Why Bounce Curl Founder’s Success is Rooted in Science and Social Media

As a young girl, Merian Odesho struggled trying to tame and properly style her curls. But today, she has cracked the scientific code for curly-haired women everywhere. Inspired by her grandmother, who played a pivotal role in developing her hair care routines by mixing up special formulas using only homemade, natural ingredients, Merian saw in her adult life that there still very much a need for these kinds of natural products. She used her degree rooted in chemistry and science to create "safe beauty” products and used her established social networks to fuel the takeoff of Bounce Curl, a cruelty-free, vegan, color-safe beauty product line specifically tailored to curly hair. Read on to see what inspires the founder and formulator of Bounce Curl, how she balances the demands of being an entrepreneur, and her strong advice on salary negotiations that consist of “quarterly report cards.” How did you get to where you are today? I came into the beauty industry in my early 20s and immediately recognized the need for formulating products with safer and more natural ingredients. I felt as if everyone was still behind the times by using parabens and harsh sulfates. I originally went to school to become a dentist, and using my background in chemistry and science, I began creating all different formulas and testing them on myself and my best friend. Bounce Curl’s first product, Light Crème Gel, is still one of our bestselling products. Another pivotal moment was the initial promotion of Bounce Curl. I was already a micro-influencer creating content for fashion, beauty and lifestyle brands. When I launched Bounce Curl, my social following took off. Much of my rise on Instagram was through creating hair tutorials to show how to use our product on all different hair types. I attribute a lot of Bounce Curl’s early success to our online community. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Bounce Curl (@bouncecurl) Tell us about what you are doing now. As the Founder, CEO and formulator for Bounce Curl, my daily routine consists of creating new products in the lab, overseeing the marketing of products, planning for future product launches, and managing the business. That being said, I would consider my most important role to be the formulator of Bounce Curl products, as I have personally formulated each product myself. At Bounce Curl, we choose to formulate without Silicones, Parabens, Sulfates, PEG's, DEA/MEA, Propylene Glycol, Butylene Glycol, Formaldehydes, & Phthalates. In addition, we do no animal testing, and we are cruelty-free. Most recently, I’ve stepped into a very important role, that of a first-time Mom, so my regular daily routine has been adjusted temporarily. How do you foster strong professional relationships as you grow in your career? As Bounce Curl grew, I was able to bring on employees to manage various tasks and departments. I do not micro-manage; team members are empowered to handle most of the responsibilities now, but they know that they can always reach out to me with any challenges. I do not micro-manage; team members are empowered to handle most responsibilities. My relationships are very informal–social media makes it so very easy to keep in touch with a wide variety of people. I draw inspiration from my followers’ stories, suggestions and comments. What’s one way you’ve invested in yourself that’s had the most impact over the course of your career? International travel has definitely had an impact. Not only is it an opportunity to unwind a bit from the grind of running a highly successful business, but the inspiration gained from visiting other countries and experiencing other cultures has been invaluable. At times, I would do an impromptu photo shoot so I could easily bring that inspiration home with me. Sometimes you need to just get away and have fun so you can return to your work with enthusiasm and fresh energy. How do you view work-life integration, especially now, and what advice can you share with others who may be struggling with it? It might be a difficult thing to do, but it is important to set boundaries. You need to set a schedule. When you run your own business, there is literally something that you could be doing for that business 24 hours a day! It is important to set boundaries, so your health does not suffer. You need to set a schedule. When you run your own business, there is literally something 24 hours a day! If you are stressed, it is impossible to perform well and difficult to remain creative. I like to set time limits for myself and stop work at a certain time, so I can enjoy the rest of my day and unwind. What advice do you have for other women on how to overcome typecasting at work? Avoid people who would bring you down. Find others of like mind who will help you grow and will respect who you are. Build those relationships of mutual respect. What’s one tip you can share or something you’ve learned on how to handle salary negotiations or raises? This can be such a subjective area, so I created quarterly report cards. This helps employees know exactly what their responsibilities are and the criteria by which will be evaluated. With those report cards, there is a better chance of evaluating what an employee contributes to the success of the company and negotiations can proceed from there. I am committed to rewarding those team members who are truly an asset with raises and/or promotions. What’s the single best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Always have a Plan B and a Plan C. Also, multi-task or volunteer until you find your true passion as a career! What does success mean for you? Success on both the personal and professional level is about the individual. It means the individual is living a happy and healthy life. I want to love what I do; I want to give back to my community and I want to continue to learn. I do not want a high level of stress in my life–that causes health issues and no time to enjoy my life away from running a successful company. Having money is a good thing but being overworked to have that money is not. It is about balance.

Women Trailblazers

Why Bounce Curl Founder’s Success is Rooted in Science and Social Media

Merian Odesho shares how she formulates products herself and the pivotal role of Instagram in her company's success

Luz Corona

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