October 1, 2025 • 20 mins
Two-time Emmy and Three-time NAACP Image Award-winning, television Executive Producer Rushion McDonald interviewed Miko Branch.
📝 Summary of the Interview
Miko Branch shares the inspiring journey of building Miss Jessie’s, a premium hair care brand for curly hair, alongside her late sister Titi Branch. The brand was born at their kitchen table in Brooklyn and named after their paternal grandmother, Jessie Mae Branch. Miko discusses the importance of authenticity, education, and innovation in product development, and how Miss Jessie’s became a trusted name in the textured hair care industry. The conversation highlights the brand’s commitment to empowering individuals to embrace their natural hair and the evolving trends in beauty and self-expression.
🎯 Purpose of the Interview
- To showcase the entrepreneurial journey behind Miss Jessie’s.
- To highlight the importance of authenticity, education, and innovation in building a brand.
- To discuss the impact of natural hair acceptance and evolving beauty standards.
- To inspire listeners with a story of resilience, creativity, and cultural pride.
🔑 Key Takeaways 1. Authentic Beginnings
- Miss Jessie’s was founded in a Brooklyn brownstone at the kitchen table.
- Inspired by their grandmother Jessie Mae Branch, who was the first female CEO they ever saw.
- Quote: “She ran her family from her kitchen table.”
2. Product Innovation
- First product: Curly Pudding—a game-changer for curly hair.
- Products are designed for all textured hair types: wavy, curly, kinky, transitional, and multicultural.
- Quote: “We just try to come up with a solution to be helpful.”
3. Education is Key
- Miss Jessie’s provides detailed information on hair types and how to use products.
- The website includes guides for identifying hair texture and selecting the right products.
- Quote: “Information and communication is key to success.”
4. Social Media & Word of Mouth
- Early growth came from chat forums and word-of-mouth before social media existed.
- Social media is now an additional platform to connect and educate customers.
- Quote: “Way before social media, women were chatting and spreading the word.”
5. Inclusivity & Representation
- Products are for everyone—men, women, children, and all ethnicities.
- Focus on embracing natural beauty and rejecting outdated beauty ideals.
- Quote: “Hair has no color… we’re all looking for solutions.”
6. Salon as R&D Hub
- Their salon served as a testing ground for product development and customer feedback.
- Quote: “We built our business in the salon… it became our R&D and testing ground.”
7. Natural Hair Movement
- Natural hair is no longer a trend—it’s a cultural shift.
- Seen on public figures like Oprah and Michelle Obama.
- Quote: “Natural hair is preferred… it’s how people want to express themselves.”
💬 Notable Quotes
- “We started our business in our brownstone at our kitchen table.”
- “We didn’t go to business school—we went to Jessie Mae Branch’s kitchen.”
- “Curly Pudding did everything it said it was going to do.”
- “We realized our work was not finished—we had to educate.”
- “Natural hair is not a trend—it’s here to stay.”
#SHMS #STRAW #BEST
Steve Harvey Morning Show Online: http://www.steveharveyfm.com/
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Hi. I am Rashan McDonald, a host of weekly Money
Making Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this
show provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading
other people's success stories and start living your own. If
you want to be a guest on my show, please
visit our website, Moneymaking Conversations dot com and click to
be a guest. Button priss submit and information will come
(00:23):
directly to me. Now let's get this show started. My
next guest is the co founder and CEO of Miss
Jesse LLC, the company behind the premium hair care product line.
You know I'm ball headed, so you know we're gonna
talk about hair care, but won't be offended by it
at all. Miss Jesse exclusively caters to the diverse spectrum
of all curly hair types. I used to have curly
(00:44):
hair type. I used to be back in the day,
was out in college. You and you couldn't say tell
me nothing at all. Please welcome though Money Making Conversation.
