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https://www.blackenterprise.com/autumn-yarbrough-family-haircare-legacy/
Autumn Yarbrough, founder of NU Standard haircare is looking to revitalize the “textured hair” community. Her foundation in the industry is solid. Yarbrough’s family contributions to haircare is cemented in the the Black consciousness. Granddaughter of Comer Joseph Cotrell Jr., founder of Pro-Line Hair Products, and daughter of Renee Cottrell Brown, inventor of Just For Me brands, Yarbrough is Black Haircare royalty.
Yarbrough spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE about how her family’s path influenced her future. The ability to observe production of Pro-Line products from start to finish inspired her at a young age. She was honored to play a role in the creation and implementation of the Just For Me campaigns created by her “marketeer mom,” and was even one of the iconic young girls on the Just For Me box. She is now the owner and founder of NU Standard haircare. While expanding her family’s legacy she is also creating a new one just for her.
Tell the BE audience about yourself and your mission.
My purpose is to make sure that the Black community and textured community are no longer left out; are no longer last in line when it comes to hair. I want to continue to push everything to the edge and disrupt the industry in a positive way, really solving a lot of our pain points.
You come from an entrepreneurial family. Did you always want to follow this path?
Yes. I was that weird kid. I would go down the aisles looking at new products. I loved being a part understanding how products were made all the way down to the manufacturing, to packaging supplies, understanding suppliers, ingredients all of those things. I was very fortunate that my grandfather, actually, had a manufacturing plant.
The Jerry Curl and Just For Me products were innovative additions to Black culture. How does Nu Standard expand on haircare innovation?
The innovation of NU Standard is exactly what it means, a new standard in the industry. We focus on how hair really works on the inside then bring the science into it.
We love traditional methods but it’s important as we advance to make sure we’re bringing along the science and focus on a lot of our pain points — which is the hair loss, the hair breakage.
Tell us more about alleviating pain points.
The pain points, the biggest one is wanting to make sure that we’re included in beauty in the proper manner. Not just through marketing and showing a good picture of us with our hair done but actually the products are being made with us in mind at the very beginning of the creation. That part.
Also, focusing on hair loss. That part.
Day-to-day demands for women. That part.
And then also focusing on a big one, dryness.
Your product comes in the form of a bar. Can you tell us how this makes a difference in quality?
It’s a one-wash bar and then that conditioner bar which we call the “butter bar.” It’s a rinse-out or leave-in. We realized that it makes it easy to travel and easy to use. The concentrated ingredients are absolutely safe even to leave in. We have the appropriate butter so they are not endocrine disruptors. The ingredients are not making any hormonal changes if you’re leaving it in your hair.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned as a grandchild and child of entrepreneurs?
Fail fast.
Build a proper infrastructure through early-on failures to be able to weather the storm. If you learn quickly where the failures are, then you will know where your successes are. Embrace that failure is not a bad term and it’s not a permanent term.
Use failing moments, embrace them, learn from them, and pivot; don’t be ashamed that you’re failing.
Entrepreneurship is an infinite game. There is no long game and definitely no short game.
If you could give your children advice about entrepreneurship what would it be — not coming from the businesswoman, coming from their mom?
My mother gave me advice. It was a beautiful gift. Integrity. My mother has always had integrity in business, her life, her friendships, as a wife, as a mother, and as a diehard marketeer. All I can ask my daughter and my son to do for me is to live their life with integrity. It will serve you. It will outlive your life and it will help your children’s children. Look where it’s landed me.
RELATED CONTENT: Pioneering Haircare Entrepreneur Joe Louis Dudley Sr., 86, Dies; Leaves Legacy Of Success And Inspiration
Autumn Yarbrough, founder of NU Standard haircare is looking to revitalize the “textured hair” community. Her foundation in the industry is solid. Yarbrough’s family contributions to haircare is cemented in the the Black consciousness. Granddaughter of Comer Joseph Cotrell Jr., founder of Pro-Line Hair Products, and daughter of Renee Cottrell Brown, inventor of Just For Me brands, Yarbrough is Black Haircare royalty.
