A mom and her three daughters are the entrepreneurs behind the Black-owned Soulful Strands.
Soulful Strands is a beauty supply and hair care products store from Nichole Ashley Moss.
The store made history by becoming Corvallis, Oregon’s first and only Black-owned business in its class.
The store quickly became a local treasure as it offered different hair care essentials catered to the Black community.
How Did The Black Mom Come Up With The Black-Owned Beauty Supply Store?
Nichole got the idea for Soulful Strands from her experience spending a king’s ransom on hair care products at a Portland beauty store.
The lack of nearby options frustrated Nichole, and her hubby suggested she start her own store.
Nichole ran with it but faced several challenges when launching it.
Her main challenge was securing business loans, which led the Black mom to fund the venture through her savings, her husband’s contributions, and bulk buying to grow the inventory.
She was also forced to reconsider setting up shop in Albany, where rental costs were sky-high.
Nichole settled for a smaller space in downtown Corvallis.
Despite the limited space, she made the most of it.
The store offers conditioners, hair extensions, tools, accessories, and more.
Soulful Strands has attracted the town’s Black community, Black students from a neighboring college, and clients from a nearby braiding salon.
However, the Black-owned store’s products aren’t exclusively for the Black community; Nichole offers products for every hair type.
She currently sources her products from China but hopes to eventually use Africa as the exclusive source.
Nichole also hopes to expand the store to feature beauty products, African prints, makeup, fashion accessories, and more.
She wants to promote a positive perception of kinky, coily, and curly hair.
“Your hair is like a plant. You got to water it, and if you don’t, it’ll die, like a plant. It’s causing me to learn a lot more working here.”
