Crownhunt (Stephanie LaFlora)

One of the most influential movements in the beauty industry is the natural hair care movement. However, living with curly hair is still a challenge across the spectrum. My guest today, Stephanie LaFlora, who is the co-founder of a digital marketplace for hair called Crownhunt, is determined to change that.  She came up with the idea of a Netflix for hair, as she calls it, after a futile search for a stylist who could care for her natural coils. Stephanie was routinely turned away from hair salons and when she discovered that the problem was a gap in the cosmetology education, the solution became very clear and she set out to address this obvious need in the beauty industry.   Armed with a background in data-driven product development, a conviction that living with curly hair should not be as difficult as it sometimes can be and the spirit of a troublemaker, Stephanie quit her full-time job, partnered with a long-time friend and colleague, knuckled down and got to work.  So far, she has led Crownhunt through a round of seed funding and now they are in another phase of raising money, through a crowdfunding campaign. We get into some of the details about this process during the interview.  We also talk about betting on yourself, creating an inclusive business culture and Stephanie also shares some advice for anyone starting out with a new business idea.