Latest news with #Jamaican-born
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
How True Hair Company Founder Karen Mitchell Turned a Side Hustle Into an Eight-Figure Hair Empire
From Rihanna to Demi Moore, Lizzo, and even Beyoncé, Hollywood's biggest stars have turned to True Hair Company for luxury hair extensions and wigs. But behind the glam is Karen Mitchell, a Jamaican-born, Brooklyn-bred entrepreneur who transformed a side hustle into an eight-figure business that's redefining the Black hair industry. The company not only supplies hair pieces for A-list celebrities, but also provides professional women, businesswomen, and the everyday fabulous woman with premium hair units and pieces, giving them the confidence they need to walk into any room while building their businesses and careers. Mitchell, a noted hair extension expert, launched True Indian Hair, the product brand under the umbrella of True Hair Company, after noticing a lack of diversity in ownership within the billion-dollar Black haircare industry. Coupled with her passion for hair and beauty, she embarked on a mission more than two decades ago to provide career women with high-quality extensions and wigs. 'I started True Hair Co/True Indian Hair in 2004 as a side hustle while working my 9-to-5,' she told BLACK ENTERPRISE. Initially, it was 'just something to make extra money for my social activities,' she said. However, she realized that selling imported Indian hair to friends and family was a lucrative business that eventually mirrored the $60,000 yearly salary she earned as a production coordinator in the fashion industry. 'So, when I got laid off from my 9-to-5 in 2006 and was unable to find another job, I decided to gamble on myself and open a store,' she said. With just $15,000 in savings, she cashed in her 401(k) retirement fund and used loans from family and friends to open the first official True Hair Company store in Brooklyn, New York, in 2007. 'It was the scariest decision of my adult life because I had no business knowledge outside of college economics classes. But I felt I had no other option.' Mitchell's lack of financing and experience as a full-time entrepreneur presented a new set of challenges, forcing her to survive on canned soup for months. She realized that stocking a hair store with bundles, closures, frontals, and wigs, along with purchasing stock goods for online orders, required hundreds of thousands of dollars in upfront costs. 'I didn't have the funding for that,' she said. 'The first two years, my store stock was pretty weak,' she admits. At the time, 'there was no other hair store in Brooklyn selling raw Indian hair, and everyone wanted some True Indian Hair. So, there was a huge demand for my product and customers were willing to wait,' she explained. The high demand forced her to learn what she calls 'the flipping game' quickly. 'I would sell and use the profits to buy twice the amount of the last order, and then three times the amount, and so on. Eventually, the positive cash flow flowed enough from flipping bundles to fully stocking my store.' Today, True Hair Company has become an eight-figure business, providing clientele with luxurious hair ethically sourced directly from donors in India. In addition to the original brick-and-mortar in Flatbush, Brooklyn, Mitchell also runs a 3,000 sq. ft, multi-level flagship store in the heart of Manhattan as well as a successful e-commerce website. 'True Indian Hair was one of those side hustles that evolved beyond a hustle into a real business. It wasn't planned, but once I saw the trajectory. I knew I had something special to offer,' she said. Beyond business success, Mitchell founded the nonprofit True Strength, which provides monthly hair and beauty makeovers to women who have experienced hair loss due to cancer-related treatments. Mitchell and her team intend to expand within the next couple of years to other markets, including Atlanta and New Jersey. Her long-term goals include franchising, launching a new haircare product line, and opening locations in Houston, Miami, Washington, Washington, D.C., and London. In an interview, the hair mogul shared insights about her journey, building her celebrity clientele, and strategies for those looking to launch or expand a business. BE: Where does your entrepreneurial spirit stem from? I have always had an entrepreneurial mindset since I was in high school and college. From selling Avon to selling bracelets out of catalogues, I just had a thing for business. My long-term goal was to open a hair salon. I think my entrepreneurial mindset comes from my mom, who sold commodities in Jamaica for a living. Also, my first job out of college was for a fashion company led by a woman. I stayed with that company for 10 years and, looking back, I now see how my boss influenced me as a woman in business. BE: What makes True Hair Company different from other hair extension and wig companies? We set our company apart by primarily focusing on ethically sourced raw Indian hair for our hair bundles and wigs. We have partnered with our factory in India and have our own team on