Today we’d like to introduce you to Beverly Coleman.
I have been natural all of my life. My mother and father taught me to love my natural. Growing up, I always noticed that most of my friends relaxed or permed their hair. It always made me sad that they did so much to their hair to get it straight, but I understood why. Black girls were often teased and looked down on when their hair was not straight. If you did not have a certain curl type, your hair was considered nappy and not beautiful. Texturism was very real. When I started college, that is when I noticed the natural hair movement was beginning. I was beginning to see those same black girls that wer teased taking care of their hair and embracing it slowly. At this point, my hair was still natural but I dyed it honey blonde. I was unaware of how it made my hair more brittle and harder to manage even though my curls were not hurt. I was very ignorant about colored treated hair. All three years of undergrad, I spent time watching videos and applying it to my hair routine. I went through so many products, tools, and techniques… it was ridiculous! My last year of undergrad, I decided I no longer wanted to dye my hair and let it go back all black.
In grad school, I started my YouTube channel. I noticed that so many people asked me about natural hair tips. I wanted to help a mass number of people at once, so I began making videos. Being a full-time graduate student while trying to manage YouTube. At first, I was not very successful but over time with practice and learning, I got it down! I begin attending events like BeautyCon to get myself out there and meet others. My big breakthrough came in September of 2018, two weeks after I quit my 9-5. Something told me there was something bigger out there for me and I’m glad I listened: I had my first viral hair video. My video that went viral shot my supporters up from 10k to almost 50k in three days! I took advantage of that moment and begin to consistently post hair tutorials and videos for others to watch. I have videos on wash days, hair porosity, avoiding damage, styles and more! I also began to make a career out of it by collaborating with other hair brands on promotional videos and posts. I was finally working for myself. Now, I am at 138k supporters on IG and over 20k subscribers on YouTube. My voice is finally reaching many people and helping them with their journey.
In October 2018, I started on a secret project I was working on that I recently announced. I decided to start my own hair care products for naturals called Neo Curly. I noticed that a lot of hair care brands worked to be inclusive of all hair types but still managed to post some more than others. There were plenty of lighter toned women or Type 3 women posted and represented, but everyone else was left out. Growing up, I noticed the black community was heavily divided on skin color and hair type. Although I see the mindset is shifting to a new direction, it is still very prevalent. I wanted to create a space for all black men and women, no matter the skin type or curl type, to come together. Neo means new. Neo Curly stands for the new way of thinking about black hair. Healthy hair = good hair. Neo Curly products will cater to all naturals alike and be an environment of inclusion, love, and acceptance. We are set to launch our first round of products this June of 2019!
Now that I have recently graduated with my Master of Science in Applied Psychology, I plan to use my mastery of psychology to help people through my videos. Not only will have videos on natural hair and beauty, but also skills in mental health and self-confidence I will take my content into a new and educational spin. I want to help as many people love themselves, just as I do. I hope to reach out to as many people as I can. As a woman with much knowledge, I will do what I can with what I know best to help my community in my own way.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
My biggest trouble has been time management. Being a full-time student while being an influencer is harder than what most realize. Being content creator is more than just posting a video and picture like most perceive it to be. You have to learn the algorithms of social media, learn your audience, create unique ideas for content, edit, travel, advertise yourself , and so much more. It takes time to learn all of that. I had to make time to do my work while setting away some time to put out consistent, quality content. I also began to work on my hair care brand which also needed my time. Time management is a challenge to to tackle.
The second biggest challenge is having to deal with people on social media. People feel the need to say negative things about you when they do not know you in real life. People think because you have a lot of followers on social media that you deserved to be talked to any way. It’s extremely hard not to clap back at everyone. I did at first, but I learned to laugh it off and ignore it. It doesn’t hurt my feelings or make me mad, it is just extremely annoying.
NeoCurly Products – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Neo Curly Hair Products is a brand that has products, tools, and accessories for the natural hair community. All products will cater to all natural curl types, from type 2 to type 4. I spend a lot of time researching what ingredients I want to use and why. Our first kit that is launching will be rosemary and lemongrass based, which has research that states it is great for promoting growth. Products are all natural! We extract ingredients needed from fruits and plants in a natural procedure that eliminates the need for chemicals! The creation of products and kits will be based off of true hair science such as porosity type and color treatment. The website will feature how to videos, blogs, hair quizzes and more. There will also be an ambassador program for content creators to apply to for business opportunities. There will be a feature where customers can submit their pictures to be submitted on the website and socials. All content will have an equal representation of the black and natural community. Not one natural will feel left out. We give every day people the chance to model for our brand to show the uniqueness of individual beauty. All content will be realistic and something to relate to. We want to show the natural environment of our audience, not something staged. Neo Curly’s mission is to change the concept of good hair not equating to a curl pattern, but to having healthy hair. It is a brand for the black community to come together,
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
My proudest moment is when people message me and tell me I inspire them. “Aspire to Inspire” is my life’s motto. My goal in life is to help as many people love themselves as possible. Anytime anyone says I inspired them, whether it is in hair or confidence, my heat does a flip! Being a figure people can look to to learn something from is a dream come true. I will continue to inspire others. Positivity is an important aspect of life.
Contact Info:
- Email: curlybeviie@yahoo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curlybeviie/?hl=en
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/neocurlyproducts/?hl=en
Image Credit:
Brandon Diaz, @bd.visuals
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