Mikole Branch Nicole, I had to have. I had have
little comments about it. You know you're talking about current
had and you know, fine looking hair care and you
know I got some hair but I don't think I
(01:07):
can find it as quickly as I used to find
a Miko.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
That's okay, we know you have curls. Good good.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I love the respect. I love the respect. We'll walk
up the money making conversation, Miko. How are you? How
are you doing? They said you founded the company with
your sister, right, Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Just so good to be here, Rashan, it's so good
to speak with you. And yes, I started a company
with my late great sister speaking brand, and we started
our business in our brownstone Light is our kitchen table on.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Your kitchen table, now see that. That's that's really a
dream to say you started at the someplace where you
would eat breakfast, lunch, your dinner, and that's what that's
what the idea of the concept of and of of
what you what you has become a successful brand and
a trusted brand among women of color, right.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Correct. I think our humble beginning was really a nice
way to connect with our customers. Luckily, my sister Tef
and our were able to make products that really worked,
and when we started sharing these products on salon, our
home salon, it really really caught fire and we were
(02:22):
marketing and making products for people who had similar heir
to ours.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Now the interesting thing abody, but because that's what makes
its authentic, because you're using because you made a product
that you used. It's almost like what happened with Madam C. J. Walker,
you know, back in the day, and is your journey
is fast forward, it's still no different. You know, she
was an inspirational woman who had an idea, saw a
need for African American women and also for so need
(02:49):
that can make them look good about themselves. Isn't that
the bottom line about your product is about making women
feel good about themselves, making women feel that they that
what there's been given to them by God. They don't
have to straighten it, they don't have to do all
these different things. They can actually just live this lifestyle
and be comfortable, correct.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Cord. That is the bottom line of Sean. But the
bottom line is being able to create products that are helpful.
And it's not stuff you know, just not limited to women.
It's for for everyone, including men, including little boys. Anyone
who has texture wants the solution. It's Jess is really aimed,
you know, to make make things.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
That work and uh and making that work. So now,
when I was when I was when I was doing
research on you and you was talking about the diverse
curly hair types they named. You know, you know, the
whole thing is that you named the product after your
paternal grandmother, Jesse May Branch. So so this whole brand,
it seems so natural, so authentic, because you go, where
(03:51):
did you get that name from? Well, that's my personnal grandmother.
So what what what was the inspirational instincts that she
had that said, you know something, we're gonna put We're
gonna put her name on our product.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Hm. Our grandmother, Jeffy played such a huge, huge role
in our in our family, and particularly in the lives
of me and my sister teaching. You know, we spent
a lot of summers and a lot of time sitting
around my grandmother's teaching table. And you know, she happened
to be a great cook. But if you sat around
Jesse and made brand, you couldn't just sit there. You
(04:27):
had to be a very very good helper. So it
was an uncommon to Titi and I to mix the
measure to stir the poor. And little did we know
that that experience of being a wonderful helper to our
grandmother would be the scene for us to create products
that work. But you know, outside of her, you know,
(04:49):
our seeing great helpers and her being a wonderful cook.
He was also the first CEO we'd ever seen, the
first female CEO we'd ever seen, and that that woman
ruled our family from her kitchen table. So TK and
I did not go to business school, so when it
came time to us to make decisions in our own business,
we often tapped into what would Jessie do? You know,
(05:12):
over a decade ago, and more than a decade ago,
when TK and I first started making products, we really
focused on the customer and given her the information right
to on her with how to do her hair and
how to do all these things at home. It was
less about arming your stylence, but more about teaching us
how to do our own hair.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Now it was had social media play a role and
some of the things have you done like do it
yourself videos and things like that on YouTube? How how
has your presence been you know, you're the you know,
the matriarch, you the voice, you the founder, one of
the founders of this company. How how has your role changed?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
You know, you've done my role? You know it's changed
in some ways, but it's also remained the same way.
Before social media, there was even a thing TK and
I spoke to our customer on our arm floor, thank
God for the Internet, and that at the time there
were chat rooms when people women were talking and thank gods,
(06:10):
you know, we're making products at work, and each one
told one about this job curl Magic. It was curly
putting at the time, and it was groundbreaking because there
was nothing like it in the market. And that was
spread fire. And when Jesse was being mixed at the
kitchen table, Rashan before they were going. Viral was a
word right right right, yeah, way before social media. So
(06:35):
now social media is a more interactive way to kick
the good word out right. But social media is just
an additional platform where we were able to connect with
our customers and to give her all of the information
that you need so she can continue to do all
the great things for her hair and use the right product.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
We know, it's really interesting you say that, because I
know when I was managing Steve Harvey, you know, we
were of them Run two thousand and seven. That's when
social media started a peak on every appeal on everybody's radar.
You look on TV and you see the Twitter Twitter
little tag or the host names and the analyance names
and things like that. But we had our little fan club.
