We had the good fortune of connecting with Tara Guillaume and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Tara, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
During my natural hair journey, I’ve sported extensions, hats, and ponytails. But I never learned how to style the coils I was born with. That is… until the Covid-19 pandemic forced the temporary closure of my stylist’s studio.

So, I began watching videos about natural hair, experimented with various styling methods, and tried a variety of shampoos, conditioners, and stylers made for curly hair. Some methods and products worked, many did not. But because I didn’t know why, I kept on digging.

Then, BAM! I uncovered my hair type — medium-length, low-porosity, high-volume, coarse-width, type-4 strands. That discovery led to me using products best suited for my hair’s needs, creating an easy-ish washday routine, and formulating hair cocktails to achieve the most coil-defined Wash&Go. And, voila… I began rocking my GORGEOUS coils with confidence and pride. So, I wanted to share my findings with other new and longtime naturals experiencing the same struggle.

Whether it’s worn as a go-to style or as a base for more voluminous hairstyles, getting the most coil-defined Wash&Go is the goal for most new and longtime naturals. Yet many naturals are unable to achieve this hair goal for various reasons: not knowing what products to use, not knowing how to layer products correctly, not knowing how much product to use, or not knowing the exact steps of a Wash&Go.

So, as a self-taught-through-trial-and-error natural, I founded COILBAR with that one goal in mind.

What should our readers know about your business?

There are several unique selling points that sets COILBAR apart from other textured haircare brands:
1. COILBAR’s product line was created to help new and longtime naturals get the most coil-defined Wash&Go on their own every single wash. To achieve that hair goal our product range is formulated for hydrating, nourishing, and moisturizing textured strands — the 3 pillars of a coil-defined Wash&Go.
2. Our product range addresses the needs of the users’ strands — curl pattern, porosity, density, width, and length — whether they have active lifestyles or not. With products made for maximum curl definition, hair growth, and length retention users can enjoy playing up the coils they were born with and own the diversity of styles their tightly textured hair can achieve.

3. COILBAR takes the guesswork out of new and longtime naturals achieving the most defined Wash&Go every single wash by giving them a personalized washday routine with product recommendations tailored to the “you-ness” of their strands using their answers from their completed hair quiz. The personalized routine guides users as to what products to use, how to cocktail them, and how often to use them to get their desired result. Washday simplified.

My journey in business has not been easy. I foolishly quit my job before I launched my first endeavor. So, I struggled to get the business off the ground because I didn’t prepare financially for the undertaking. But I gathered all the learnings from my first​endeavor and did things differently for my second endeavor.
As an entrepreneur I have learned that you oftentimes ​must pay for help rather than depend on free help from friends and family. I discovered that it’s necessary to learn about your business from top to bottom so that you can ferret out people who don’t know what they are doing. I realized the importance of trusting my gut when making decisions rather than constantly seeking counsel from those who do not understand my vision and business model. I have also learned that when outside threats pop up (i.e. covid, supply chain shortages, etc.), you​must treat it like a pivot rather than a problem that is insurmountable.

Lessons specific to my business that I have learned and continue to learn along the way are

— understanding the importance of staying ahead of the curve with funding such as preparing for seasonal peaks, staying up to date with current industry trends, and reaching customers before our competitors do with smart marketing.

— developing an effective retail marketing strategy to move our products.

— obtaining funding for scaling the business.

— using facts,​metrics, and data to guide strategic business decisions that align with our goals, objectives and initiatives.

— knowing our “why” so that we gain more clarity of purpose and focus. This continues to help us in consistently producing, sourcing, and selling the right products. It has also helped us develop a precise company culture that we can stay true to, no matter what’s going on around us.

— understanding the processes involved in the manufacturing cycle and the supply chain such as order arrival from the finished-goods distributor; and production scheduling,​manufacturing, and shipping, and returns.
My curiosity, adaptability, persistence, and flexibility have helped me overcome significant and insignificant challenges.

— Being curious forced me to continuously ask challenging questions about how our products solve the hair dilemmas of new and longtime naturals. Doing so allowed us to explore different avenues leading to valuable discoveries that would have been overlooked otherwise.

— Being adaptable allowed me to evaluate and adapt quickly to various situations encountered so that our business could keep moving forward when unexpected changes occurred.

— Being persistent gave me a willingness to learn from mistakes made with messaging and brand tone, to continue asking questions about how our products address the specific needs of our market, and to keeping digging until we found the answers.