Yarbrough spoke with BLACK ENTERPRISE about how her family’s path influenced her future. The ability to observe production of Pro-Line products from start to finish inspired her at a young age. She was honored to play a role in the creation and implementation of the Just For Me campaigns created by her “marketeer mom,” and was even one of the iconic young girls on the Just For Me box. She is now the owner and founder of NU Standard haircare. While expanding her family’s legacy she is also creating a new one just for her.
Tell the BE audience about yourself and your mission.
My purpose is to make sure that the Black community and textured community are no longer left out; are no longer last in line when it comes to hair. I want to continue to push everything to the edge and disrupt the industry in a positive way, really solving a lot of our pain points.
You come from an entrepreneurial family. Did you always want to follow this path?
Yes. I was that weird kid. I would go down the aisles looking at new products. I loved being a part understanding how products were made all the way down to the manufacturing, to packaging supplies, understanding suppliers, ingredients all of those things. I was very fortunate that my grandfather, actually, had a manufacturing plant.
The Jerry Curl and Just For Me products were innovative additions to Black culture. How does Nu Standard expand on haircare innovation?
The innovation of NU Standard is exactly what it means, a new standard in the industry. We focus on how hair really works on the inside then bring the science into it.
We love traditional methods but it’s important as we advance to make sure we’re bringing along the science and focus on a lot of our pain points — which is the hair loss, the hair breakage.
Tell us more about alleviating pain points.
The pain points, the biggest one is wanting to make sure that we’re included in beauty in the proper manner. Not just through marketing and showing a good picture of us with our hair done but actually the products are being made with us in mind at the very beginning of the creation. That part.
Also, focusing on hair loss. That part.
Day-to-day demands for women. That part.
And then also focusing on a big one, dryness.
Your product comes in the form of a bar. Can you tell us how this makes a difference in quality?
It’s a one-wash bar and then that conditioner bar which we call the “butter bar.” It’s a rinse-out or leave-in. We realized that it makes it easy to travel and easy to use. The concentrated ingredients are absolutely safe even to leave in. We have the appropriate butter so they are not endocrine disruptors. The ingredients are not making any hormonal changes if you’re leaving it in your hair.
What is the greatest lesson you have learned as a grandchild and child of entrepreneurs?
Fail fast.
Build a proper infrastructure through early-on failures to be able to weather the storm. If you learn quickly where the failures are, then you will know where your successes are. Embrace that failure is not a bad term and it’s not a permanent term.
Use failing moments, embrace them, learn from them, and pivot; don’t be ashamed that you’re failing.
Entrepreneurship is an infinite game. There is no long game and definitely no short game.
If you could give your children advice about entrepreneurship what would it be — not coming from the businesswoman, coming from their mom?
My mother gave me advice. It was a beautiful gift. Integrity. My mother has always had integrity in business, her life, her friendships, as a wife, as a mother, and as a diehard marketeer. All I can ask my daughter and my son to do for me is to live their life with integrity. It will serve you. It will outlive your life and it will help your children’s children. Look where it’s landed me.
RELATED CONTENT: Pioneering Haircare Entrepreneur Joe Louis Dudley Sr., 86, Dies; Leaves Legacy Of Success And Inspiration
Photos by Korrin Dering. By Adora Mehala ·Updated May 11, 2024
I’m no stranger to being the ‘only one’ in a room. It’s nostalgic— not preferred or cherished, but regrettably familiar. Akin to an old friend I don’t particularly wish to see again, but we run in overlapping social circles and I’ve learned to play nice. Comparably more diverse, the modeling world feels similar to the world I grew up in. An unwritten standard for appearance exists with little (albeit slowly growing) room for exceptions.