(07:16):
We had like eight hundred thousand fan club members, and
so we knew when we sent out a fan club
to they wanted us. They signed up for that. But
like you're saying, you use you balancing both, you balancing
what you how you built your brand with this new technique,
but not leaving the technique that started you. And that's
really important because as we all know, it's like you know,
(07:38):
it's like if you live and if you live your
life and only know how to live your life through electricity,
what's going to happen when you lose electricity? And that's
what you're saying here. If you if you built a foundation,
and that's what we're talking about right now. We talked
about building a foundation. Just started at your kitchen table,
just started on the internet, just started with fan club,
just started with emails, and then all of a sudden,
(07:59):
this this this social media that has taken over the world.
You go, that's just a blessing right there, because we're
not gonna stop doing what we're doing. We're just going
to add that to the blessing the opportunity train. That
really really sounds inspirational. Thank you for sharing that on
my show.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, you know, just being able to treat that foundation.
And the key was, you know, making making products that
truly work. And you know during these times there are
no tricks, there is no social media marketing gains. It's
truly just the foundation to be able to be built
on what social media where people are Usia to spread
the good word about Miss Jessic.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
All right, don't go nowhere, We're gonna come right right
back with Miss jesse. She has some signature products. We're
gonna talk about, you know, the work life balance. We're
going to talk about the self care routine. We're going
to talk about that. No, she started on the kitchen table.
She moved all the food out the way, the folks
and the spoons and the knives, and say we're about
to get busy. Stay with us. More Money Making Conversation
(09:01):
master Class coming up next. Welcome back to Money Making
Conversations master Class hosted by me Rashaan McDonald. Money Making
Conversation master Class continues online at Moneymaking Conversations dot com
(09:24):
and follow money Making Conversations master Class on Facebook X
and Instagram. So let's talk about some of the Miss
Jesse's signature product lines, educating not only Rashan McDonald but
my listeners because we know it's on the store shelves.
You know, I go and I go in Walgreens or
CVS or a different target stores and things like that.
(09:45):
And you know, mostly in the CVS and the Waldgreen
they have a minority high care African American hair care
product section. That's what your product will be found, correct,
are there, yes, ma'am? And so let's talk about some
of your signature product lines.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Well, I couldn't tell the Miss Jesse's story proper if
I didn't create our first product, which was Curly Pudding,
Curly putting with the ground breaker, the game changer. It
was curly. It's a pudding that's purple. It did everything
it said it was going to do. It turned your
freezy froze into curly cues and people just loved it.
And then you know, Miss Jesse's were innovators. So later
(10:26):
on we will come out with Killow Salt Curl. We
were able to marry a hair kit technology with faberg
kit technology and it gives such a salt and nice
touchable curl. But then there's also products like Jalli Salt curls.
Jelly Salt curls is another innovator and that it is
a jail but it's so sow for Sean. You know,
(10:46):
anyone can use it, whether you're a man, if you
want to create your wave, or whether you want to
just you know, do curls. Anyone commusic. And of course
we have products. Now we have a filtrate Pree Harmony
not Miss Sinner too. It's a one of for jentso
but so saf selfish shampool and everyone is really loving it.
Right now, do you want me to go on?
Speaker 1 (11:09):
I'm on the website. I'm on the website, the Miss
Jesse website. You know, I'm looking at stylers for wavy hair,
products for curly hair, tight curly, stylers for kinky hair.
Then you come on down here. You got the you know,
the curl collection. See see the wavy, the curly, the kinky,
the transitioners. Come on now you got something for everybody,
(11:33):
the multicultural curls. Come on, my god, missus Jesse's I
love it. I love it. You are kidding everybody, everybody,
if you just keep telling your story. And like I said,
when you when you, when you started talking, you know,
I get curious, So I said, let me see what
she talking about. What she's talking about? Now we're just
(11:54):
a website. You not just katering you. You've done your research. Look,
you know we may have start on the kitchen table,
but you're not on the kitchen table no more, not
in the two thousand and four. When you start in mind,
you know you in Miami, you way above the lane.
So what what made you believe that you needed all this?
(12:14):
And I'm just asking a general question because out of curiosity.
