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On the Podcast this week, my guest is Carla Beckles, the Founder and CEO of Jus Curls, a Caribbean haircare brand produced and manufactured in Trinidad and Tobago.

In this conversation, we chat about Carla’s entrepreneurial journey, the inspiration behind Jus Curls, the process of launching and manufacturing multiple product lines, and her vision for the future of the brand.

Carla said that she created Jus Curls from a place of love for her daughter and a deep passion for healthy, natural hair. Now what began as a personal journey to care for textured hair has grown into a thriving brand dedicated to serving the natural hair community with intention, integrity and results.

She talks about her natural hair journey, and how she started making products at home for her and her daughter's hair. Which led to the starting of the business. 

Carla's friend who had a store, encouraged her to put some of the products in the store. She then put 25 jars of moisturizer and 25 bottles of oils for sale. Back then the label gave the instructions to microwave the products for one minute. To Carla's surprise the products were all  sold. 

In hindsight, she attributed the sales to the fact that persons admired how healthy and flourishing her and her daughter's hair looked, which was the  ultimate testimony for the products. She then started to produce 25 jars of moisturizer and oils per month, for purchase in the store. 

Carla then enlisted the help of a Chemist to help her produce the products minus the microwave step. To ensure that they had a longer shelf life and to move towards more professional standardized products. 

We spoke about her sales and marketing strategy, which started out with traditional media, because it was what she knew having worked at the radio station. Then she moved into digital and social media. 

We spoke about manufacturing, production and staffing which was the "family business" her engine room. I told Carla she mirrored the famous Madam C.J. Walker. to which she said Madame C.J Walker was her biggest inspiration. 

Carla spoke about the introduction of other products in the line, the packaging and her desire to produce products that will compete on the world stage. Her intention is to present a affordable, attractive and quality product for clients. 

Carla shares the story behind the lines of Jus Curls, which now carries (4) lines. The Shea Butter, Rosemary Peppermint, Sea Moss and Cocoa Collection. Which has a combination of Shampoos, Conditioner, Moisturizers, Oils and Grease. They can be used interchangeably. Carla said on the horizon is a line for persons with natural locs. 

We discussed her challenges during the entrepreneurial journey, which centered around the sourcing of packaging from abroad. The lesson learnt is to do your research on all aspects of your business to avoid pitfalls and unforeseen challenges. Carla said business is not for the feint of heart.  

We discussed dealing with competition and finding her loyal customers. Her view is that there is room for everyone in the market. She believes that her people will find her. In her experience her base grows from referrals and word of mouth. 

Carla spoke about her vision for Jus Curls, which is for the brand to become a household name in the Caribbean. To scale she would like investment to open a factory, and for a partner to ship/distribute the products across the Caribbean. 

Her advice to women, on business and ideas that you may have, is to "just start where you are, don't think it has to be grand. Don't talk yourself out of it just start"