Side Hustle Pro 428: How KIN Apparel’s Founder Turned a Dorm Room Side Hustle Into a $10 Million Business
This week in the guest chair I have Philomina Kane, Ghanaian-American entrepreneur and content creator. In 2017, she graduated from Princeton University and began to cement herself as a haircare YouTuber. Garnering a following of nearly 200,000 subscribers, Philomina became a guiding force, empowering Black women to embrace and care for their natural hair. After building a strong brand and loyal following, Philomina founded KIN Apparel, a brand dedicated to crafting satin lined hoodies and hats for both hair protection and comfort.
In this episode she shares about:
- How the innovative approach of KIN Apparel caught the attention of Shark Tank landed a six-figure deal with SKIM’s founding partner Emma Grede
- Her desire-driven approach to marketing and how leading with offering a solution to a problem has hooked her audience
- Reaching over $10M in revenue while continuously navigating challenges like fulfillment centers and a changing financial landscape
Highlights include:
00:00 Intro
03:15 From the Bronx to Ghana
07:30 Building a following on YouTube
14:50 Founding KIN Apparel
20:00 Transition to full-time entrepreneurship
27:00 Benefits of vulnerable marketing
32:00 Financial journey- grants and funding
41:00 Navigating the changing financial landscape
44:00 Shark Tank experience
47:00 Challenges with fulfillment centers
57:00 Tips for entrepreneurs
Links mentioned in this episode
- KIN Apparel: https://kinapparel.org/
- KIN Apparel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinapparel_/?hl=en
- LEDA Program: https://ledascholars.org/
- Science of Black Hair: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Black-Hair-Comprehensive-Textured/dp/0984518428
- Hello Alice: https://helloalice.com/
- Black Ambition: https://blackambitionprize.com/
- New Voices: https://newvoicesfoundation.org/
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Guest Social Media Info
- Philomina’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@naturallyphilo
- Philomina’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs3xy3wpZ-d/?img_index=1
- Philomina’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@naturallyphilo_
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