Meet Dominique Weller

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dominique Weller. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dominique below.

Hi Dominique, so excited to talk about all sorts of important topics with you today. The first one we want to jump into is about being the only one in the room – for some that’s being the only person of color or the only non-native English speaker or the only non-MBA, etc Can you talk to us about how you have managed to be successful even when you were the only one in the room that looked like you?

Being effective/successful in a room where I am the only one that looks like me has been a challenge I have had to overcome on a personal and professional, business level. However, it is also a skill that has developed my character and has given Dolledbydomo a unique platform to empower others that may feel the same. Being mixed race, for a long time, created the feeling within me that I did not have anywhere to belong and that, in any room, I was doomed to look and feel different. Related to Dolledbydomo, I struggled with the amount of hair textures on my one head and struggled with accepting myself or finding my uniqueness beautiful; I often felt the need to hide. Being in a room with others that I felt might not accept me, I lost my self-confidence and sense of self. Overtime though, through turning my hair and emotional struggles from self-doubt to self-love, I was able to accept myself more deeply. I walked into every room being glad about my differences knowing that I had the power to use them to my advantage. I started to see a change where I was impacting, controlling and adding uniqueness to any room – simply by accepting what I previously had not. To feel that I was accepting my unique beauty was something I could be, and now am, proud of. I turned the feeling of being doomed into feeling destined. To be able to share what I have experienced, to be open and honest about what it takes for me to continue to feel comfortable in my own skin and to help and hold space for others has been a true blessing. So many of us may not accept our full selves or our uniqueness out of fear feeling rejected or othered. Dolledbydomo seeks to target that lack of self-acceptance through our products and community, and to help those who are on the same journey.

Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?

I am Dominique Weller, Founder and Creator of Dolledbydomo – a wavy, curly and coily hair product line. Our line consists of tailored, intentional products that utilize natural ingredients to provide curl care and scalp health, and to encourage individuals to embrace what makes them uniquely them. Along with our products, Dolledbydomo is also a space for empowerment, self-love and community. We advocate for conversation around the journey that so many of us take to embracing ourselves through our natural hair, as well as supporting turning self-doubt into self-love. We acknowledge that the challenge of reaching self-acceptance is complex and personal, particularly in the natural hair community. The brand was created to have a space where conversations around those challenges can exist, and to create solutions such as our quality products to help beautiful people at any stage in their journey. We currently have three hair oils: Serenity Comfort Scalp Serum, Nurture and Renew Radiant Root Oil and Nature’s Follicle Balance and Restore Hair Oil (Maya Oil). Each oil is formulated for a different purpose to support a spectrum of challenges.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Dedication/commitment – Dedication and commitment to Dolledbydomo and its mission has been integral in getting to where we are today. An idea born in 2020, Dolledbydomo was finally able to be launched four years later in October 2024; without dedication and commitment, launch never would be possible. Being loyal and committed is main the reason for being here today. Additionally, Dolledbydomo has taken – and will take – an endless amount of focused research and learning to create the best possible product. Dedication helped turn an idea into a long-term vision, while being able to persist when momentum slows.
2. Consistency – Consistency has been essentially impactful in this journey, especially when dedication and commitment are not enough. To remain consistent means doing the work and all the other factors that go into running a business, even when you may not feel like it. Consistency is essential for building trust, creating momentum, establishing credibility and overall facilitating growth. Consistency allows me to connect with the audience and to remain accountable. I believe it is important for anyone who wishes to run a business to remain consistent.
3. Interest & Personal Connection – Doing something that I love and that touches me and is personal to me has kept me not only interested and committed to the work but has allowed me to help others based on my own experience and connect on a more personal level. Aligning work with passion has allowed Dolledbydomo to become personal and meaningful to myself and others. It has created a connection that fuels creativity, drive and the ability to inspire others. Learning and exploring something that excites me has kept the interest alive even when there are setbacks and challenges.

If you are early in your journey, developing and improving on these skills, and others that are essential for one’s business to grow, involves staying true to yourself and creating a brand that you can stand behind and be proud of. Choose something that you love and that you are willing to give your all. Be willing to start over, make mistakes and to enjoy the journey. Allow your business to maximize its potential by maximizing what you can give to it.

One of our goals is to help like-minded folks with similar goals connect and so before we go we want to ask if you are looking to partner or collab with others – and if so, what would make the ideal collaborator or partner?

Yes, we are always open to and love doing collaborations at Dolledbydomo! We have done some efforts such as free oil in exchange for making content/ reviewing our products in the past and are pleased with the outcomes. We are open to continuing this and hope to reach those with bigger followings as we grow. At this stage, we would also love the opportunity to partner with hair influencers, models, social media influencers, product reviewers and fellow small business owners to increase brand awareness on both sides. We see collaboration as an essential tool in brand growth and getting more people exposed our mission, while making connections with those with similar or intersecting interests. If all brands could be open to receiving and providing help, we feel many more businesses of all sizes would thrive. As we grow, we are excited about where collaboration efforts can take us and how the sharing of information can uplift others. If interested we are available to connect via email: [email protected], through our site at www.dolledbydomo.com or through our social medias.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Tiffani
Jessica
Mikayla
Barbara
Zhanai
Amber
Kayla
Kiana
Xavier

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Highlighter Series
Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?

Ruby Le Wynn I feel grateful every day that I am doing what I truly

Highlighter Series
Are you walking a path—or wandering?

Tabitha Brown Not all who wander, are lost’ a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien that I

Highlighter Series
Life, Lessons, & Legacies

Emmie Nostitz Not saying ‘yes’. Starting Tivity was one huge exercise in saying yes. And