Meet Janice Williams Oliver, Founder of MisTeePRO – a game-changer for curly and coily hair, designed to meet the needs of 65% of the world’s population.
Janice Williams Oliver has been passionate about her hair since she was seven years old when she asked her Mom to use mayonnaise as a protein treatment on her hair. Being health conscious and transitioning from using a relaxer, she was inspired to launch the proprietary MisTee PRO handheld hair tool when she learned the Dysons/L’Oreals of the world do not sell a tool that detangles curly/coily hair. Also, per a Harvard study, over 50% of hair products sold to Black women contain harmful ingredients like Formaldehyde. A Procter & Gamble Beauty/WWD Media winner, Janice is a graduate of Hampton University, has an MBA from Kellogg, years of results-oriented/consumer packaged goods marketing/customer discovery experience, and will forever be a “Daddy’s Girl.”
When I found out relaxers can cause cancer, I stopped using a relaxer in my hair and went natural. My daily hair maintenance changed. I needed to detangle my hair every day, or it would dreadlock. I learned that detangling and/or maintaining curly/coily hair takes a lot of products, tools, time, and money.
The only tools available were my fingers, comb, or liquid products. No tool by a major manufacturer exists to maintain/detangle textured/curly/coily hair. The tools sold by the Dysons or L’Oreals of the world are for straightening hair. Despite the fact that over 60% of the US population and the world does not have straight hair.
There are creams/liquids used for detangling. The problems are, some contain Formaldehyde or Phthalates (endocrine disruptors). Note, according to one Harvard professor, 50% of hair products advertised to Black women contain this group of chemicals while only about 7% of products advertised to white women have the same.
I also learned from speaking to consumers and stylists that consumers do not want to take the time to care for their curly coily hair under weaves, braids, and dreadlocks. This is why many use relaxers – they make hair maintenance easier. However, because people are not taking care of their hair, it can cause scalp issues, which lead to hair loss or alopecia, which is the partial or complete absence of hair from areas of the body where it normally grows.
MisTee Wants To Know’s goal is to encourage curly/coily hair wearers to love their hair, form a more loving relationship with their hair. The MisTee PRO handheld tool will provide easier hair detangling/maintenance that is all-natural plus healthy for the hair, scalp, and body.
Takeaways
Branding is a very crucial part of our business. We celebrate curiosity and it is the underlying element that will enable us to build on the MisTee PRO tool. MisTee Wants To Know is a multi-sensory experience.
MisTee Wants To Know, Inc. is a startup that is focused on profit and purpose. The profit is the MisTeePRO tool and pods. The purpose is our social impact initiative. Our goal is for both to help curly/coily people have healthy hair and avoid hair loss.
Over 65% of the world does not have straight hair. Why now? Gen-Zs who are nonconformists are pushing back on the straight hair beauty standard.
As a female entrepreneur, know that you are not alone! It takes a village and there are amazing organizations out there working hard to help women-led businesses.. I am personally grateful to Stella Foundation for their invaluable resources and assistance.
“Gen-Zs throughout the world, who tend to be nonconformists, are pushing back on straight hair being the beauty standard.”
– Janice Williams Oliver
Can you start by introducing yourself and telling us in your words, about your inspiring story?
A Procter & Gamble Beauty/WWD Media winner, the MisTee PRO is the Dyson for curly/coily hair addressing the needs of 65% of the world.
The MisTee PRO handheld steaming tool is focused on enabling fast detangling/maintaining of curly/coily hair using a proprietary, patented hardware tool that discharges an all-natural, proprietary formulation.
Our business model is B2B2C. We are selling to hair stylists, stylists are selling to consumers and stylists are making a commission (moat). The pods filled with our proprietary formulation will be sold via subscription as we have forecasted that selling to over 6K hair stylists who in turn would sell to their customers, will generate over $125M in less than 10 years. We know this is very achievable because we have a letter of intent with Mayvenn who has access to over 50K hair stylists.
We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
I started this journey in 2019 and I am happy to say most of my team is still with me. At first, I was working exclusively with engineers and the discharge was hot oil and water. When we began to work with a former L’Oreal chemist, she created the proprietary formulation that enabled the “oily steam” discharge.
We have a founder/product/market/fit. We tested the MisTee PRO MVP made with off-the-shelf materials last summer and the response was phenomenal. We also learned that the MisTee PRO tool is a great pre-treatment for synthetic hair.
Earlier this year we were accepted into Rochester Institute of Technology’s Venture Creations Incubator and that association has been super valuable. Upstate NY understands and embraces hardware because it creates jobs. Because of our association with the program and coach Katherine O’Brien, we have been working with Kerelaw Engineering and Ray Dromms to create the “Alpha” version of the MisTee PRO tool and pods. This is a highly skilled team of professionals that includes an MIT graduate, a PhD in Chemistry, and others with years of medical device product development and manufacturing experience, and also exceptional design sensibility. We are confident because of these relationships, we will be manufacturing the tool and pods in the US.