— Being flexible opened a pathway for creating a product line that addresses the goal of getting the most defined Wash&Go every single wash. My flexibility also laid the groundwork towards scaling the brand with new product lines that address other specific, yet popular hair goals of new and longtime naturals — getting a salon-level silk press at home, transitioning to natural hair, and getting the perfect stretched natural hairstyle.
I want the world to know that COILBAR is a premium textured hair care line created to get the Most Defined Wash&Go. Every. Single. Wash. Whether it’s worn as a go-to style or as a base for more voluminous hairstyles, getting the most coil-defined Wash&Go is the goal for most new and longtime naturals. And as a self-taught-through-trial-and-error natural, I founded COILBAR with that one goal in mind. Our products are specially formulated for hydrating, nourishing, and moisturizing your tightly textured 3A to 4C strands for maximum curl definition, hair growth, and length retention.

Our brand story is about playing up the curls you were born with, owning the diversity of styles your curly hair can achieve, and elevating the “you-ness” of your hair.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?

For me, a memorable day in Los Angeles and its surrounding areas is tied to the food I eat and the area I’m in. I enjoy spending time with friends and family gathered around a meal. Mealtime offers the opportunity to share, catch up, and create memories. But since​SoCal has tons of ​traffic, I like to dedicate time to one city for an entire day. Below is my 5-day itinerary for a good-eating time:

Day 1: Santa Monica
— fresh fruit for breakfast at the Farmers Market Downtown Santa Monica on Arizona Avenue
— shopping on Montana Avenue, the Promenade, and Santa Monica Place
— a trip to the Santa Monica Pier to ride the Ferris wheel and play some carnival games
— drinks at the Fairmont Miramar Hotel & Bungalows for happy hour
— a nice steak at BOA Steakhouse for dinner

Day 2: Marina del Rey
— lunch at Mendocino Farms for an artisanal sandwich followed by some shopping at Waterside Marina Del Rey. Don’t forget to take a Fresh Brothers pizza for later.
— happy hour and appetizers on the outdoor patio that abuts the water’s edge at Cheesecake Factory while enjoying the great sunset views
— dinner at Killer Shrimp (I love their deconstructed Caesar salad.)
— a nightcap at Whiskey Red’s

Day 3: Manhattan Beach / El Segundo
— lunch at Marmalade Cafe for the Smokey BBQ bacon cheeseburger with shopping at the El Segundo Plaza
— stroll along the Manhattan Beach boardwalk followed by some snacking at The Point Southbay
— dinner and dessert at Hillstones formerly known as Houstons (I’m obsessed with their apple walnut cobbler!)

Day 4: Long Beach
— breakfast at Golden Eagle (a mom & pop spot for the locals)
— lunch on the pork tacos at Lola’s Mexican Cuisine in downtown Bixby Knolls
— dinner with a pint of Strawberry Blonde at Belmont Brewing Company while watching the boats in Port of Long Beach
— a gelato shake at PopBar at The Hanger for dessert as we explore the shops at the Long Beach Exchange

Day 5: Temecula
— wine tasting at the Hart Family Winery surrounded by rows of grapes
— lunch featuring their home-grown olive oil at BOTTAIA Winery to soak in the valley views
— dinner at Crush & Brew in Old Town Temecula for a spicy cheesesteak sandwich and truffle fries

— cap the evening with some light gambling at Pechanga Resort and Hotel

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My mom and my best friend from college, Loreley Castro, get the credit for me becoming an entrepreneur. I watched my mom start her own business as a hair stylist and salon owner when I was in grade school. She wanted to start her own business so that she could create her own hours, increase her earning potential, and make her own rules. ​So, she went to cosmetology school, graduated at the top of her class, scored a paying job opportunity at a hotel-based hair salon, and passed the California state boards on her first attempt. She accomplished all that without knowing how to speak English. Her drive, courage, and risk-taking became my model for being a successful entrepreneur.

I also give credit to my best friend for giving me the pep talk that resulted in me starting my own business. I was complaining to her about the two other people with whom I was starting a venture. And during that conversation she asked me why I felt like I needed partners to start the business since I was the one with the vision (to create the Sephora of premium dog and cat grooming products)? I really couldn’t give her a valid answer. She proceeded to tell me that I didn’t need partners to turn my vision into reality, and that I should use my knowledge and skill set to start the business on my own. She suggested that I use my drive, passion, and focus to make it happen. With her words of encouragement ringing in my ear I founded my first entrepreneurial endeavor.

Website: https://www.coilbar.com

Instagram: https://instagram.com/coilbar

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100069725455238

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