When I first became a model, I was signed to my agency’s new curve board. My agents were supportive and never expressed my size or racial background as being a barrier, but rather something to celebrate. As I began working, however, the unspoken division between models who fit archaic standards and the modern exceptions to the rule became clear to me. Many times I found myself back to being the only one on sets after booking jobs where the casting wassrc="https://www.essence.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/IMG_2102.jpeg" alt="This Set Made Me Feel Truly Seen As A Beauty Model" width="400" height="500" />
So when I showed up on set for the mysterious celebrity beauty brand shoot I booked and was met with diversity in every corner of the room– from hair & makeup to the marketing division– I knew I could put my anxiety to rest.
After I sat down to eat breakfast with the other models, I headed over to makeup. At this point, the identity celebrity I was working for remained mysterious. I noticed that all of the makeup to be used on my face were untitled bottles of Wyn Beauty products. This isn’t common with beauty campaigns. Commercial advertising laws only require the specific product being advertised to be used for the focal point of the ad. The rest of a model’s face is regularly done with whatever products the makeup artist brings in their personal kit.
To my left was my hairstylist, a Black woman teasing a massive afro wig. I thought back to a shoot I did earlier in the year where the hair artist looked at me with a slight grimace and said, “Well, we’ll see what we can do with this.” He was sent home by the brand to retrieve a wig of a more suitable texture than mine to shoot me in. My confidence was crushed and the set was delayed. My hair was a problem.
Throughout the day I chatted with various members of the Wyn team and observed the room. Directors, all levels of staff, and us contractors shared an ability to collaborate creatively and share excitement. At this point, I knew who I was working for. Her employees gleamed on the years-long journey they embarked on to create the brand. There was a clear sense of pride coupled with a joyful anticipation for the launch.
After finishing my hair and makeup, I caught a ray of sunshine peering down from a high window. I instinctively grabbed a massive 12 foot tall white board and brought it to the light. I angled my face upwards while posing with another model for an impromptu BTS shoot with the Social Media Photographer. It came together naturally, there was a mutual freedom for creation.
The energy in the room was electric, and I was a happy conductor. I swayed to music with the other models as we waited to shoot our respective portions. The last step before shooting is styling, where my experience with the team was seamless. They happily consulted my opinion when choosing my look.
By the time I was ready to shoot, I felt an assurance that I hadn’t felt before while working. Typically I mentally repeat affirmations in an attempt to squash the nerves riddling my body. This time the affirmations were calm. My brain and body were in unison, knowing I’m doing exactly what I need to do, exactly where I’m meant to be.
I came off camera and the Chief Brand Officer approached me with a smile. She told me how impressed she was with the range of photos; each shot a wyn. I thanked her and expressed my gratitude for how kind everyone had been so far.
I gushed my praises on the marketing vision, and told her about my experiences studying and working in integrated communications. She listened and stayed with me briefly to discuss her story working for Serena’s other ventures and her own career. We shared chats about our ethnic background and stories of second generation immigrants.
By the time the set wrapped, the energy hadn’t left my body. I thanked everyone and left the set beaming with another model, who I gushed with the moment we left the building. As the sun began to set, I said my goodbyes and searched for a Citibike. I cycled into the sunset back to Brooklyn.
Models have a unique and intimate experience with brands that the average consumer or press don’t. We often have the first outside interaction with beauty products or apparel, and we work closely with corporate teams. We can candidly observe whether or not a brand is true to what they sell, whether that be products or messaging. Nevertheless, our perspective often goes unmentioned when discussing a brand’s corporate social governance or ESG – environmental, social, and governance. After all, we’re just models.
On a personal level, working with Wyn Beauty was the kind of experience that left an undeniable imprint on my confidence. Moving from a university and corporate background to working as a model has come with its changes. I went from being respected for my intellect or work, to being acknowledged for my physical appearance, performance, and perceived personality.
From the highs of being on a Times Square billboard, to the lows of being ignored on set or having my hair fried off because I’m “just a model,” I’ve learned to adapt. Working with Wyn reminded me that there are people who truly acknowledge both. It was an experiential affirmation that reminded me how I can be valued in this profession. My skin is not a token, and my hair is not an inconvenience.
The post This Set Made Me Feel Truly Seen As A Beauty Model appeared first on Essence.