You know, a lot of people want to stay in
the lane. But you got the wavy hair, the curly hair,
the tight curly, the kiky hair, which lets you know
through research that all curly hair is not alike, right,
So you have to have so you have to have
(12:37):
a haircare for that particular style. That's what is that
I am I saying the right things.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
So I'll put a key this way. You know, whether
you're curly kicking a wavy, there's something for you. You know,
it's not in common for Sean for two people you
know to use the same product. That's the thing about
curly hair, is it how to weigh or dealing with
texted here ms. Jessie's had a wonderful way of speaking
(13:03):
to many different cultures, many different ethnicities, because there was
the common ground. And that's what I loved so much
about what we do. We're not just talking about, you know,
the little girl. We're not just talking about we're actors
talking to women. We're talking to men, whether you're African American,
whether you're Latina, whether you're you know, we have something
(13:26):
for you. And I think we're all looking for solutions
and it has no color, you know, So I think
being helpful is the key. So just as you know,
we stay focused on that, and we were able to
build our product line based on We're just trying to
come up with a solution to be helpful.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
And you're doing that, and you do know, I interview
a lot of people. I interview a lot of people
on the show, and I didn't blasted interview a lot
of people in the hair care business. And my number
one takeaway is that you provide information. You provide more
information about hairstyles that I've ever interviewed anybody on this show.
(14:04):
Because when I go to this one page, well, you
get a description. You actually get a description of what
a wavy hair is. You get a description of what
a curly hair is. You get a description of what
a kinky hairstyle is, A transitioners, what type of hairstyle is.
In other words, if you don't know, now, you know
when you come to Miss Jesse. And that to me
(14:27):
is that type of detail tells me why you are
who you are. You leave no doubt. One thing I've
learned is information is what makes people successful. Information and
communication is key to success. You know, you sat down
and not only launch a new product, but you said,
(14:49):
I'm going to educate people about our product and also
tell them how our product works for them. You took out,
you took all of the all of the was and
what they say, uh doubt are the questions out of
the serf America because you're covering every hairstyle here, every hairstyle.
(15:10):
So my question to you, my question to you is this.
And I don't want to talk too much because this
is your show, this is your moment, and I'm just
excited because I'm being you know, all this great information
I'm an information guy, and when I started getting information,
I'm being educated because you know, I started off the
show with the little jokes about being being ball headed
and they ain't got no hair. And now now I'm like, wow, Wow,
(15:32):
it's Jesse is the bomb. She's the original, she's the queen,
she's the beast, she's the mover into shaker. You the
bomb girl? Am I am?
Speaker 2 (15:46):
I Am?
Speaker 1 (15:47):
I putting too much love on you. Miko, Well, you know,
I think.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I think ra Sean, I think less. You know, for me,
it's just hard for me to not stay focused on
and what we're trying to do, and I just really
stay focused on coming up with those solutions because I
know people they want to be their best and I
think for many years, many of us, particularly the person
with the tighter coil curl, we had been straightening our
(16:14):
hair for so many years. So our information was the key.
She needed to know that her hair is beautiful, she
needed to know that her hair is special, and she
needed to be lined up with the right products that
are going to make her hair do all the wonderful
things that it can do. And I think that's why
information was so key. You know, my sister and I've
(16:34):
spent a lot of time at our kitchen table mixing
and we're also hairstylists. But we realized that our work
was not finished and that we did have to we
did have to educate and just take it, you know,
rewind and just start from scratch and just kind of
let people know or let them know that this is
what we were working with, and you have this kind
(16:55):
of hair, and here are the products that work that's
with that. And I think that that communications that you
spoke about was really it was. It was the foundation
for the relationship between Miss Jessee and our customer.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Okay, then you know I'm playing with your website, right,
So I'm just going around just clicking and navigation and everything,
just reading about your story and just talking about your
story to the public. And today everybody know, I'm in
awe of Mico Branch and the Miss Jesse original brand and.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Our brownstone in the vestige Cytust section of Brooklyn, which
at the time was known as the Hood. So we
built our business. Yes, that is where we built our business,
and that became our R and D and our testing
ground products that work out here in the market. So
part of this Jesse. Heritage is the salon. It's where
(17:46):
we connected with our customer and it's where we figure
out what products are necessary to be put out here.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Again, that's why you were successful. See I'm gonna tell
you this. If this if ru Sean McDonald sounds like
he's bragging on Mico Branch, I am. I am, because
here she's telling you right now, the salon allows her
to find out if what they're delivering is the real
deal right there. There's a lot of companies now they
just put stuff on the shelf. They don't know if
it's working. They don't know if a customer stay over
(18:15):
that burns my hair or that theres nothing for my hair.
They know for a fact, they know they understand their brand.