hand in the factory to select only the best premium raw hair for our production. The quality control continues to our NYC hub where every piece of hair is rewashed to ensure there are no tangles or visible hair issues before it is sold to customers. Because of this, we have a less than 3% return or complaint rate. I think being a woman who actually wears my products has been a great asset. I look at every piece of hair as if it's going into my head. I'm not only the owner; I'm also a client. BE: How did you build and maintain relationships with celebrity clients? We have been blessed to have an amazing list of celebrity stylist and brands who trust our products for their clients. Normally, they will reach out to us with their specific needs. Yusef, who styles Rihanna, to Tokyo Stylez, who styles Cardi B, to Hairassasin, who styles JT, to Tym Wallace who styles Mary J. Blige and Taraji P. Henson, to Chis Appleton, who styles Kim Kardashian, and [celebrity hair stylist] Q Hardy, who has trusted our products from day one. This includes working with fashion brands such as LaQuan Smith for NYFW. They love and trust our quality, and we nurture those relationships. BE: What tips would you share with entrepreneurs struggling to generate revenue and build their business? Access to information for funding is easier now than it was when I started my journey almost 20 years ago. Small Business Loans (SML) are available for businesses to borrow for startup or reinvestment. There are also grants available for startups. I find that we sometimes do not do enough research in our communities. Information will not come to you. You have to seek it out. Start with Google. Visit your local chamber of commerce. They are there to serve you. Find a mentor to guide you and be a sounding board, but do so only after you have done your own research and can communicate your wants or needs. No one wants to help someone who doesn't want to help themselves. Before starting a business, an entrepreneur must know who their target audience is in order to know who to market to. Today, digital marketing is huge, and the best free digital marketing is social media. Use it to your advantage. You have to know your audience and engage your audience with content that not only appeals to them but drives them to buy. Build relationships with your customers to create trust and repeat buyers. Hire strategically. Your team has to add value to your company. Lastly, cut unnecessary expenses that are not contributing to the growth of your business. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mike 'The Body Snatcher' McCallum, boxing hall of famer and three-time champion, dies at 68
Mike McCallum is lifted up by his ring team after he retained his World Boxing Association junior middleweight title against Julian Jackson in Miami Beach, Aug. 23, 1986. (Joe Skipper / Associated Press) Mike "The Body Snatcher" McCallum was so feared for his impeccable technique that the "four kings" of the 1980s declined to fight him. Nevertheless, McCallum won world titles at super welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003. McCallum, the first Jamaican-born champion, died Saturday in Las Vegas at 68. The Jamaica Observer reported that McCallum fell ill while driving to a gym and pulled off the road. He was found to be unresponsive, and was later pronounced dead. Advertisement Not that his inability to secure a bout with Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard or Marvin Hagler spoiled his mood. It was particularly telling that Hearns wouldn't fight McCallum, because they were longtime sparring partners before becoming champions. McCallum was disappointed but remained all smiles outside the ring, consistently carrying himself with a pleasant, if serious, disposition. In the ring, his attention to detail and faultless technique enabled him to post a 49-5-1 record. McCallum earned his nickname by repeatedly punching the body and head. More often than not, bouts ended in knockouts — he recorded 36 KOs and was never knocked out. The Ring magazine ranked him in 2011 as eighth on their list of the "10 best middleweight title holders of the last 50 years." Advertisement "None of 'The Four Kings,' wanted anything to do with that guy and I know that for a fact because I tried to make some of those fights," Hall of Fame boxer Lou DiBella told longtime boxing writer Kevin Iole. "He was the most perfect technical fighter I've ever seen, and he wasn't a pitty-pat guy." Read more: Georgia O'Connor, beloved and unbeaten British boxer, dies at 25 McCallum became the first Jamaican boxer to win a world title when he defeated Irishman Sean Mannion by unanimous decision in 1984 at Madison Square Garden for the WBA Junior Middleweight crown. Jamaican Sport Minister Olivia Grange issued a statement upon learning of McCallum's passing, saying, "It is with utter and complete sadness that I learned of the death of Jamaica's three-time World Boxing Champion Michael McKenzie McCallum. Advertisement 'I express my personal condolences to his mother, siblings and his children. On behalf of the Ministry of Sports I