Meet The Founder Series : Building A Profitable Business From A Personal Brand

On this week's 'Meet The Founder Series' we have the pleasure of hosting Michelle Anyango, Founder of Nywele Chronicles. Nywele Chronicles is quickly becoming a household name especially for the ladies who are keen on natural hair care. We've seen Michelle grow from 2016 when Nywele Chronicles was a blog and You Tube channel. She has built her brand and business on three core values - trust, simplicity and accountability. Let's find out more on what it takes to transform a brand into a business that an audience can actually purchase from.

Tell us a bit about the story behind Nywele Chronicles, Michelle Anyango and how you grew the audience.

Michelle: It all started as Nywele Chronicles in July 2016. I was just beginning my natural hair journey and I wanted to build an online journal where I would share my journey. Later as the brand grew, I decided to separate Nywele Chronicles, the business from Michelle Anyango, the individual.

What was the ‘aha’ moment when you decided to take the risk and transition into business - Nywele Chronicles?

Michelle: In 2018 I decided to rebrand and separate Michelle Anyango, the individual from Nywele Chronicles, the brand. At this point so many people constantly asked me where I was getting the colorful wraps I was wearing often. I saw this as an opportunity and decided to make Nywele Chronicles an official online store where my audience could conveniently purchase headwraps.

Was it hard getting customers for your products once you launched?

Michelle: The first few months were hard because headwraps were something relatively new and most people associated them with older and mature women. But after a few months, with some education and awareness, people started warming up to it and sales were picking up.

Most businesses begin with the founder taking on most, if not all the roles in the company ie Marketing, Finance, Content Creation, Logistics - Is this the same for you? If yes, how do you stay organized and on top of all your tasks?

Michelle: I do everything by myself and just like you said it can be overwhelming. I now ensure I delegate different days for different tasks just to ensure I'm on top of my game and not too overwhelmed.

How has Nywele Chronicles grown over time?

Michelle: We started off with headwraps only. Now we have satin bonnets, detangling brushes and mist bottles.

What are the most notable ways in which your business has had to pivot post-COVID?

Michelle: Most people have embraced online shopping so I now strive and ensure that the products can get to the client in the most convenient, fastest way possible with little to no hiccups.

Which are the 4 Content Creation Apps you can’t do without?

Michelle: Canva, Inshot, Trello and Snapseed

Do you have any advice for someone who’d like to turn their personal brand into a profitable product?

Michelle: Just start. You don’t have to be perfect of have everything figured out.