And before we get off the call, I want to know,
because you are a brand master, you are a trend
setter over the last few years. What have you noticed
in beauty haircare industry trends and changes over the last
few years.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Miko, Well, you know what, I'm not just saying it
because I'm mistusted, but you know now.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Preferred I'm teaser. You can brag on my show. You
could brag on my show. I've already been bragging on
you for two breaks.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
See it on Oprah, You see it on Oprah, you
see it on Michelle Obama, and you see it everywhere here.
Curly here is preferred. It's how people want to express themselves.
It's no longer a beauty idea to wear straight here.
We're embracing all that God gave us naturally, and that
is a trend, and that trend here, it's not a trend.
(19:15):
It's asking me here to stay. And people are just
really becoming more and more pleased with what God gave
them naturally, and the chances is just so happy to
be a part of it all.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversations Masterclass
hosted by me Rashaan McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you our listening audience. Now,
if you want to listen to any episode, I want
to register to be a guest on my show, visit
Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle is money Making Conversations.
(19:50):
Join us next week and remember to always leave with
your gifts. Keep winning. Nine
Hi. I am Rashan McDonald, a host of weekly Money
Making Conversation Masterclass show. The interviews and information that this
show provides are for everyone. It's time to stop reading
other people's success stories and start living your own. If
you want to be a guest on my show, please
visit our website, Moneymaking Conversations dot com and click to
be a guest. Button priss submit and information will come
(00:23):
directly to me. Now let's get this show started. My
next guest is the co founder and CEO of Miss
Jesse LLC, the company behind the premium hair care product line.
You know I'm ball headed, so you know we're gonna
talk about hair care, but won't be offended by it
at all. Miss Jesse exclusively caters to the diverse spectrum
of all curly hair types. I used to have curly
(00:44):
hair type. I used to be back in the day,
was out in college. You and you couldn't say tell
me nothing at all. Please welcome though Money Making Conversation.
Mikole Branch Nicole, I had to have. I had have
little comments about it. You know you're talking about current
had and you know, fine looking hair care and you
know I got some hair but I don't think I
(01:07):
can find it as quickly as I used to find
a Miko.
Speaker 2 (01:12):
That's okay, we know you have curls. Good good.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
I love the respect. I love the respect. We'll walk
up the money making conversation, Miko. How are you? How
are you doing? They said you founded the company with
your sister, right, Yeah, it's.
Speaker 2 (01:25):
Just so good to be here, Rashan, it's so good
to speak with you. And yes, I started a company
with my late great sister speaking brand, and we started
our business in our brownstone Light is our kitchen table on.
Speaker 1 (01:37):
Your kitchen table, now see that. That's that's really a
dream to say you started at the someplace where you
would eat breakfast, lunch, your dinner, and that's what that's
what the idea of the concept of and of of
what you what you has become a successful brand and
a trusted brand among women of color, right.
Speaker 2 (02:02):
Correct. I think our humble beginning was really a nice
way to connect with our customers. Luckily, my sister Tef
and our were able to make products that really worked,
and when we started sharing these products on salon, our
home salon, it really really caught fire and we were
(02:22):
marketing and making products for people who had similar heir
to ours.
Speaker 1 (02:27):
Now the interesting thing abody, but because that's what makes
its authentic, because you're using because you made a product
that you used. It's almost like what happened with Madam C. J. Walker,
you know, back in the day, and is your journey
is fast forward, it's still no different. You know, she
was an inspirational woman who had an idea, saw a
need for African American women and also for so need
(02:49):
that can make them look good about themselves. Isn't that
the bottom line about your product is about making women
feel good about themselves, making women feel that they that
what there's been given to them by God. They don't
have to straighten it, they don't have to do all
these different things. They can actually just live this lifestyle
and be comfortable, correct.
Speaker 2 (03:10):
Cord. That is the bottom line of Sean. But the
bottom line is being able to create products that are helpful.
And it's not stuff you know, just not limited to women.
It's for for everyone, including men, including little boys. Anyone
who has texture wants the solution. It's Jess is really aimed,
you know, to make make things.
Speaker 1 (03:30):
That work and uh and making that work. So now,
when I was when I was when I was doing
research on you and you was talking about the diverse
curly hair types they named. You know, you know, the
whole thing is that you named the product after your
paternal grandmother, Jesse May Branch. So so this whole brand,
it seems so natural, so authentic, because you go, where
(03:51):
did you get that name from? Well, that's my personnal grandmother.
So what what what was the inspirational instincts that she
had that said, you know something, we're gonna put We're
gonna put her name on our product.
