Today we’d like to introduce you to Chasity Matthews.
Chasity, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
My name is Chasity Matthews. I am a 25 year old law graduate from Memphis, TN. I started my company, A Natural Beaut, in 2013 after cutting my hair in a fit of defiance. After I cut my hair, I sat in my dorm room at LSU and began writing. I’ve always been a lover of words and language. I wrote for hours. My blog discussed natural hair and skin products with an underlying focus on self-care. Eventually, my hair began to grow out and the products I was using were causing major skin issues-acne, rosacea, cystic acne, etc. I was also a broke college student who could not afford to see a dermatologist or continue to spend hundreds on beauty products that did not work. So, I did what I do best: I researched and began creating. I experimented with different healing oils and butters. Some helped, some irritated me even more, but I was determined to make something for myself that was consistent and not loaded with harsh chemicals. After a year of experimenting, I created the perfect mixture now known as Sunny Butter. I began making small jars for friends and family, but I never thought of pursuing it as a business venture. I was just happy to have created something that healed my skin and moisturized my hair. Fast forward to January 2018, I was in my second year of law school. During the spring semester, I enrolled in Business Organizations. The class’s primary objective is to teach the basics of business and the lawyer’s role in maintaining the integrity of a business’s set up and day-to-day operations. At this point, I’d been making Sunny Butter for over two years and it was a beauty staple amongst my circle of friends and family. I’d been encouraged to sell it since day one, but I wasn’t interested because I didn’t have time. Well, Business Organizations changed my mind. On March 23, 2018, I announced on Twitter that I was accepting pre-orders for Sunny Butter. I’d learned the basics to set up my LLC, filed the proper tax information, and I used the excess money (approximately $500) from my scholarship to invest in my business. As cliche as it sounds, the rest was history!
Has it been a smooth road?
By no means has it been a smooth road, but it has been a purposeful one. I started A Natural Beaut while I was in college, and I began selling physical products while in law school. As one can imagine, balancing a law career with a business that requires constant content creation can be quite the task. However, I continue to create space to thrive and navigate ways for the two to co-exist.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the A Natural Beaut story. Tell us more about the business.
A Natural Beaut is a brand that promotes health and wellness the way nature intended by way of affirmations, blog posts, IGTV, and the Soul Sessions Podcast. My words are the staple of my brand and social media presence. Though a selfie or two may make their way onto my feed, I do my best to pour into others through affirming messages and tools that we can use to further our journey to our best selves. Sunny Butter, A Natural Beaut’s feature product, extends that message in a tangible way. It is a multi-purpose whipped butter that soothes dry skin, evens complexion, seals moisture in natural hair, and protects skin from sun damage. It is also a great base for DIY sugar and salt scrubs, hot oil treatments, shaving lubricants, and deep conditioners. Sunny Butter has become a staple in so many lives. To receive pictures and testimonials of how Sunny Butter has helped perfect natural hairstyles for black women, brighten scars, and soothe eczema flares has brought my mission for A Natural Beaut to life. Makeup and high-end skincare definitely have their place, but an affordable multi-purpose beauty product like Sunny Butter has made room for us to question the status quo of beauty. Sunny Butter prioritizes authenticity and functionality before surface level branding. It heals to lessen the “need” to cover. It also limits the idea that more products are necessary in order to achieve the individual goal of healing and nurturing our skin and hair.
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
In the next 5-10 years, I see the wellness community becoming a true staple in society. Right now, it is easy to assume that the work is being overshadowed by jargon and popular terms. However, this specific time in society is calling for us to wake up, get grounded, and truly understand how trauma affects our day-to-day. With that being said, wellness will no longer be considered an option or a luxury or a secret clubhouse. Concepts are being established that will become an integral part of our lives and the lives that will be here long after.
Pricing:
- Sunny Butter, $25
Contact Info:
- Website: ANaturalBeaut.com
- Email: chasity@anaturalbeaut.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iam_anaturalbeaut/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/anaturalbeaut
- Other: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/soul-sessions-podcast/id1521765042
Image Credit:
Laiken Joy
Taylor Watson
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