Jan 20, 2022
This week, the Start Right Here podcast welcomes a groundbreaking beauty entrepreneur, Miko Branch, CEO of the haircare brand Miss Jessie's, salon owner, and author of Miss Jessie's Creating a Successful Business From Scratch—Naturally.
Miko, alongside her late sister, Titi Branch, built a multi-million dollar brand that is sold in outlets like Target and Wal-Mart, has more than 40 SKUs, and was at the forefront of creating products that accentuated the beauty of curly and coily hair.
Miko shares the path she and her sister took to get there. How their father taught them to be fearless and what their first entrepreneurial venture, a cleaning service, taught them about running a business.
But the two took a circuitous route into beauty. Miko first studied fashion at FIT before declaring her desire to become a hairstylist. Titi worked as a field producer at ABC before joining her sister in the industry as her agent. You'll hear how that led from doing hair in their home to a two-chair salon on Bond Street in Brooklyn. And the lesson they learned about expanding too soon. Finally, Miko explains the steps she and her sister took to recover from a bad business decision and the circumstances that led to her embracing her natural curls—which became their unique focus.
Miko tells us what they learned from their paternal grandmother, Miss Jessie., and how they factored into creating their first product. Then, she'll explain how the demand for Curly Pudding necessitated getting their products on the retail shelf.
You'll learn how they made and shipped their products from home to a manufacturer and owning a warehouse. And why it is crucial to hire the right people.
Miko shares how love has fueled the brand's success. And although her sister is no longer on this earthly plane, Titi's impact is still felt in every aspect of Miss Jessie's. Miko's story is as much about love and legacy as it is about success.