Hair Loss into Haitian Gains with Kreyòl Essence
How a Salon Disaster Kickstarted Yve’Car’s Remarkable Journey
September 3rd, 2024 • 5 min read
When life hands you a setback, sometimes it becomes the catalyst for something extraordinary. This is undoubtedly true for Yve-Car Momperousse, whose personal crisis led to the creation of Kreyòl Essence, a thriving beauty brand that empowers communities in Haiti and offers natural solutions to hair and skincare needs worldwide.
The Hair Catastrophe That Started It All
Yve-Car’s life changed dramatically after a routine visit to the salon. What should have been a simple hair straightening turned into a disaster, as her natural hair began to fall out in clumps due to severe heat damage.
"When looking for a solution, I called my mom and said, 'What’s that oil you used when I was growing up that solved all of our problems?' And she said, 'Lwil maskriti,' which is known as Haitian castor oil." This ‘liquid gold’ had been a staple in her family for generations, known for its restorative properties. However, accessing authentic Haitian castor oil proved more challenging than she anticipated.
"I thought for sure I could go into CVS or a store and find the castor oil, but everything on the shelves had hexane, bleach, and other additives, and it was refined." Recognizing a significant gap in the market for pure, natural hair care products, Yve-Car saw an opportunity not just to heal her own hair but to bring the benefits of authentic Haitian ingredients to a broader audience.
Building a Social Business Against the Odds
From the outset, Yve-Car was committed to ensuring that Kreyòl Essence would have a meaningful impact on the Haitian economy and environment. "What really made sure that I went forward with the business is looking at job creation…When I started Kreyòl Essence, I was at the Cornell business incubator. No one knew what a social business was; they asked me, 'Well, are you a nonprofit or are you a business?'"
Navigating uncharted territory, she faced skepticism and confusion about her mission-driven approach.
"Some of the things no one told me is that when you’re doing something new, people are often very confused, and trying to get support can be extremely challenging. So experts would say, 'Oh, don’t do that. Don’t tell people that your company is from Haiti; tell them it’s from France. Pour Français—that’s sexier.'"
Despite the naysayers, Yve-Car remained steadfast in her commitment to authenticity and social impact.
"When we look at it 10 years later and the fact that we’ve been profitable and bootstrapped since, it’s because people felt the authenticity of the product, and it was also a product that they couldn’t find anywhere.”
Pivoting to Success
However, two years after launching, the business faced a significant challenge when they lost one of their key clients, causing sales to drop by more than half. Yve-Car reflected on this moment, revealing how close she came to giving up. “I remember coming to FounderMade 10 years ago, and we were actually thinking about closing down the business, and an entrepreneur said, ‘Oh, it takes 10 years to be an overnight success.’ That has stuck with me today.”
Instead of giving in to doubt, Yve-Car took that advice to heart and pivoted the business. Kreyòl Essence shifted from a predominantly B2B wholesale model to a direct-to-consumer approach, which led to a 700% increase in sales the following year. But the real breakthrough came in 2020, when Yve-Car and partner Stéphane appeared on Shark Tank.
Following the Shark Tank episode, Kreyòl Essence products sold out on Amazon within hours, and online sales surged by 50%.
2020 continued to be positive for the company after they secured a partnership with national retailer Ulta Beauty. Despite the impact of the pandemic affecting in-store sales, they sold out on Ulta online for around 6 months!
The Challenges of Scaling and Leading
As Kreyòl Essence grew, so did Yve-Car’s responsibilities as a leader. Scaling the company meant not only running operations in both Haiti and the U.S. but also navigating the complexities of e-commerce, digital marketing, and retail partnerships.
“I didn’t know that I was going to be vertically integrated, meaning that not only do we help manufacture the product in Haiti, but we also are the ones who export it… I didn’t know that I was going to run not one but two facilities - one in Haiti and one in the U.S… I didn’t know I was going to have to learn e-commerce, and I didn’t know I was going to have to negotiate for everything that we wanted, not just for myself but for the folks who we are employing.”
Yve-Car’s honesty about the challenges of entrepreneurship serves as an important reminder that the glamorous side of business is often just the tip of the iceberg.
“It looks very sexy on social media - you’re speaking on a panel, you’re getting your makeup done, you’re on TV. I didn’t know after being on Shark Tank that one of the biggest stressors we were going to have was how to get inventory to people in the middle of a pandemic. And that’s what made us open up our warehouse.”
Leveraging Customer Engagement and Data
A significant part of Kreyòl Essence's growth strategy has been deeply understanding and engaging with its customer base.
"I think often, especially when you’re starting, you may not have that Excel spreadsheet or that fancy software that’s going to tell you, '30% of your customers want this; 20% want that.' But if you are actively engaged with your customers - so for us at Kreyòl Essence, we were a digitally-first company, so I spend a lot of time on social media. I’m looking at what’s happening in stories, what the comment section says, that’s gold. I never understand when people don’t look at it."
This hands-on approach has enabled the company to stay agile and responsive to consumer needs.
"That’s how I’m interacting with the customers to know, 'Oh, the next product launch needs to be a serum', 'She’s ready for her co-wash or her conditioner’,' 'She’s ready for particular styling’, 'She, her husband, and the kids are all using the product, so that means we need something for them’. It’s really coming from the customers."
The Future of Kreyòl Essence
Today, Kreyòl Essence continues to thrive, with Yve-Car leading the charge. From its beginnings in a rum bottle sent from her mother in Haiti to becoming a leader in the natural beauty industry, Kreyòl Essence remains a shining example of how passion, purpose, and resilience can drive change. And for Yve-Car, the journey is far from over.
“It’s all right if it’s not happening as quickly as you thought it would. It’s not supposed to happen quickly, and it doesn’t happen quickly for most businesses.”
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