428: How KIN Apparel’s Founder Turned a Dorm Room Side Hustle Into a $10 Million Business

This week in the guest chair I have Philomina Kane, Ghanaian-American entrepreneur and content creator. In 2017, she graduated from Princeton University and began to cement herself as a haircare YouTuber. Garnering a following of nearly 200,000 subscribers, Philomina became a guiding force, empowering Black women to embrace and care for their natural hair. After building a strong brand and loyal following, Philomina founded KIN Apparel, a brand dedicated to crafting satin lined hoodies and hats for both hair protection and comfort. In this episode she shares about:How the innovative approach of KIN Apparel caught the attention of Shark Tank landed a six-figure deal with SKIM’s founding partner Emma GredeHer desire-driven approach to marketing and how leading with offering a solution to a problem has hooked her audience Reaching over $10M in revenue while continuously navigating challenges like fulfillment centers and a changing financial landscapeHighlights include: 00:00 Intro03:15 From the Bronx to Ghana07:30 Building a following on YouTube14:50 Founding KIN Apparel20:00 Transition to full-time entrepreneurship27:00 Benefits of vulnerable marketing32:00 Financial journey- grants and funding41:00 Navigating the changing financial landscape44:00 Shark Tank experience 47:00 Challenges with fulfillment centers57:00 Tips for entrepreneurs Links mentioned in this episodeKIN Apparel: https://kinapparel.org/ KIN Apparel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinapparel_/?hl=en LEDA Program: https://ledascholars.org/ Science of Black Hair: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Black-Hair-Comprehensive-Textured/dp/0984518428 Hello Alice: https://helloalice.com/ Black Ambition: https://blackambitionprize.com/ New Voices: https://newvoicesfoundation.org/ Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rssAnnouncementsJoin our Facebook CommunityIf you’re looking for a community of supportive side hustlers who are all working to take our businesses to the next level, join us here: http://sidehustlepro.co/facebookGuest Social Media InfoPhilomina’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@naturallyphilo Philomina’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs3xy3wpZ-d/?img_index=1 Philomina’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@naturallyphilo_  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.