Mahisha Dellinger has been described as a powerhouse; she is the ultimate definition of term mompreneur, with four beautiful children, and a supportive husband. She is the genius behind the CURLS brand, and I got a chance to catch up with her recently.
Now when you first meet Mahisha, you can’t help but feel her confidence. She embraces you as if you have known her all your life, and she is speedy in her delivery of whatever she wants you to hear.
It isn’t every day you get to meet the CEO of any brand, especially huge and successful one. She recently decided to step out and introduce herself to the blogging world, and to her customers who have bought CURLS products for years. The idea was to get to know us on a personal level, tell her story, give us the significance behind the brand, and what drives her as a CEO.
If you get the chance to catch the CURLS tour this year or the next, you too will hear her tell her story, as she describes the obstacles she faced getting to ‘now’ things such abuse, poverty, racism, and how she balances mom, and business. For now, we see a woman draped in Chanel, with six inch heels, perfect makeup, and a genuinely happy smile. Mahisha is proud of what she has accomplished, and what the brand has to offer in the future. Here is a bit of what she shared with me:
What motivates you?
My single most motivating factor are my children. I work hard to give them a better life than I had myself. My Personal testimony is another story.
How do you balance CEO, Mommy, and wife?
Some days it is downright hard to do, if I may be honest. All 3 elements of the “Tri-Fecta”, as I like to call them, are all encompassing, and important factors in my life. Sometimes one element has to get more attention than the other two. Since my children are so young, I look to their needs first. My husband would argue that he is 3rd, but I don’t agree :).
If you could give a fellow entrepreneur trying to make it in this business one gem, what would that be?
Be authentically original; you will never make it riding off someone else’s coat tail.
On Instagram for throw back Thursday you showed us a pic of your first Target display. What is your Target story?
Target will always have a special place in my heart. They were the first big retailer to give CURLS, and a handful of other natural brands a try. We attended an annual buyer vendor convention.
The buyer had an initiative to create a new ethnic category, and we were called to present our line in a 30 minute presentation. 3 minutes into the presentation the buyer said, “I love it all!” It was the easiest sale of my life. 6 months later, we received our first purchase order for a trial in 105 stores; today we are nationwide.
Ok so we ask everyone this: one hair product , and one desert island. You get dropped off for a week, what do you take with you?
Hands down, our Coconut* Sublime Moisturizing Conditioner*! You can use it as a Co-wash, a rinse of conditioner, and a leave-in.
Raynel Beall says
No, I just wash with soap and conditioner.Every now and then I apply a serum to stop my hair from looking dry and frizzy.