Not My First Guess Strands of Success: From Instagram Community to Industry Game Changer: Featuring Kate Berski
This episode we are joined by Kate Berski, Co-Founder of Curlsmith, a high performance, inclusive haircare brand which she started with her husband in 2018. It soon became one of the fastest growing textured hair brands and would go on to retail at Ulta Beauty, Target, Boots and many more.
The idea for Curlsmith was formed out of a family struggle to find suitable haircare products for Kate’s nieces’ curly hair. Kate and her husband Michal soon realised that there was a gap in the market with lots of people unable to find appropriate products for their hair. Using her experience in advertising and brand consulting, combined with Michal’s experience working for some major beauty companies, they soon developed a community around an Instagram page that they launched, which shared advice, recipes and tips for people with curly hair, before they began the process of making their own product.
In this episode, we discuss:
- The haircare industry and how Curlsmith was brought to life
- The journey (and cost) of developing a product
- The pros and cons of staying lean as long as possible
- Digital vs retail channels
- Going down the VC route and how that helped grow the business
- The toll a startup has on your mental health
- Having a kid whilst running a business, and realising there’s more to life than work
- What it’s like to sell your company
- How entrepreneurship compares to becoming an author
And much much more…
Links:
- Kate’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kate.berski/
- Curlsmith website: https://uk.curlsmith.com/