Sustainability is a key focus too. The pods will be recyclable and we are focused on building a tool with minimal components. We are also focused on extending MisTee PRO’s shelf life as long as possible and conducting an end-of-life analysis to determine how to avoid the landfill.
Today, I’m really proud to say that we are poised to test the MisTee PRO “Alpha” version with stylists to receive their input. It is critical that hair stylists are an integral part of our product development process every step of the way.
What are the three most important habits to be a successful entrepreneur?
The three most important characteristics of a successful startup entrepreneur are (there is a difference between a startup and small business entrepreneur):
Being the expert on your target audience (know everything about them)
Constant “check-in” with your customer throughout the product development process
Ability to attract and build a team – you cannot do it alone. It is particularly difficult when your team is receiving equity vs. money.
Every entrepreneur has a goal and problem they’re trying to solve. What was the inspiration that started your journey?
When I found out that hair relaxers can cause cancer, I decided to go “natural.” But, going natural meant that my hair care process changed because for example, if I did not detangle my hair, it would dreadlock. I also learned it would take lots of time, products, money, and tools to take care of my hair.
I also learned that many of the hair care creams and lotions targeted for Black women contain harmful ingredients. This is why I decided to launch the MisTee PRO handheld steaming tool with its pods filled with a proprietary formulation, it discharges an “oily steam” to detangle hair fast and enable curly/coily hair maintenance ease.
How do you prioritize self-care and well-being while managing the demands of your business?
I am a very dedicated yogi and try to practice daily as my yoga practice allows me to feed my mind, body, and spirit. I also enjoy cooking and trying new recipes. I love tasty, flavorful food.
What would you consider your biggest accomplishment and why?
Both of my investors have invested in me twice. That to me was huge because it is a strong vote of confidence for me, my team and MisTee Wants To Know, Inc. I am grateful.
We all face challenges. Looking back, what have been some of the biggest challenges and obstacles you’ve had to navigate?
The startup journey is full of hurdles, from securing funding, which is huge, to finding team members with the right expertise. Navigating this landscape isn’t easy so having the mentorship and resources provided by Stella Foundation has been immensely helpful in overcoming challenges. Their comprehensive support, including access to a network of industry experts and tailored guidance, has been invaluable.
Specifically, participating in Stella’s annual Women’s Fast Pitch contest has been an incredible experience, and I’m particularly proud to have made it to the finals! I will “pitch” (ie: compete) with other women entrepreneur finalists for $50K in grants, investments, and in-kind services at Stella’s annual Women’s Venture Summit in San Diego, CA this September. I am really looking forward to meeting my fellow contestants to exchange ideas and resources. I have found that to be particularly invaluable when participating in pitch competitions. It is how I found out about the Rochester Institute of Technology’s Venture Creations Program.
Can you share some of the most important lessons you’ve learned from your successes and failures in business?
Patience and perseverance.
What advice would you give to a new business owner? Or to your younger self?
The advice I would give to a new startup entrepreneur is:
Be an expert on your target audience
Study the progression of other startups; you will be able to decipher the advice they were given and see whether it helped.
Attend events and interact with people outside of your industry and expertise. Learning from different types of people with different backgrounds and informing how your startup may need to pivot or progress.
Have access to coaches and mentors that have launched successful startups.
How do you set your business apart from others in your industry?
IP is super important to us. We are working with a Multi-Innovation group to ensure that this is achieved. Before filing our non-provisional patent a domestic and international prior art search was conducted and we learned the MisTee PRO is unique. There is no hair styling tool that discharges an “oily steam” from our proprietary formulation.
We will be growing the hair styling tools category because as I mentioned previously, the Dysons and L’Oreals of the world do not sell a tool that detangles or maintains curly/coily hair. All the tools in the market by a major manufacturer strive to straighten, curl, or dry hair. Note, devices that are used to straighten hair cannot be used to detangle.
What social media platform is the best for business growth and why?
MisTee Wants To Know, Inc., is on three social media platforms:
X because it is where investors reside and have conversations
LinkedIn because investors are also on it.
Instagram as this is where hairstylists reside
Facebook because there are hair-related groups that I need to stay connected to.
Other social media platforms will be considered once we start shipping the MisTee PRO tool.
The future for MisTee Wants To Know, Inc. looks very bright. Our goal is to start shipping in 2025 and to collaborate with academic institutes to create more formulations that leverage skincare innovations and to add more capabilities to the MisTeePRO to be considered a smart tool. Stay tuned!
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Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What’s your story?
Melissa Stewart is the founder of SheOwnsIt.com. She is a Purveyor of Possibility, Entrepreneur Advocate and Coffee Addict. She believes that behind every successful woman is her story. What's your story?