Speaker 2 (04:06):
Hm. Our grandmother, Jeffy played such a huge, huge role
in our in our family, and particularly in the lives
of me and my sister teaching. You know, we spent
a lot of summers and a lot of time sitting
around my grandmother's teaching table. And you know, she happened
to be a great cook. But if you sat around
Jesse and made brand, you couldn't just sit there. You
(04:27):
had to be a very very good helper. So it
was an uncommon to Titi and I to mix the
measure to stir the poor. And little did we know
that that experience of being a wonderful helper to our
grandmother would be the scene for us to create products
that work. But you know, outside of her, you know,
(04:49):
our seeing great helpers and her being a wonderful cook.
He was also the first CEO we'd ever seen, the
first female CEO we'd ever seen, and that that woman
ruled our family from her kitchen table. So TK and
I did not go to business school, so when it
came time to us to make decisions in our own business,
we often tapped into what would Jessie do? You know,
(05:12):
over a decade ago, and more than a decade ago,
when TK and I first started making products, we really
focused on the customer and given her the information right
to on her with how to do her hair and
how to do all these things at home. It was
less about arming your stylence, but more about teaching us
how to do our own hair.
Speaker 1 (05:33):
Now it was had social media play a role and
some of the things have you done like do it
yourself videos and things like that on YouTube? How how
has your presence been you know, you're the you know,
the matriarch, you the voice, you the founder, one of
the founders of this company. How how has your role changed?
Speaker 2 (05:50):
You know, you've done my role? You know it's changed
in some ways, but it's also remained the same way.
Before social media, there was even a thing TK and
I spoke to our customer on our arm floor, thank
God for the Internet, and that at the time there
were chat rooms when people women were talking and thank gods,
(06:10):
you know, we're making products at work, and each one
told one about this job curl Magic. It was curly
putting at the time, and it was groundbreaking because there
was nothing like it in the market. And that was
spread fire. And when Jesse was being mixed at the
kitchen table, Rashan before they were going. Viral was a
word right right right, yeah, way before social media. So
(06:35):
now social media is a more interactive way to kick
the good word out right. But social media is just
an additional platform where we were able to connect with
our customers and to give her all of the information
that you need so she can continue to do all
the great things for her hair and use the right product.
Speaker 1 (06:54):
We know, it's really interesting you say that, because I
know when I was managing Steve Harvey, you know, we
were of them Run two thousand and seven. That's when
social media started a peak on every appeal on everybody's radar.
You look on TV and you see the Twitter Twitter
little tag or the host names and the analyance names
and things like that. But we had our little fan club.
(07:16):
We had like eight hundred thousand fan club members, and
so we knew when we sent out a fan club
to they wanted us. They signed up for that. But
like you're saying, you use you balancing both, you balancing
what you how you built your brand with this new technique,
but not leaving the technique that started you. And that's
really important because as we all know, it's like you know,
(07:38):
it's like if you live and if you live your
life and only know how to live your life through electricity,
what's going to happen when you lose electricity? And that's
what you're saying here. If you if you built a foundation,
and that's what we're talking about right now. We talked
about building a foundation. Just started at your kitchen table,
just started on the internet, just started with fan club,
just started with emails, and then all of a sudden,
(07:59):
this this this social media that has taken over the world.
You go, that's just a blessing right there, because we're
not gonna stop doing what we're doing. We're just going
to add that to the blessing the opportunity train. That
really really sounds inspirational. Thank you for sharing that on
my show.
Speaker 2 (08:18):
Yeah, you know, just being able to treat that foundation.
And the key was, you know, making making products that
truly work. And you know during these times there are
no tricks, there is no social media marketing gains. It's
truly just the foundation to be able to be built
on what social media where people are Usia to spread
the good word about Miss Jessic.
Speaker 1 (08:39):
All right, don't go nowhere, We're gonna come right right
back with Miss jesse. She has some signature products. We're
gonna talk about, you know, the work life balance. We're
going to talk about the self care routine. We're going
to talk about that. No, she started on the kitchen table.
She moved all the food out the way, the folks
and the spoons and the knives, and say we're about
to get busy. Stay with us. More Money Making Conversation
(09:01):
master Class coming up next. Welcome back to Money Making
Conversations master Class hosted by me Rashaan McDonald. Money Making
Conversation master Class continues online at Moneymaking Conversations dot com
(09:24):
and follow money Making Conversations master Class on Facebook X
and Instagram. So let's talk about some of the Miss
Jesse's signature product lines, educating not only Rashan McDonald but
my listeners because we know it's on the store shelves.
