Essence Fest’s 30th cultural celebration kicked it with a leading hair giant, Camille Rose’s CEO and founder, Janell Stephens. The entrepreneur built her brand on integrity and grit while remaining humble. The driven hair maven sat down with Sophia Dennis at the BeautyCon Stage to discuss her journey as a passionate but authentic beauty brand owner.
The Journey To Success
As a self-proclaimed “kitchen chemist,” Stephens recognized her strengths through her determination and faith in God. Even though Camille Rose was a year into producing for big retailers like Target, she hand-made her ingredients to prevent diluting her products and keep her brand’s integrity. Eventually, Stephens found a chemist, making the brand a viral sensation. When starting a natural hair company, Stephens stayed true to her mission and believed in her ability to take over the haircare retail space.
Team Building While Being A Leader In Hair Care
Stephens confessed she blocked out the noise from outsiders, making her a fortune. She also advised prospective entrepreneurs to follow their vision and trust their instincts while trusting others because “you can’t do it by yourself.” She had to learn to allow others to blossom as they grew with her brand. To grow a business, Stephens advised not to allow fear to consume your thoughts.
“You have to realize when God whispers, you really have to hear and just make a move,” she said. “When you trust God, you can’t trust him halfway or be scared. So just get rid of the fear and go for it.”
Camille Rose’s Future
Stephens hopes to become a conglomerate for her enterprise. She hopes Camille Rose taps into beauty and skincare. However, she embraces her original products like her rosemary oils formulated for hair growth and alopecia, her curl maker, and deep conditioners for thinning and shedding textures. Stephens prides her brand on incorporating food-grade ingredients for proper nourishment and moisture.
Representation For Black Beauty Brands Specializing In Curly and Coily Hair
Stephens revealed they were scarce in Black hair care brands when she started in 2011. However, the natural hair movement shifted beauty spaces since consumers demanded inclusive or textured hair. She applauded the audience for being loyal consumers and interacting on social media for true results. The Lafayette, LA native embraces her communal approach to connect with beauty lovers. “Camille Rose is outside. I love touching hair. I love doing hair. I love taking pictures.” she said. “I think people feel that my brand is genuine and attainable. I’m just that girl. We show up in the community.”
Work-Life Balance As an Entrepreneur
Stephens is well-connected to her brand and despises a “corporate feel” to her business. However, she believes that, as your business exceeds its goal, having a work-life balance becomes a struggle and is slightly unrealistic. As a wife and mother of five, Stephens is still rediscovering herself and remaining passionate about her brand while taking time to refresh her mind.
Stephens rejoices in her ability to take her brand from the kitchen to the big department stores. Before the audience roared in applause, Dennis asked Stephens to describe herself in three words, and her response is titled—proving why Stephens is a solidified game changer in the natural hair industry.