Today we’d like to introduce you to Rokisha Martin.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Rokisha. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I started my business because I was in desperate need of a vegan product line that would help restore and manage my problematic textured hair that was affordable and effective without the use of harsh chemicals. I was always a woman on the go and never had time to care for my hair. In 2016 I had a major ATV accident, which left me with a mild brain injury, memory loss, horrible vertigo, and on bed rest for six months. I would go to the beauty salon to get my hair braided because it was convenient and easy for me to maintain while being on bed rest. I noticed that my hair was starting to thin and shed to the point where I had traction alopecia around my hairline. I started to read the ingredients on my hair care products and noticed all of them were composed of chemicals, which I felt helped contribute to my hair loss. I realized that if I wanted to have a hair care product I could trust that was specifically designed to restore my textured hair I would have to create it myself.
Having the need for a hair product that was specifically blended for my hair gave me the motivation to get out of bed everyday and create aesthetic blends. My first product which was my Hair Food Oil began in my kitchen at home, as an experiment of mixing dried botanical and fruit extract oils. Being that I had over eight years of nursing and health care industry knowledge I had the foundation to be able to formulate vegan blends that were safe. After using my hair food product for a few weeks I noticed a major difference in the shedding and volume of my hair. I was amazed to see my hair had grown over six inches in a matter of 12 months of using my Hair Food oil. My hair had not only grown but it was thriving. When I started to get compliments and many other women that had the same issues wanted to know my hair growth secrets I decided, not to just sell the product but also educate others about the importance of using clean beauty care.
Silky Sol Vegan Aesthetics Blends, established in Houston Tx, in 2015 by Rokisha Martin a Master Herbalist and healthy hair enthusiast, is a health-conscious Beauty Brand that is 100% funded & founded by a black woman for those who’s hair defies gravity and who’s skin absorbs the sun!
The Silky Sol Hair Collection currently has over six hair care products solutions. The solutions are authentically 100% vegan, handmade, holistic and created from extracts of fruit and botanicals. Silky Sol has been certified by Amazon as a five-star handmade beauty brand. The products are also sold at 10 individually owned beauty retailers in Houston, Beaumont, and Louisiana.
Silky Sol’s goal is to continue to provide luxury ecologically sophisticated vegan blends for all hair types.
The Silky Sol’s vision is to be a Clean Beauty brand that is trusted by the textured hair community as a resource of products, specifically blended for those who seek a health-conscious hair and skin solution that will simplify the process of managing, correcting, restoring, & repairing problematic textured, curly, & multicultural hair without the use of damaging harsh chemicals.
Our mission is to help women of color accept their unique hair curl patterns as a symbol of their beautiful culture & heritage that should be worn proudly and protected!
We believe that all hair is good hair, and we are here to help you Protect roots & accept your Roots!
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
This mompreneur path I have taken has been far from smooth. I first struggled with injuries sustained from my accident which was horrible vertigo and short term memory loss. I found out the more I read the better my memory started to get. Besides my memory loss, my struggles included balancing being a single mother, a full-time employee, and creating a start-up company at home. I have had to endure 24-hour workdays which were vital because of my workload. Which included balancing time to research, create, formulate, order inventory, graphic design, participate in markets, answer emails, go to networking events, cook dinner, be an uber for my children, clean the house, take continuing education courses online, and work a full-time job.
I have also taken losses dealing with companies that took advantage of me being a minority-owned businesswoman by offering me a service that they could not provide after they received payment in full.
Women minority-owned businesses have increased by almost 150% in the past three years, however, we are only 2% of the small business population that receives funding for our endeavors. Being able to have capital resources available for me and my brand has been a major issue as well.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Silky Sol is on a mission to transition to be a 100% plastic-free company with eco-friendly biodegradable packaging for our products. We currently have a crowdfunding campaign running in efforts to reach our goal.
The Silky Sol’s vision is to be a Clean Beauty brand that is trusted by the textured hair community as a resource of vegan products, specifically blended for those who seek a health-conscious solution that will simplify the process of managing, correcting, restoring, & repairing problematic textured, curly, & multicultural hair without the use of damaging harsh chemicals.
Our mission is to help women of color accept their unique hair curl patterns as a symbol of their beautiful culture & heritage that should be worn proudly and protected!
We believe that all hair is good hair, and we are here to help you protect roots so that you will enough confidence to accept your Roots!
I would say that my proudest accomplishment thus far, has been the opportunity to gift my “Hair Food Oil” to women that have lost their hair due to medications, a battle with cancer and autoimmune diseases. The fulfillment I get from seeing their results and the smiles on their faces when their hair starts to grow back is the best feeling in the world.
I feel my brand is a cut above the rest because I place quality, & safety over quantity. My products are 100% authentic and I believe when the product is authentic it will be highly effective. The superior customer care I provide is unmatched by my competitors. I make sure I answer every email and every DM personally, and I welcome feedback whether good or bad.
We are also sold in pharmacies as a natural topical solution that has been proven to yield results quicker than any pharmaceutical!
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
I personally define my success by the lives that I have touched in a positive way. Those women who now see their textured hair as a blessing and not a curse is what I strive for. I share a piece of my resilience and strength in every product I create, which encourages others to love their hair and their heritage.
My markers of success will be 5-star reviews across the board!
My other marker of success will be when I have built my tribe of like-minded individuals that believe in my vision enough to support me and stand by my brand like it is their own!
My goal is to create the largest Positive Hair Esteem Space for the textured hair community, which will shape the way we see our selves. A person whose hair defies gravity is the most unique beings on this planet. Our hair can be anything we want it to be!
Pricing:
- Hair Food Rapid Repair Drops $17.99
- Dry to Juicy Leave in Hair Lotion infused with Rice-water $17.99
- Blooming Roots Clay Shampoo Detoxing Scalp Treatment (Hair Thickener) $17.99
- Blooming Roots Black-seed Conditioning Stimulation Scalp Treatment $17.99
- Dry to Juicy Rice-water Deep conditioner plus pre poo $17.99
- Dry to Juicy Rice-Water Curl Restoring Mist Jelly $17.99
Contact Info:
- Address: 18482 Kuykndahl Rd.
Suite 131 - Phone: 8327796251
- Email: silkysolproducts@gmail.com
- Instagram: @silkysol_products
- Facebook: @silkysolproducts
- Other: www.amazon.com/handmade/silky-sol
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