You know, I go and I go in Walgreens or
CVS or a different target stores and things like that.
(09:45):
And you know, mostly in the CVS and the Waldgreen
they have a minority high care African American hair care
product section. That's what your product will be found, correct,
are there, yes, ma'am? And so let's talk about some
of your signature product lines.
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Well, I couldn't tell the Miss Jesse's story proper if
I didn't create our first product, which was Curly Pudding,
Curly putting with the ground breaker, the game changer. It
was curly. It's a pudding that's purple. It did everything
it said it was going to do. It turned your
freezy froze into curly cues and people just loved it.
And then you know, Miss Jesse's were innovators. So later
(10:26):
on we will come out with Killow Salt Curl. We
were able to marry a hair kit technology with faberg
kit technology and it gives such a salt and nice
touchable curl. But then there's also products like Jalli Salt curls.
Jelly Salt curls is another innovator and that it is
a jail but it's so sow for Sean. You know,
(10:46):
anyone can use it, whether you're a man, if you
want to create your wave, or whether you want to
just you know, do curls. Anyone commusic. And of course
we have products. Now we have a filtrate Pree Harmony
not Miss Sinner too. It's a one of for jentso
but so saf selfish shampool and everyone is really loving it.
Right now, do you want me to go on?
Speaker 1 (11:09):
I'm on the website. I'm on the website, the Miss
Jesse website. You know, I'm looking at stylers for wavy hair,
products for curly hair, tight curly, stylers for kinky hair.
Then you come on down here. You got the you know,
the curl collection. See see the wavy, the curly, the kinky,
the transitioners. Come on now you got something for everybody,
(11:33):
the multicultural curls. Come on, my god, missus Jesse's I
love it. I love it. You are kidding everybody, everybody,
if you just keep telling your story. And like I said,
when you when you, when you started talking, you know,
I get curious, So I said, let me see what
she talking about. What she's talking about? Now we're just
(11:54):
a website. You not just katering you. You've done your research. Look,
you know we may have start on the kitchen table,
but you're not on the kitchen table no more, not
in the two thousand and four. When you start in mind,
you know you in Miami, you way above the lane.
So what what made you believe that you needed all this?
(12:14):
And I'm just asking a general question because out of curiosity.
You know, a lot of people want to stay in
the lane. But you got the wavy hair, the curly hair,
the tight curly, the kiky hair, which lets you know
through research that all curly hair is not alike, right,
So you have to have so you have to have
(12:37):
a haircare for that particular style. That's what is that
I am I saying the right things.
Speaker 2 (12:43):
So I'll put a key this way. You know, whether
you're curly kicking a wavy, there's something for you. You know,
it's not in common for Sean for two people you
know to use the same product. That's the thing about
curly hair, is it how to weigh or dealing with
texted here ms. Jessie's had a wonderful way of speaking
(13:03):
to many different cultures, many different ethnicities, because there was
the common ground. And that's what I loved so much
about what we do. We're not just talking about, you know,
the little girl. We're not just talking about we're actors
talking to women. We're talking to men, whether you're African American,
whether you're Latina, whether you're you know, we have something
(13:26):
for you. And I think we're all looking for solutions
and it has no color, you know, So I think
being helpful is the key. So just as you know,
we stay focused on that, and we were able to
build our product line based on We're just trying to
come up with a solution to be helpful.
Speaker 1 (13:43):
And you're doing that, and you do know, I interview
a lot of people. I interview a lot of people
on the show, and I didn't blasted interview a lot
of people in the hair care business. And my number
one takeaway is that you provide information. You provide more
information about hairstyles that I've ever interviewed anybody on this show.
(14:04):
Because when I go to this one page, well, you
get a description. You actually get a description of what
a wavy hair is. You get a description of what
a curly hair is. You get a description of what
a kinky hairstyle is, A transitioners, what type of hairstyle is.
In other words, if you don't know, now, you know
when you come to Miss Jesse. And that to me
(14:27):
is that type of detail tells me why you are
who you are. You leave no doubt. One thing I've
learned is information is what makes people successful. Information and
communication is key to success. You know, you sat down
and not only launch a new product, but you said,
(14:49):
I'm going to educate people about our product and also
tell them how our product works for them. You took out,
you took all of the all of the was and
what they say, uh doubt are the questions out of
the serf America because you're covering every hairstyle here, every hairstyle.