take this opportunity to extend our sympathies to the family and friends of this legendary Jamaican." Michael McKenzie McCallum was born Dec. 7, 1956, in Kingston, Jamaica, and began boxing as a teenager, racking up as many as 250 amateur bouts before turning pro in 1981. He represented Jamaica at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, reaching the quarterfinals. He boxed professionally until 1997, successfully defending the WBA junior middleweight crown six times, including wins over Julian Jackson, Milton McCrory and Donald Curry before moving up a weight class to middleweight. Read more: Commentary: Thirty years ago Freddie Roach didn't take sage advice, opened Wild Card Boxing Club Advertisement McCallum defeated Herol Graham in 1989 to become WBA middleweight champion and defended the belt with wins over Steve Collins, Michael Watson and Sumbu Kalambay. He won his third division title in 1994 by again stepping up in weight class and defeating Jeff Harding for the WBC light heavyweight crown. He met his match against James Toney, fighting to a draw Dec. 13, 1991, before losing to Toney twice. McCallum also dropped a 12-round decision to Roy Jones in a 1997 light heavyweight title fight. He retired shortly thereafter and became a successful trainer, taking great pride in teaching his body-punching technique to young boxers. Jones expressed sadness to Kevin Iole, saying, "Man, we lost another beautiful boxing soul. May he rest in peace.' Advertisement Jones also lamented that McCallum was unable to book fights against the four kings. 'In the junior middleweight division, everyone always went around Mike McCallum, and that says a lot about him," Jones said. "Not even Marvin [Hagler] ever talked much about fighting Mike McCallum. You don't have to listen to what they say [about him]. You watch what they do and everyone wanted to go around him for a reason.' In a post on X, the WBC said: "Rest in Peace to the legendary Mike 'The Body Snatcher' McCallum. Former WBA world champion and one of the most technically gifted fighters of his era. Thank you for the fights, the lessons, and the greatness. Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Los Angeles Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Los Angeles Times
Mike ‘The Body Snatcher' McCallum, boxing hall of famer and three-time champion, dies at 68
Mike 'The Body Snatcher' McCallum was so feared for his impeccable technique that the 'four kings' of the 1980s declined to fight him. Nevertheless, McCallum won world titles at super welterweight, middleweight and light heavyweight and was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2003. McCallum, the first Jamaican-born champion, died Saturday in Las Vegas at 68. The Jamaica Observer reported that McCallum fell ill while driving to a gym and pulled off the road. He was found to be unresponsive, and was later pronounced dead. Not that his inability to secure a bout with Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran, Sugar Ray Leonard or Marvin Hagler spoiled his mood. It was particularly telling that Hearns wouldn't fight McCallum, because they were longtime sparring partners before becoming champions. McCallum was disappointed but remained all smiles outside the ring, consistently carrying himself with a pleasant, if serious, disposition. In the ring, his attention to detail and faultless technique enabled him to post a 49-5-1 record. McCallum earned his nickname by repeatedly punching the body and head. More often than not, bouts ended in knockouts — he recorded 36 KOs and was never knocked out. The Ring magazine ranked him in 2011 as eighth on their list of the '10 best middleweight title holders of the last 50 years.' 'None of 'The Four Kings,' wanted anything to do with that guy and I know that for a fact because I tried to make some of those fights,' Hall of Fame boxer Lou DiBella told longtime boxing writer Kevin Iole. 'He was the most perfect technical fighter I've ever seen, and he wasn't a pitty-pat guy.' McCallum became the first Jamaican boxer to win a world title when he defeated Irishman Sean Mannion by unanimous decision in 1984 at Madison Square Garden for the WBA Junior Middleweight crown. Jamaican Sport Minister Olivia Grange issued a statement upon learning of McCallum's passing, saying, 'It is with utter and complete sadness that I learned of the death of Jamaica's three-time World Boxing Champion Michael McKenzie McCallum. 