Today we’d like to introduce you to Dawn Myers.
Dawn, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
My career has been a winding road. I started out in law, thinking I would solve all the world’s woes. I couldn’t find the right fit and it took me some years to realize that I was in the wrong field. I like building things. I loved using creativity and a unique perspective to problem-solve for the masses. After about a decade and a few career pivots, I finally found startups. I never thought I would be a FemTech CEO, but it’s exactly what I’m made for. I’m really glad I never settled.
THE MOST – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
THE MOST designs, engineers, and manufactures a compact styling system that detangles and hydrates highly textured hair (visit www.themostcurls.com to see how it works). We make textured haircare faster, easier, and more convenient. Our company combines the IP and hardware innovation of Keurig with the convenience and scalability of Dollar Shave Club. Our designs turn on our patent-pending pod technology which offers consumers unprecedented convenience while offering investors a highly profitable subscription model and untapped licensing potential in the haircare space.
Why is this important? Natural hair styling is an extreme sport. All women with textured hair – and women of color women in particular – spend hours on styling and maintenance with few tools available on the market to address our major pain points. This niche is woefully underserved. Black women, for example, spend NINE TIMES the rest of the population on hair products and services, but mainstream manufacturers have no idea how to serve us. THE MOST is stepping in to fill a gaping hole in this $87 billion market by catering women of color and the broader 60% of women in the US with textured hair.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Ha! It’s been anything but easy. THE MOST has a HUGE vision, so it was hard to get stakeholders in our ecosystem to understand the opportunity. After years of non-stop grinding, they are finally starting to see, but it took grit and focus to get there. Access to capital continues to be our biggest struggle. Black women-led companies receive .0006% of venture funding, but we didn’t let that stop us. We bootstrapped and worked and fundraised to keep the vision alive. The struggle was worth it. Now our business is snowballing and investors and partners in the ecosystem clearly see the value we bring to the space. My advice to others is to just keep going. With diligence and hard work, the doors WILL open.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I am really proud of the team that we have built at THE MOST. We have been privileged to have some incredible advisors and supporters, but I can’t give enough credit to the women who have jumped in and dedicated their skills and talents to moving THE MOST forward. All of our team members have left an indelible mark on the company. Our CMO Natasha Valley and Chief of Staff Jessica Grant have really propelled us forward with their leadership and dedication to the vision. They have helped grow our team and improve our infrastructure so we can be an ultra-agile organization.
Pricing:
- Our featured product, THE MOST Mint, retails for $200. Luckily we have a pre-sale campaign for early supporters at drastically reduced prices. Our pre-sale campaign is likely to remain in effect through the summer, and we welcome your readers to be among the first to join the movement to create a world where curls are catered to!
Contact Info:
- Address: 1255 25th ST NW, #629
Washington, D.C. 20037 - Website: www.themostcurls.com
- Phone: 202.780.7259
- Email: dawn@themostcurls.com
- Instagram: themostcurls
- Facebook: themostcurls
- Twitter: themostcurls
Image Credit:
Mary Gardela at Mary Gardela photography
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