We were lucky to catch up with Nicole Rose recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Nicole, so happy to have you on the platform and I think our readers are in for a treat because you’ve got such an interesting story and so much insight and wisdom. So, let’s start with a topic that is relevant to everyone, regardless of industry etc. What do you do for self-care and how has it impacted you?
Every Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Sunday, I go to Hot Pilates and every 2 weeks I get a full body massage. As an entrepreneur, I always feel overwhelmed and overstimulated because I am constantly thinking of creative ideas for my brand and whenever I need to clear my mind, hot Pilates and massages are the best solutions.
I noticed after my self-care activities, my mind is no longer cloudy; it feels like my mind and body went through a complete reset. I feel more energetic, happier, full of creativity, and knowledgeable; it has impacted my brand and made it easier for me to develop new products and come up with new ideas. Every time I choose to focus on self-care, that is when my brand and products come to life and I am in the right head space to operate mu business and showcase my products to consumers.
Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
I have a haircare brand called Ella Dean. Ella Dean is a natural haircare brand for men and women with textured hair. Our products are made with organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs that aid in hair growth and reduce scalp inflammation and hair loss. Our haircare products include four unique hair oils: Look, But Don’t Touch (Extra Hair Growth Oil), No Time For Flakes (Intense Dandruff Oil), Honor Thy Crown (Hair Growth Oil), and So Long, Itch! (Itchy Scalp Oil) and our newest collections, Velvet Hair Scrunchies and Satin Hair Scrunchies. All of our products are made with clean ingredients to give your scalp a clean beauty experience without the use of harsh chemicals such as petrolatum, mineral oil, parabens, phthalate, and artificial colors.
I became interested in the hair and beauty industry when I started assisting my grandmother with her clients at her beauty salon. My family owns a salon called Dean’s Beauty Salon and Barbershop; it was built in 1954 by my great-grandparents, Benjamin and Mary Rose Dean, and then it was passed down to their oldest daughter Gloria Ella Dean. It is also the oldest Black salon in Portland, Oregon.
In 2020, I launched Ella Dean, got featured in my very first news segment in 2021 and after my interview, Ella Dean took off and my products were in local stores around Portland. During my journey, I secured a retail partnership with ThirteenLune, an ecommerce beauty platform for Black and Brown founders and this new partnership has given me the opportunity to have my products sold in 600+ JCPenney stores.
In April 2024, we will be expanding and launching our very first shampoo and conditioner from our best-selling hair oil “Look, But Don’t Touch.”
Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
As an entrepreneur, the three qualities I focus on during my journey are Confidence, Passion, and Patience. The beauty industry can be judgmental and harsh; it is a lot of pressure to “look good” every single day and it can be a confidence killer sometimes. Although I haven’t experienced it just yet, I have prepared myself to ignore negative comments that could have a negative impact on my confidence; I even ignore what is going on in the beauty industry. As women, we go through so much and are constantly talked about, judged, and compared to the next woman which can be very hurtful and intimidating. I build my confidence by working on myself and doing what I like and wearing what makes me feel good; having confidence has helped me have a successful brand and career.
Also, being passionate about your craft is important too. I truly believe if you aren’t passionate, your brand will not succeed and it will become a big waste of your time.
Have patience. No matter what journey you are on, having patience is key. I am still working on my patience as well because I am learning that entrepreneurship is not easy and I wish someone would have told me there were going to be many trials and errors but instead I had to learn everything on my own.
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?
For Ella Dean, I am figuring out how to partner or collaborate with beauty/hair influencers. My brand is still very new to the industry and it is very difficult coming across influencers who have the followers but are not requesting compensation. I strongly believe every creator should get paid but it is difficult for small brands like myself who need the help of an influencer to gain traction but are not quite in the position to pay for their services.
If there any influencers that would like chat about opportunities, message me on Ella Dean’s Instagram page: @elladeanhair
Contact Info:
- Website: www.elladean.com
- Instagram: @elladeanhair
- Facebook: @elladeanhair
- Twitter: @elladeanhair