'I express my personal condolences to his mother, siblings and his children. On behalf of the Ministry of Sports I take this opportunity to extend our sympathies to the family and friends of this legendary Jamaican.' Michael McKenzie McCallum was born Dec. 7, 1956, in Kingston, Jamaica, and began boxing as a teenager, racking up as many as 250 amateur bouts before turning pro in 1981. He represented Jamaica at the 1976 Montreal Olympics, reaching the quarterfinals. He boxed professionally until 1997, successfully defending the WBA junior middleweight crown six times, including wins over Julian Jackson, Milton McCrory and Donald Curry before moving up a weight class to middleweight. McCallum defeated Herol Graham in 1989 to become WBA middleweight champion and defended the belt with wins over Steve Collins, Michael Watson and Sumbu Kalambay. He won his third division title in 1994 by again stepping up in weight class and defeating Jeff Harding for the WBC light heavyweight crown. He met his match against James Toney, fighting to a draw Dec. 13, 1991, before losing to Toney twice. McCallum also dropped a 12-round decision to Roy Jones in a 1997 light heavyweight title fight. He retired shortly thereafter and became a successful trainer, taking great pride in teaching his body-punching technique to young boxers. Jones expressed sadness to Kevin Iole, saying, 'Man, we lost another beautiful boxing soul. May he rest in peace.' Jones also lamented that McCallum was unable to book fights against the four kings. 'In the junior middleweight division, everyone always went around Mike McCallum, and that says a lot about him,' Jones said. 'Not even Marvin [Hagler] ever talked much about fighting Mike McCallum. You don't have to listen to what they say [about him]. You watch what they do and everyone wanted to go around him for a reason.' In a post on X, the WBC said: 'Rest in Peace to the legendary Mike 'The Body Snatcher' McCallum. Former WBA world champion and one of the most technically gifted fighters of his era. Thank you for the fights, the lessons, and the greatness.
Daily Record
17-05-2025
- Daily Record
Race hate murder that shocked Scotland retold 50 years on
Liam Turbett's new book, Glasgow 1975, aims to ensure the story of Hector Smith is not forgotten. The story of a forgotten racist murder that shocked Scotland 50 years ago has been retold in a new book on the sickening crime. Hector Smith was shot dead at home in front of his terrified family in 1975 by convicted bank robber and aspiring Loyalist terrorist Brian Hosie. While the murder made front page news, it was quickly forgotten amid a backdrop of widespread political upheaval in the UK and abroad. Author and activist Liam Turbett has now re-examined the case and links it to a growing campaign against the far-right in the mid-1970s. His book, Glasgow 1975, details the killing of Hector and places it in the context of a city struggling to reinvent itself as numerous residents moved out and thousands of homes were demolished. Turbett told the Record: 'I couldn't believe it hadn't been written about before and was so little known. The stories we tell about the past are important for how we see ourselves, yet it's easy for things to slip away. 'The book is an attempt to ensure that this important and shocking story from Glasgow's recent past is not forgotten.' Hector, a Jamaican-born dad of three, was living in the Woodlands district when he was gunned down as part of a botched plot to extort money from local women suspected of being involved in prostitution. Hosie, a fantasist obsessed with paramilitary violence, concocted the cack-handed scheme while out drinking with two accomplices as a way of raising money for Loyalist extremists. Their brainless actions would see the trio arrive at Hector's flat near Charing Cross to demand money from his partner, who the gang believed was a sex worker. Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community! Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today. You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland. No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team. All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in! If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. Hosie, then aged 24, had recently returned to Glasgow after spending time in Belfast trying to become a fully fledged member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). He also openly bragged about being a card-carrying member of the racist National Front (NF). After Hector refused to hand over the £10 demanded by the gang, Hosie shot him dead with a stolen revolver. The racist thug was quickly apprehended along with his accomplices by police and would later be jailed for life. The full story of the investigation and trial is told in riveting detail by Turbett. Asked why he thought Hector's tragic death was forgotten, the author said: 'The whole thing was seen as being quite seedy and there was no official political response to it. 'Scotland also didn't have a Caribbean community in the same way as some English cities at the time, and anti-racist movements were in their infancy, so there was none of the campaigning or protests around the case that we might expect to see now. 'The alleged involvement of the UDA terrified people too, and there were real fears of importing the conflict in Northern Ireland over to Scotland.' Asked what lessons could be learned from the events of 1975 in Glasgow, Turbett added: 'The Scotland of today is a very different place from 1975. 'But the need to stand up for minorities in society and not allow hate speech to go unchecked – particularly whenever there are attempts to blame different minority groups for deep-seated social or economic problems – remains as important as ever.'
