Uncover how Jamelia Donaldson’s TreasureTress is remodeling magnificence, and empowering textured hair care with progressive, community-driven options.
Jamelia Donaldson, multi-award winner, founder and CEO of TreasureTress, has constructed a lot extra than simply an attention grabbing model; it’s influential and inspirational. TreasureTress, the much-beloved subscription field stuffed with haircare treats for textured hair customers, has turn into a number one voice calling for extra equitable hair texture illustration in our excessive road retailers and on-line. ORS is proud to hero Jamelia, studying extra about her story, and take over this August’s TT field, so the girlies will be Carnival-ready all summer season lengthy!
The place do you name dwelling?
Born and raised in London, nonetheless, the time period ‘dwelling’ at all times makes me consider Jamaica.
My grandparents got here to the UK in the course of the Windrush period, and my dad not too long ago returned to Jamaica for retirement.
What does your typical day appear like?
Extraordinarily assorted. We’re at present working our annual Pop-Up Store however at a a lot bigger scale this time. We’re between cities: London, Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds. This implies my mornings will be spent travelling, in conferences, planning or de- briefing from an occasion, or tackling the hardest duties first (these requiring essentially the most mind energy).
How did you come to be the profitable entrepreneur you’re right this moment?
Success is relative. I’ve completely hit and smashed milestones I set for myself years in the past; nonetheless, in true human nature, as quickly as you exceed or conquer a purpose, you propose one other. In the intervening time, what makes me really feel most profitable is the work I’m capable of do on myself to turn into the kind of particular person I wish to be. Doing so ensures that the whole lot I do and in all places I present up stays to a excessive commonplace and contributes to the world in the best way that I wish to do.
What does your typical artistic course of appear like?
I like to journey. Journey is at all times the place to begin for any artistic course of for me. I wish to spend a while with the thought after which share it with my crew for a strong brainstorming session. I LOVE an excellent brainstorm. Doing so permits me to be challenged, permits me to problem my crew, and in addition signifies that we’re capable of permit the thought to evolve as we refine it via our weekly conferences.
What impressed you essentially the most when beginning out in your profession?
Frustration. I used to be pissed off with the buying experiences of ladies with textured hair and thought we deserved higher. So I created TreasureTress to make sure that our product discovery expertise was not solely enjoyable, handy and cost- efficient, but additionally made us really feel valued and appreciated as shoppers.
How has your profession advanced?
Once I began TreasureTress I meant it to be a subscription field firm and that’s all. Since then, we’ve grown to turn into a lot extra – from white papers and development stories to consultancy and market analysis. The enterprise has advanced.
Describe the second you realised you might flip your ardour right into a profession.
Once I obtained the primary pre-orders for the primary batch of TreasureTress bins. I felt like I had lastly discovered my tribe of ladies who cared about magnificence as a lot as I did!
What has been the largest problem in your profession?
Proving the significance and existence of black and mixed-race ladies within the UK. Earlier than we launched our TreasureTress white paper report, there was nothing to show that we had been, in actual fact, necessary shoppers are over-indexing on the spend on magnificence.
What assumptions do individuals make about your profession that, in actuality, are the exact opposite?
Rather a lot goes into bringing our bins to fruition, however much more is required to run an organization like TreasureTress, and keep true and linked to the neighborhood we serve.
What makes your online business distinctive?
The way in which that we resolve points throughout the market house. We didn’t just like the bodily areas these with textured hair had been being pressured to buy in, so we created our
pop-up retailers. We weren’t pleased with the shortage of illustration of black and mixed-race shoppers in knowledge and shopper behaviour stories, so we created our personal.
Are you engaged on any ardour tasks proper now?
I’m. I’m engaged on a neighborhood for feminine founders known as OHTH (pronounced ‘oath’) which explores how we will higher care for ourselves and assist one another whereas we construct the companies and lives of our goals. It’s centred round wellness, which has turn into vastly necessary to me!
What has been your expertise as a black girl in your trade?
Neighborhood has stored me going and is the fixed reminder of why we push the trade so exhausting to indicate up for and spend money on advertising for black and mixed- race ladies as they do for each different group inside society.
What’s your favorite half about being a black girl?
The pure essence of being a black girl radiates magnificence, royalty and pure love.
How has your relationship along with your hair been all through the years?
I began TreasureTress as a result of I used to be so pissed off that my hair wouldn’t develop. I couldn’t perceive it and I additionally didn’t significantly prefer it. Solely via educating myself and falling in love with experimenting did I come to a spot the place I felt as if I understood my hair and will do some significant work by serving to others love their hair too!
Do you will have any thrilling tasks arising?
The TreasureTress Hair Health club – to have fun the summer season of sport!
We’re exploring the connection between textured hair, wellness and creating thrilling retail moments for shoppers and types alike to faucet into the joy of the Olympics and, most significantly, have enjoyable trialling new merchandise and types.
What message and/or recommendation are you able to give to different black ladies and non-binary individuals?
Your expertise on the earth is your superpower; by no means cover it and by no means compromise it. Leverage it!
