to another level? Dreams? Goals?
You have to know your future vision to make it happen. Our brand is all about self-love, and the future is about growing big enough to be recognized as a household name. Imagine mothers in search of a perfect solution when caring for their daughter’s hair. Our goal is to be the brand they turn to because we are the solution for them. We strive to become a multi-million-dollar brand. The opportunity to act and model are also an interest.
As for future projects, she’s currently working on a third book, soon to be released. She’s very excited to be back to writing.
After writing books, why did you choose to brand and sell hair care products? Was there a reason you went that route?
Natural hair care can be so much easier with the right products and ingredients. There were times when she made hair lotions and potions, pulling inspiration from social media sites like YouTube and Instagram. She leaned toward coconut oil, and finally her mother suggested she make her own product.
“People would also always ask me what I used in my hair. I love playing with different ingredients to see how my hair reacts to them. I started sharing my concoctions with friends and that made me want to just grow Curlanista even more.”
Can you tell us about the product? What are they called, and what do they do?
There are three main products. The first is CURLANISTA MAGIC DETANGLER. It’s a gentle product that helps detangle hair. No more tugging at it, and no more tears. It moisturizes and softens the hair, which helps tame frizz. It’s special because it’s made for Culranistas by a Curlanista.
The next product is CURLANISTA MAGIC CURL CREAM. It will make your curls pop non-stop. It’s a unique blend that defines curls, coils, and waves. The bonus is that it also moisturizes and conditions your hair. On top of that, you not only get enhanced curls, but it helps control frizz, prevents breakage, and helps restore shine. Here’s another cool part, it has No Sulfate, No Paraben, No Alcohol, and No Silicone.
The third product is called CURLANISTA MAGIC CURL DEFINING CUSTARD. What’s great about this product is that it defines curls all day. That means your curls pop non-stop. It also adds shine, tames frizz, and moisturizes. Curlanista Magic Curl Defining Custard will have you saying: Bye, bye FRIZZ! Humidity doesn’t stand a chance with our magic formula.
Can you tell us why owning a business is important to you?
You are in control of your future. When you want to work for yourself, you need to find the way. This way, you’re also able to provide jobs for other people.
Lexi looks forward to having employees at a future date, so we can grow the business and spread the message wider. She’d also like the help contribute to her college costs. She hopes to attend either Howard University or Morgan State.
https://dailyovation.com/2019/10/04/curlanistas-lexi-curly-hair/
Company name : Curlanistas
Email Address : curlanistas@gmail.com
Website URL : www.curlanistas.com
Instagram URL : www.instagram.com/curlanistas
