Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Montoya.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Steven. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was born in Waco, TX. My mother, father and I moved out of Waco to Garland, TX a small suburb of Dallas when I was about eight or nine. This move was mainly for a better financial opportunity. When I was a child, we struggled financially. It was definitely an eye-opening experience as a young child. It’s crazy because I am thankful for the struggle because I really feel that it made me into the person I am today. I am a very humble person and I always try to look out for people in tough spots and I never take anything for granted. It really made me a very strong person in the long run. When I finished high school, I applied to Prairie View A&M University. I never put any thought in actually going to a university. At first, I was just going to go to community college like everyone else and work. I got a letter from PV saying I had been accepted. I was kind of shocked, I was like; “Ok, what now?” lol. It was rough in the beginning of my collegiate journey. I dropped out twice and went back home to Dallas to help my mom and dad who were having a tough time financially. I re-enrolled for the last time and graduated from Prairie View A&M University with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology.
After I graduated, I pledged the graduate chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity Inc. I worked retail for a few years and ended up working for the Department of Child Protective Services. I enjoyed it for a while and was good at it. I just still felt that something was missing and it was time for me to move on from it. I did help a lot of children get out of some bad situations and it was rewarding. I don’t know how but I took an interest in looking to become a firefighter. One day I took off from work to take the entry test for the Houston Fire Department. I ended up passing the test. Unfortunately, it took me a whole year to go through the process in getting hired on. Finally, I got a phone call from a recruiter with a job offering. I took it and I am entering my fifth year of being a Houston Fire Department Fire Fighter/ EMT. I definitely found my calling being a firefighter. I can honestly say its the best job in the world. I help people, save lives and get to be a bad ass sometimes lol. I love it!
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
A lot of the time starting a small business is hardly ever a smooth road. For some it is. For me it wasn’t, majority of the time was the fear of failure. I would always ask myself, “Can I really do this?” Can I actually make a product that people would like and actually use”?.I had already started making my own hair pomade about a year ago. I’m really into the hair industry but never really thought about starting a business with my own hair product. With building confidence and family support I decided to take a leap. One thing I did was research natural, organic oils and butters and studied their benefits for hair growth, follicle stimulation and moisturizing. With that, I chose the ingredients I felt would be the most beneficial and created Wave DaDDy Plus+. The main struggle in the hair industry I feel is the exposure of your product. There’s so many natural and organic hair products in stores and online. With any type of hair product, Customers are going to ask; ” Why should I buy and try your product”? What makes your product so great”? Marketing is a huge challenge for a small business. Another obstacle is the legal aspect. I went into a beauty supply store and asked; “What are the requirements for you all to be able to sell a product in your store. The owner of the store told me; “You have to have liability insurance on the product and it has to be a popular product. I was like wow insurance? It definitely made sense to me though. I feel that I’m still in the beginning stages of this, but I’m very confident that I can get the exposure to be able to Wave DaDDy Plus+ to the next level.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Wave DaDDy Plus+ – what should we know?
Wave DaDDy Plus+ is a hair pomade made of organic and natural ingredients. It is a product that is made by hand. I also have a beard balm and beard oil that I recently released about a month ago. I know I’m making progress with popularity in my product. People see me in person and always speak on it. When they see me they say” Wave DaDDy!!! What’s up?” Its funny and it tells me that people see me, Whether its social media or in person. It feels good. I’m proud of my product because I started from the grassroots and continuing to elevate. I’m confident in my product because it is all natural and organic. No preservatives or chemicals whatsoever. It’s not an easy process coming up with the formula for this. I worked very hard on it to make sure its just right. I’ve gone back to the drawing board many of times to get this right and its rewarding when people tell me that they love it and that it has made their hair and scalp better. People ask me why did I choose the name Wave DaDDy Plus+. Honestly, it was something that kind of just came to me. When I would see other guys with waves in their heads, I would always say “Uh oh Wave Daddy” lol. That’s how I kind of came up with the name. What I’m pushing with my product is to eliminate all chemicals when it comes to hair care. This product is not only for waves or for men, It is also for women as well. Whether you have short hair, a woman with waves, or you just want to make sure your hair and scalp is properly moisturized, Wave DaDDy Plus+ is here for all of that. My product promotes growth by stimulating hair follicles, moisturizing your scalp and giving a good healthy shine to your hair. It’s not restricted to gender, race, or age.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
I feel that a never say die attitude has helped me to my success in this company. I’ve never been the type to quit in anything I do. When I start something, I definitely plan on finishing it. I think that is one of the keys to a successful business. When you’re up against the ropes, you have to fight like hell to get out. I live by that. That’s life, everyone has obstacles that they have to overcome. It’s easy to tell someone to never quit and work hard. It takes a lot of discipline and faith in God to get through your trials and tribulations. I never feel that I don’t have a chance to win. Having ideas and the willingness to execute them is also very important. My mind is always turning when it comes to new products that I can put into the Wave DaDDy Plus+ line. Time and patience with ideas can either propel you or leave you dead in the water. I do my best at being strategic when adding new products. You have to keep the consumer wanting more. Taking calculated risk is essential as well. Sometimes diving right in is something you have to take a chance at.
Pricing:
- Wave DaDDy Plus+ Pomade – $10 (Plus $4 shipping fee)
- Wave DaDDy Plus+ Beard Oil – $12 (Plus $4 shipping fee) Beard Balm-$12 (Plus $4 shipping fee)
- Wave DaDDy Plus+ Beard Oil & Beard Oil Duo – $20 (Plus $4 shipping fee)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://wavedaddyplus.wixsite.com/mysite
- Email: wavedaddyplus@gmail.com
- Instagram: @wavedaddypluspomade
- Facebook: Wave DaDDy Plus+
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