(15:10):
So my question to you, my question to you is this.
And I don't want to talk too much because this
is your show, this is your moment, and I'm just
excited because I'm being you know, all this great information
I'm an information guy, and when I started getting information,
I'm being educated because you know, I started off the
show with the little jokes about being being ball headed
and they ain't got no hair. And now now I'm like, wow, Wow,
(15:32):
it's Jesse is the bomb. She's the original, she's the queen,
she's the beast, she's the mover into shaker. You the
bomb girl? Am I am?
Speaker 2 (15:46):
I Am?
Speaker 1 (15:47):
I putting too much love on you. Miko, Well, you know,
I think.
Speaker 2 (15:51):
I think ra Sean, I think less. You know, for me,
it's just hard for me to not stay focused on
and what we're trying to do, and I just really
stay focused on coming up with those solutions because I
know people they want to be their best and I
think for many years, many of us, particularly the person
with the tighter coil curl, we had been straightening our
(16:14):
hair for so many years. So our information was the key.
She needed to know that her hair is beautiful, she
needed to know that her hair is special, and she
needed to be lined up with the right products that
are going to make her hair do all the wonderful
things that it can do. And I think that's why
information was so key. You know, my sister and I've
(16:34):
spent a lot of time at our kitchen table mixing
and we're also hairstylists. But we realized that our work
was not finished and that we did have to we
did have to educate and just take it, you know,
rewind and just start from scratch and just kind of
let people know or let them know that this is
what we were working with, and you have this kind
(16:55):
of hair, and here are the products that work that's
with that. And I think that that communications that you
spoke about was really it was. It was the foundation
for the relationship between Miss Jessee and our customer.
Speaker 1 (17:10):
Okay, then you know I'm playing with your website, right,
So I'm just going around just clicking and navigation and everything,
just reading about your story and just talking about your
story to the public. And today everybody know, I'm in
awe of Mico Branch and the Miss Jesse original brand and.
Speaker 2 (17:24):
Our brownstone in the vestige Cytust section of Brooklyn, which
at the time was known as the Hood. So we
built our business. Yes, that is where we built our business,
and that became our R and D and our testing
ground products that work out here in the market. So
part of this Jesse. Heritage is the salon. It's where
(17:46):
we connected with our customer and it's where we figure
out what products are necessary to be put out here.
Speaker 1 (17:53):
Again, that's why you were successful. See I'm gonna tell
you this. If this if ru Sean McDonald sounds like
he's bragging on Mico Branch, I am. I am, because
here she's telling you right now, the salon allows her
to find out if what they're delivering is the real
deal right there. There's a lot of companies now they
just put stuff on the shelf. They don't know if
it's working. They don't know if a customer stay over
(18:15):
that burns my hair or that theres nothing for my hair.
They know for a fact, they know they understand their brand.
And before we get off the call, I want to know,
because you are a brand master, you are a trend
setter over the last few years. What have you noticed
in beauty haircare industry trends and changes over the last
few years.
Speaker 2 (18:34):
Miko, Well, you know what, I'm not just saying it
because I'm mistusted, but you know now.
Speaker 1 (18:43):
Preferred I'm teaser. You can brag on my show. You
could brag on my show. I've already been bragging on
you for two breaks.
Speaker 2 (18:53):
See it on Oprah, You see it on Oprah, you
see it on Michelle Obama, and you see it everywhere here.
Curly here is preferred. It's how people want to express themselves.
It's no longer a beauty idea to wear straight here.
We're embracing all that God gave us naturally, and that
is a trend, and that trend here, it's not a trend.
(19:15):
It's asking me here to stay. And people are just
really becoming more and more pleased with what God gave
them naturally, and the chances is just so happy to
be a part of it all.
Speaker 1 (19:27):
This has been another edition of Money Making Conversations Masterclass
hosted by me Rashaan McDonald. Thank you to our guests
on the show today and thank you our listening audience. Now,
if you want to listen to any episode, I want
to register to be a guest on my show, visit
Moneymakingconversations dot com. Our social media handle is money Making Conversations.
(19:50):
Join us next week and remember to always leave with
your gifts. Keep winning. Nine
Hosts And Creators
Steve Harvey
Shirley Strawberry
Thomas "Nephew Tommy" Miles
Carla Ferrell
Kier "Junior" Spates
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