“People say, ‘It’s just your hair,’ but it’s not just your hair. You become an adult that feels that they’re not good enough and that projects into every part of your life.” – Simonne Solarsh
Simonne Solarsh grew up hating her natural curly hair. All her friends had straight hair and everyone she knew who had curly hair regularly used a flat iron. She had no idea how to care for her curls. The boys at her school would throw pieces of cut up erasers into her hair and say, “Let’s see how long it takes for Simonne to find them all.” She didn’t feel beautiful. She was convinced that no boy would like her because of her hair. During one of her birthday parties when she was a young adult, a tall friend picked her up and turned her upside down to make a joke about using her hair as a mop. Everyone laughed.
Although she was always teased about her untamed curls, Simonne never wished to have straight hair. All she wanted was to feel intrinsically beautiful, with her hair in its natural state. After starting her first job, she was determined to prioritise her hair by only using salon quality products. Her hair would look great… but it was short-lived. She went through conditioner after conditioner, hoping to find a product that would work consistently. But none of them did.
Simonne’s perspective of the world changed in 2008 when she met her husband, who she describes as Mr Entrepreneur. His drive and ambition inspired her to dream bigger. Five years later, during their honeymoon in New York, Simonne visited a popular salon where she was introduced to the Curly Girl Method. For the first time in her life, she was hopeful about the possibilities for her hair. At that moment, Simonne decided to create her own product of superior quality that would change the narrative for South Africans with curly hair; allowing them to grow up with more self-confidence and self-love. She started researching the Curly Girl Method and the ingredients that curly hair thrives on. By the end of 2016, she had created hair products that would help anyone with curly hair be who they intrinsically are. And so, IntrinsiCurly Me was born.
“I wanted to be able to create a product that was so superior and such good quality that even if you were somebody who wanted to wash and go or spend five minutes on your hair, you knew that your hair was going to have the best results with as little effort as possible. ”– Simonne Solarsh
Becoming a successful business owner didn’t happen overnight. Simonne worked hard every day, teaching herself everything about running a business and the science behind formulating new products. She hired a formuFormulation… When Simonne placed her very first order for 50 bottles, she was only required to pay when she collected. Although it was a small order, she placed it not knowing where she would get the money from. She wasn’t even sure if she would be able to sell her products. When there were difficult moments, her passion for helping people to help themselves kept her going. A WhatsApp message from an excited customer saying, “Look at my hair! :D I’m so grateful to you for making this product,” was all she needed to make it worthwhile.
“I grew up hating my hair and feeling ‘less than’. I didn’t want other little kids to have that same experience. I wanted little girls and little boys to think that their natural hair is beautiful and that they’re perfect the way they. ”– Simonne Solarsh
Simonne attributes her success to her commitment to self-development. She enjoys meditating, doing yoga, journaling and learning about human nature. She is currently reading “Atomic Habits” by James Clear, a book that simplifies the process of breaking bad habits and building healthy ones. When Simonne has the rare opportunity to take a break from working hard, she enjoys spending it like a true South African; barefoot on the grass, relaxing by the pool or having a braai.
Besides her IntrinsiCurly Me conditioner, the one thing that Simonne cannot live without is YouTube. Whether she needs to concentrate, meditate or uplift her mood, YouTube is her go-to app. She finds that she is much more productive when listening to music. If you would like to see her playlists, check out her personal YouTube channel. She has playlists for all types of occasions, from braai music to songs to listen to while working. Simonne has another channel that she uses to show people how to use IntrinsiCurly Me products. You can also follow IntrinsiCurly Me on Facebook and Instagram or browse the products here.
When we asked Simonne what advice she has for anyone wanting to start their own business, she had this to say:
“Start. Don’t wait until you’ve got the money. Don’t wait until your logo is perfect and your website is perfect. Just start. I started without a website. This was only because of all the self-development I did. You’ve got to continuously upskill. Read every single book you can on changing your mindset, on actual skills like marketing. Read and learn all the time. Just do it and do it badly. You’ll see what your mistakes are and that’s how you learn. I was designing stuff in PowerPoint because I didn’t know how to use any graphic design programme and I couldn’t afford a graphic designer. And now I pay someone else to do it. Taking action is the most important thing that a person starting a small business can do.”
Ubuntu is an ancient African word meaning “humanity”. Another translation is, 'I am what I am because of who we all are'. The philosophy of uBuntu emphasises social unity and generosity. King Online is what it is because of our suppliers and because of you. Without our suppliers, like IntrinsiCurly Me, and without your support, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We are passionate about supporting local businesses and we have had a fruitful partnership with IntrinsiCurly Me since 13 February 2020.
I am so proud of you Simonne for your commitment dedication and enthusiasm May you go from strength to strength