Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindy and Pierre Perez.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
12 years ago, when my wife and I started dating, she was trying to figure out what to get me. We were new in our relationship and Cindy was trying to figure out what to get the man she was dating that had a beard. She ended up buying me a beard care kit from a local chain store. When I received the gift, I was very skeptical about using the oils and beard wash because it was not part of my current routine but I know beard care was a thing. Finally, I started to use the products, a beard wash and oil. After a few weeks, I noticed that my beard starting to get really dry and awful-looking. I tried using more of the products she gave me and noticed it was getting worse, so the next step was to stop using those products. Finally, after about 2 months of not using those products, I noticed that my beard finally started looking better.
Over the next few years, I purchased and tried products from different places and was spending hundreds of dollars on a monthly basis. During this time, I discovered that all of the chemicals and preservatives in these products were not helping my beard but were actually damaging it. So, I started trying to figure out how I could make my own beard products. Then, in January of 2016, I just started a new job and as I was sitting at my desk stroking my beard and when the idea of making my own beard oils and different beard and skin care products popped into my head. Over the course of the next few months, I started trying to make my own beard oil. After many attempts, I finally came up with the perfect formula that was all natural and had a pleasant scent. I knew I wanted to formulate my beard oil that didn’t leave your hand feeling greasy and I finally had an oil that was exactly what I was looking for. Something made with natural ingredients, smelled amazing, is safe for your skin, and hydrates your beard.
Over the course of the next year, we formulated and made our signature Beard Balm and Beard Wax.
When the pandemic started in 2020, we were sitting at home working and during our lunch break, we started brainstorming about our products. That is when we decided to start our own beard care company. We tossed around a few different names over the next several weeks, but the one that was unique was Texas Tickler Beard Co. Also during this time, I took up playing cornhole. I joined a league and we soon became good friends with the person who runs the league, Miguel Cruz. Miguel gave us the opportunity to set up a vendor table to try to sell our products at one of his cornhole tournaments. Cindy and I didn’t know how our products would be taken because a lot of people really didn’t know about beard care. That event went fairly well and we were so excited because once people started to talk to us about our products, we were able to teach them about beard care, and, I have to say, it felt amazing. After that, we went all in; we bought materials and created and waited for the pandemic to lift so we could get our products out.
Since June of 2021, we have done a total of 12 markets now and are working to get all over Houston. I love that we can educate people on beard care techniques and routines; we look forward to meeting new customers to talk to them about proper beard care and the importance of taking time for yourself. This simple conversation intrigues them and they normally purchase some products so they can start grooming their beard as part of their self-care. At the end of the day, even if they don’t buy any of our Texas Tickler Beard Co products, I feel I did my part to teach and educate them.
Our goal for Texas Tickler Beard Co is to keep growing and build an amazing Brand that speaks for itself. We are already doing that with our repeat customers that come back to us to tell us how much they love our products and how they have spoken to their friends to tell them the importance of spending a little time on yourself. As time goes by, we are continuing to make sure that our products make everyone feel and look their best. We are always working to create and think outside the box for our next product.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
When we started this venture, we had no idea how to proceed. Neither one of us had ever done anything like this, had built a company, or even a brand. We hadn’t even worked on a logo before. So, we were continually looking up topics, asking our friends, and feeling our way around. It has not been a smooth road, but, it hasn’t been horrible either.
As we are meeting more local vendors, we are continually learning and finding out about other avenues we didn’t know to explore or look in to. It really has been a growing experience for us in that we are coming up with new ideas, and, having to look into how to grow with that idea.
It really seems like the pandemic is both hurting and helping us. A few years ago, you would hear commercials on the radio encouraging you to sign up for some seminar to learn how to build a business flipping houses or something along those lines; that would have given us some sort of bases on business building, but, now those things don’t currently exist. The pandemic has helped us because people are learning the importance of self-care and taking the time to be the best for themselves. So when people learn about our products, and, that they are easy to use, they are as excited as we are.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
Currently, Cindy is working in the industrial power distribution industry. She is continually looking into ways to make our business more profitable so that one day our kids can have something to step in to. She is actually cooking up a couple of other business ideas to eventually work on too. I think she shows me ideas and writing notes from the moment she wakes up until just before she goes to sleep.
Pierre is currently working in the Commercial Property industry as a Senior Engineer. Working in a high rise building with Class A tenants, presentation of yourself is a must. We are always brainstorming new product ideas and discovering new ways on how to bring them to life.
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
This is an exciting question for us. We love working with other people and have partnered with other local vendors to help each other grow. For example, in an effort to be “local”, we have partnered with a local bee farmer and we get our beeswax for our balms and waxes from them. We have also partnered with a hairstylist; he has some of our products on his shelf and we work to recommend new clients to him. We are always willing to collaborate and work with others. We are eager to help others as we believe that is the best way to grow our business and our community. If and when anyone wants to work with us, we encourage them to contact us via our website, social media, or even to text us. Our personal cell phone number is on our business card because we are that committed to our product.
Pricing:
- Beard Balms $19.99
- Beard Waxes $19.99
- Beard Oils $14.99
- Combs/Brushes $16.99
Contact Info:
- Website: www.TexasTicklerBeardCo.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/texasticklerbeardco/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TEXASTICKLERBEARDCO
