November 2023
I well up as I leave the north London salon. Not in a cinematic, cathartic way. No. These are hot, pissed-off tears. My braids look exquisite, but the experience? Torture. My stylist juggled personal calls and snack breaks while I sat hostage for hours in the uncomfortable chair and bleak environment. This isn’t unusual. Every Black woman I know carries an arsenal of salon horror stories. And yet, we return. Not because it’s cheap – it isn’t; Black women spend six times more on their hair than white women – but because great alternatives are so few. I decide to draw a line under it. For years I have nursed the idea of launching Goodifferent, a global elevated hair brand, salons and products, for Afro-heritage hair. Now I’m going to make it a reality.
December 2023
Enter spreadsheets and strategy decks. Finally my business degree is having its moment in the sun. Competitive analysis? A dream. SWOT analysis? Child’s play. Balance sheets? My nemesis. I call in help: a fellow beauty founder introduces me to her financial adviser. Together, we begin to translate my vision into viability.
January 2024
