CURLS LLC founder and CEO Mahisha Dellinger
Pictures by Kuawaune Burton
CURLS was founded by Mahisha Dellinger, who is well-known for her leadership in the hair care industry.They may not realize how she has maintained her endurance for 20 years while most businesses collapse in the first two. Dellinger doesn’t just credit her success to her hard work as a top businesswoman. She’ll tell you that cultivating a millionaire attitude is crucial. “To whom a great deal is given, a great deal is demanded,” Dellinger often adds. Aside from being a successful businesswoman, she is also a wonderful mother and wife who is generous with her time and resources.
CURLS’ objective has been to provide customers with natural hair care choices since its inception in 2002. Dellinger and her team have stayed true to their mission over time, resulting in CURLS products being sold at Target, Walmart, CVS, Amazon, and other major beauty retailers. So, how has Dellinger been able to make tens of millions of dollars after starting her business with $30,000 in personal money twenty years ago and keeping on the cabinets?
She has a well-defined marketing plan, continues research, and makes strategic business decisions.
There Isn’t Any Way To Create A Business Plan.
When many entrepreneurs and business owners can become millionaires in a single day by selling services or products on the internet or through social media, it’s critical not to overlook the foundational step of developing a marketing strategy.
“Entrepreneurs should deal with ‘The 4 P’s of Advertising: Product, Worth, Placement, and Promotions,” Dellinger says when establishing a marketing strategy. You must also be aware of your competitors and the competition you will face in the market.That should also be a part of your marketing strategy.”
According to Dellinger, pricing out of the 4 P’s should be a powerful offer. “Pricing is one of the areas where we might make mistakes. Items, corporations, and manufacturing are a few of these costs. I’ve seen entrepreneurs simply slap a sticker on on a product and then have to work backwards because they didn’t consider all of the costs first.”
“You must first add these up. Then add a margin for wholesalers and a margin for distributors. “You might be able to determine your revenue margin from there,” Dellinger explains. “You may sell one million widgets, but let’s assume these million widgets cost you $9 to produce, and you sell them for $10. “At the end of the day, you must ask yourself, ‘What am I doing?'”
From there, you might be able to devise a strategy for moving forward. “Where do you see your product in two, five, or ten years?” “Doc that line of action, make modifications, and evaluate what you’re doing,” Dellinger adds. After seeing your idea written down, you’ll begin to see the bigger picture. Creating strong financial business procedures can then begin.
SCORE, the nation’s biggest organization of volunteer, skilled business mentors, is a resource Dellinger loves to recommend to those just getting started.
Hundreds of thousands of people arrive with the right mindset and self-discipline.
While having an amazing idea, product, or service is unthinkable, having the right mindset and self-discipline are essential when starting a business.
“As an entrepreneur or solopreneur, you must have a powerful, robust, and bouncy mindset. You must understand what it will take to get from where you are now to where you want to be tomorrow, which is to say, from ideation to success,” says Dellinger.
Dellinger’s desire to change the course of her life spurred the creation of a mindset that could (and has) attracted tens of millions. “I’ve always felt compelled to be greater than where I came from, with a strong desire to change the legacy that I was expected to inherit. According to statistics, I was expected to continue the generational cycle of poverty.”
Being disciplined is crucial as you develop the attitude to help you make tens of millions in business.
“Many people want to be successful, but they don’t understand what hustling and self-discipline entail,” adds Dellinger. Yes, that means getting up early in the mornings and staying up late. It also entails being prepared to make informed decisions regarding how and with whom you spend your time and your money. “You can’t associate yourself with someone who isn’t going to help you further your path.”
Dellinger argues that your relationships may make or break what you’re establishing, based on her experience of starting Curls a year before meeting the love of her life, whom she has been married for 19 years. “I would not have finished what I accomplished if I didn’t have my hubby.” I have four children. I had two of this back-to-back, followed by a third during the introduction of Curls. Without the help of a dedicated and supportive partner, I would not have been able to do it. “Select who you join your caboose to carefully,” Dellinger advises.
Delayed gratification is also beneficial.
Entrepreneurship does not always result in immediate gratification as it may appear on the internet.
“We saw Supa Cent make a million dollars in a half-hour on the internet. That is not the ‘normal’ route. Don’t hold your breath. Your route to achievement may take seven years. So, as you’re climbing, fighting, and wrestling to get to where you need to be, remember that it only takes that next yes after being told no 100 times to get you there. That was my situation. “Your mindset must be one of, ‘By any means necessary,'” Dellinger says. “I’ll make it happen,” tell yourself, “and I believe in my product, service, model, and company.”
Entrepreneurs Must Have Emotional Intelligence
Along with using affirmations to motivate yourself, developing your emotional intelligence is essential because entrepreneurship can be stressful, particularly when working in retail.
“When you have merchandise on the shelves, it’s critical to sell at a consistent rate daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis. Your shelf space may be sold to another seller if you do not promote. Alternatively, if you run out of shelf space and your models are returned, you can get a refund based on the price the merchant bought it out, multiplied by all of these businesses and all of these models. You also receive the invoice. “That’s a lot of stress,” Dellinger says, speaking from personal experience.
“I’ve suffered a few setbacks. Because of my track record, I’ve had the experience where stores would accept everything I pitched. As a substitute for my usual solving problems, I began skipping steps. In the past, I would advertise on the internet first and see if there was any interest. “Then my product may be sold in stores,” Dellinger explains. ” I did that twice with two collections that I should not have finished and had a huge profit since they didn’t sell as quickly as possible. Alternatively, as they usually did once, I launched to $5 to 7 million dollars.”
“We do as entrepreneurs link our self-worth to our business failures.”Consequently, we lose sight of ourselves and the definition of what it means to be successful. Dellinger claims that it was at that point that she recognized she needed to remove the failure from herself and the company.
When these experiences don’t shatter you, they help you build character. “Failure isn’t going away. While you’re an entrepreneur, you’ll turn out to be a self-taught, self-motivating psychologist!” adds Dellinger.
Giving Back Assists Businesses in Moving Forward
“I’ve discovered I’m a giver,” Dellinger says.
She founded Black Women Making Millions Academy (formerly Black Women Making Thousands and Thousands) in 2019 to help women take their businesses to the next level. Dellinger is now on a quest to help 25,000 Black female entrepreneurs acquire the knowledge and resources they need to grow their businesses with the support and partnership of Magnificence Past Creativeness (BBI).
“Every weekend, we have MBA-style seminars taught by business executives that women may apply for and enrol in at no cost.” “When you add up the value of our assets, it comes to $450 million for a year of programming,” Dellinger says.
Dellinger’s driving principles set her apart as a businesswoman.
“I have to keep the primary factor, the primary factor, in life and business.” My priorities have always been God first, family second, and business third. If I can stay focused on what matters most to me, then I can have the best life imaginable, says Dellinger.
