Renae is the creator of CoCoBella Natural, a haircare product line that caters to those with textured hair. Named an “accidental influencer”, Renae became a prominent voice in the natural hair community, encouraging women to accept, love, and care for their kinky, curly tresses. In addition to offering her 3-step QUENCH Complete Curl Care System, Renae wrote an ebook “Keep it Simple Sis: The Journey to Healthy Hair Care and Healthy Self-Esteem”, a memoir detailing her big chop and journey to self-discovery.
Insight:
I discovered there were chemicals in the products I was using to relax my hair that were most likely contributing to my respiratory issues and had played a major role in the fibroid tumors I developed. If that wasn’t enough, my hair was thinning terribly and falling out in record numbers. I had to make a choice to either continue using harsh chemicals to maintain the appearance of straight hair or get serious about attacking my health issues. Obviously, I chose health over straight hair.
Wearing my hair in its natural state was something I had not done since I was a kid. I had limited knowledge about natural hair care and didn’t speak the natural hair language. But I knew that if I wanted to improve my health, relaxers were no longer an option.
I Big Chopped (BC) on June 16, 2012.
Tell us your story, how did you get your start in the haircare industry?
Honestly speaking, I never had the desire to start or run a business. I thought I would always just work in corporate America. After I did the big chop, I started a natural hair support group on Facebook to connect with women who had also made the decision to go natural. Educating myself on taking care of natural hair and sharing the information with the group members and on all of my social media platforms earned me the title of “accidental” influencer. My role as an influencer put me in the position to be noticed by several haircare brands and they sought me out to work with them to promote their hair care products. Each time I promoted a product for a brand, my tribe ran out and purchased it. It occurred to me that if I could influence them to support brands that they were not familiar with, surely I could influence them to support me because I was someone they trusted. It was then that I decided to start my own hair care line.
What was the process like going from vision to concept? Locking down your idea is the easy part, but starting a business is not as glamorous as it sounds. There are a lot of questions you need answers to. Choosing a product that solves an immediate problem is important. Deciding on a company name, selecting brand colors and a logo is the fun part. You have to find out who your target market is because, Sis, who are you selling to? Strategizing on website design, how you are going to advertise your product, how you are going to accept payment, and how you will get the product in your customers’ mailboxes is next. All of this and you haven’t even started formulating your product yet. Choosing packaging and product labels is another time-consuming task but just as important as all of the other things on your to-do list. Once you have formulated and tested the products yourself, you have to establish a focus test group for feedback, because you are not the only person that will be using the products. All of these things are taking place at the same time and if you are working a full-time job, there are many days you don’t remember whether you have showered or eaten. But when you open the doors or your website goes live and your first order comes through, you are overwhelmed with emotion. You decide at that moment, that everything you went through was worth it and you would do it all over again.
What can women expect when trying your hair care line?
Women can expect to introduce their curls to an ultimate spa experience, but just as importantly, she can kiss long wash days goodbye and say hello to a simplified hair care regimen that will help her achieve healthy, hydrated hair and reclaim the valuable time she could be used to enjoy her life. Our meticulously crafted Complete Curl Care System provides everything she needs to accomplish this task in 3 simple steps. Cleanse your hair with our Moisturizing Cleanser, Condition, and or Deep Condition with our signature Triple Threat Conditioning Treat, then Create the styles that inspire you with our Intense Hydration Curl Creme. At CoCoBella Natural, we like to call this system The Three C’s of wash day.
Summer just officially kicked off, can you share your go-to products for summertime shine and moisture?
In the natural hair community, summer-time kicks off wash n go season. CoCoBella Natural recently launched our Wash n Go Styling Combo. We paired together our signature Quench Triple Threat Conditioning Treatment and our Luxe Defining Gel that will definitely bring all the curls to the crown. This dynamic duo provides the perfect blend of definition, moisture, sheen, and shine. You can achieve your best wash n go in under two hours, cause…. we are outside all summer long.
Tell us your secret to the perfect twist out with your products.
The key to the perfect twist out is to always start with freshly cleansed hair. We have everything you need to achieve definition, maximum moisture, and curls that won’t stop popping. Our Quench Twisted Combo, which consists of our signature Quench Triple Threat Conditioning Treatment and our Intense Hydration Curl Creme are relationship goals and the power couple that influence all the curls. Pro Tip:
Styling twist on soaking wet hair creates styles with highly defined curls. Styling twist on dry or semi-wet hair creates styles with definition and lots of volumes.
What’s next for CoCobella Natural?
I have a few items on my vision board that I can’t reveal yet. Short-term, I will still be working to build and grow my brand. I continue to seek opportunities to collaborate with brands whose values align with my own. I am looking forward to being able to hire a support staff. Solo-preneurship is not for the weak. Having a staff to handle the day-to-day operation of the business will afford me the opportunity to get out into the community to fulfill my desire to do public speaking and mentor young women and girls in the area of self-esteem and confidence.
What is your definition of a Pretty Woman Who Hustles?
In my opinion, a Pretty Woman Who Hustles has very little to do with how attractive a woman is or her physical appearance. A Pretty Woman Who Hustles, from my perspective, understands that not everyone is going to be happy for her, not everyone is going to help her, and not everyone is going to support her, but she will still be victorious. She understands that her journey is NOT about anyone else. She knows her journey is about her. She rolls up her sleeves and gets the job done. She allows her work to produce her success and she lets her success do all of the talking. She lives her life on her terms, Out Loud, With Intention, and On Purpose. She understands that the only limitations that exist are the ones she creates in her head. She is ambitious, beautiful, and powerful. She is a Beautiful Beast.