Daily Record
12-05-2025
- Daily Record
Forgotten racist murder in Glasgow shows need 'to stand up for minorities in society'
EXCLUSIVE: A new book tells the terrifying story of how a violent racist shot dead Jamaican-born Hector Smith at his home in central Glasgow. The story of a forgotten racist murder that shocked Scotland 50 years ago has been retold in a new book examining the circumstances of the sickening crime. Hector Smith was shot dead at home in front of his terrified family in February 1975 by convicted bank robber and aspiring Loyalist terrorist Brian Hosie. The tragic story unfolded in Glasgow at a time the city was preparing to celebrate its 800th anniversary. While the brutal murder made frontpage news, it was quickly forgotten amid a backdrop of widespread political upheaval in the UK and abroad. Author and activist Liam Turbett has now reexamined the case and links it to a growing campaign against the far-right in the mid-1970s. His new book, Glasgow 1975, details the senseless killing of Hector and places it in the context of a city struggling to reinvent itself as numerous residents moved out and thousands of homes were demolished. Turbett told the Record: "I couldn't believe it hadn't been written about before and was so little known. "The stories we tell about the past are important for how we see ourselves, yet it's easy for things to slip away. The book is an attempt to ensure that this important and shocking story from Glasgow's recent past is not forgotten." Hector, a Jamaican-born dad-of-three, was living in the Woodlands district when he was gunned down as part of a botched plot to extort money from local women suspected of being involved in prostitution. Hosie, a fantasist obsessed with paramilitary violence, concocted the cack-handed scheme while out drinking with two accomplices as a way of raising money for Loyalist extremists. Their brainless actions would see the trio arrive at Hector's flat near Charing Cross to demand money from his partner, who the gang believed was a sex worker. Hosie, then aged 24, had recently returned to Glasgow after spending time in Belfast trying to become a fully fledged member of the Ulster Defence Association (UDA). He also openly bragged about being a card-carrying member of the racist National Front (NF). After Hector refused to hand over the £10 demanded by the gang, Hosie shot him dead with a stolen revolver. The racist thug was quickly apprehended along with his accomplices by police and would later be jailed for life. The full story of the investigation and trial is told in revetting detail by Turbett. Asked why he thought Hector's tragic death was forgotten, the author said: "The whole thing was seen as being quite seedy and there was no official political response to it. "Scotland also didn't have a Caribbean community in the same way as some English cities at the time, and anti-racist movements were in their infancy, so there was none of the campaigning or protests around the case that we might expect to see now. "The alleged involvement of the UDA terrified people too, and there were real fears of importing the conflict in Northern Ireland over to Scotland." Asked what lessons could be learned from the events of 1975 in Glasgow, Turbett added: "The Scotland of today is a very different place from 1975. "But the need to stand up for minorities in society and not allow hate speech to go unchecked - particularly whenever there are attempts to blame different minority groups for deep-seated social or economic problems - remains as important as ever."
