May 13, 2025 • 27 mins
In 2020, then nurse practitioner, Shaina Rainford got seriously ill from COVID. She survived the illness, but lost all her hair and found nothing on store shelves that could help with her condition. Then, she remembered that her younger sister went through something similar – not COVID – five years prior, and their mother had made a concoction that helped little sister to grow her 4C Hair to waist length. Shaina tried the hair oil on her own hair, documented her journey on social media and Bask and Lather was born.
The story is about more than creating a hair care brand. It’s also the story of how one woman’s go-getter spirit moved her into the next level of her professional journey. It’s also a story about centering community and building a legacy.
Here are some key discussions from my conversation with Shaina Rainford:
• Bask and Lather launced in December 2020, and within three months, the company was generating the same amount as Shaina's annual nursing salary
• The business focuses on natural ingredients with no fragrances, using essential oils that each serve a purpose
• Shaina maintains 100% ownership of her company with zero debt and manufactures millions of units annually
• Her 17-year-old son now leads the marketing efforts, creating a true legacy family business
• Baskin-Lather holds top-seller positions on TikTok Shop for multiple hair care categories
• The brand maintains direct-to-consumer focus to control distribution and maintain healthy profit margins
• Their community-centered approach prioritizes authentic engagement with customers both online and offline
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Shaina Rainford (00:03):
I literally just survived COVID and was
begging God to let me live, andnow the least of my worries
should be my hair right.
But I was so distraught over itI said imagine how many people
that look like me are suffering,you know, with hair loss every
single day.
And I said we really need toshare these products with people
.
Prior to my hair shedding andbreaking and falling out during
COVID, my hair was relaxed andonce that happened and I saw the
(00:30):
power of the natural productsand the ingredients and my hair
restored, I said, oh, I'm neverputting chemicals in my hair
again.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (00:33):
Hello and welcome to Shades and Layers
.
I'm your host, Kutloano SkosanaRicci.
Today, my guest is NewYork-based beauty founder,
Shaina Rainford.
The story of Shaina's brand,basque and leather, centers
family family, and she will tellus how she's built and shaped
the brand.
Since receiving the formula fortheir viral hair oil elixir
from her mother, her teenage sonis now preparing to continue
(00:54):
the legacy.
Bask and Lather is now adirect-to-consumer operation
that moved from being a homemadehair oil to a customer favorite
selling hundreds of thousandsof units.
Shaina's entrepreneurialjourney started during COVID.
The nurse practitioner gotseriously ill and while she was
recovering, her hair started tofall out.
Her next step was to call hermom, and the rest is history.
(01:17):
Shaina has since quit her jobas a nurse practitioner and is
working full-time at BaskinLather, while also investing in
real estate.
So, without further ado, let'sget into her story.
Let's start with anintroduction of yourself who you
are, what you do, your companyand greater
Shaina Rainford (01:38):
Awesome.
Yes, my name is Shaina Rainford.
I'm the founder and CEO of Baskand Lather I'm also a board
certified nurse practitioner,which is what I did prior to
founding the company, and ourmission at Baskin-Lather is to
help men, women and children allover the world grow and keep
hair that they
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (01:54):
And what brought you into this mission.
Shaina Rainford (01:57):
Yeah.
So since I was a kid, I knewthat I wanted to go into a
career right, that would helppeople.
So I remember reading BenCarson's autobiography for kids
and go to medical school.
And then, when I was in highschool, I actually had my son
Jaden now almost 17.
And then, you know, I weighedthe pros and cons of medical
(02:18):
school versus some other optionsand I decided to become a nurse
practitioner.
And while I was practicing as anurse practitioner, covid
happened.
And during COVID I was movedfrom office-based practice to
the hospital and I acquiredCOVID, became really, really,
really sick, to the point that Iended up in the back of an
ambulance on an arm and a leg,yep, and I was just praying to
(02:41):
God to let me live to raise mychildren.
A few weeks later I started tolose my hair.
The texture changed, it startedto shed and break and nothing I
tried was helping.
I tried like protein mask andemergency treatments and salon
things and nothing was helping.
And then I remember I said, mom, you know the two oils that she
was making for my sister.
I said, can you make me some?
(03:01):
And I started using it and myhair reverted back to normal
almost instantly.
So backtrack, about five yearsprior to that, my youngest
sister.
She lost all of her hairbecause she was misdiagnosed.
She had flaking and crusting onher scalp and my mom took her
to the primary care doctor andthey said, oh, that's dandruff.
And they treated her withdandruff shampoos Got worse and
(03:23):
worse and worse and then herhair started to fall out in big.
By the time she was properlydiagnosed by a black female
dermatologist with ringworm, herhair was almost completely gone
.
And when she was treated withthe antifungals, her hair fell
out completely.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (03:37):
Oh my goodness, yeah, they're quite
strong, yeah, yeah.
Shaina Rainford (03:41):
Yep, she was going to school with the cap and
her hair was not growing backafter it fell out and she was
treated even after the infectioncleared.
So my mom took her to all typesof specialists from New York to
New Jersey to Pennsylvania andthey did scalp analysis and all
of these assessments and theysaid they didn't see any
activity at the follicular level.
So they weren't sure that herhair was ever going to grow back
.
And my mom was distraught,right.
(04:03):
So she started doing researchon natural and efficacious
ingredients that promote hairgrowth.
Right, because my sister wasyounger, it's not like you can
go pick a hair growth treatmentfrom the store, right, a lot of
them contain chemicals and shewhipped up Bacocon which is now
our best-selling number oneproduct and it worked.
Her hair started to grow backback, but when it was growing in
(04:25):
, initially it was like a peachfuzz and it was fine like very
thin.
So my mom did some researchabout natural ingredients that
helped to also add thickness andvolume to hair, and that's when
she learned about Jamaicanblack castor oil and she created
a blend that doesn't have theharsh roasted castor bean smell
it wasn't as thick.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (04:44):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Shaina Rainford (04:46):
And that's now our hair elixir.
My sister's hair grew from baldto way down to her waist, and
she has four.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (04:53):
C hair.
Wow, that's pretty amazing.
So mom sounds like magic, yeah.
So I mean, has she always beensomebody who experiments with
things in her kitchen?
I mean, how you desperate, okay, yeah, you do find a solution
when you're desperate,especially for your kids, right,
yeah.
But uh, before your hair fellout due to COVID, you know what
(05:17):
were you doing with your hair,what?
How were you styling it?
How were you caring for it?
Shaina Rainford (05:21):
I would have some time.
Well, this is before the silkpress era, so I would have a lot
of washing sets or I would havebraids.
Sometimes I would have sew-ins.
I always alternate betweenprotective styles and wearing my
hair out, just so that I'm notapplying too much heat and
damaging my hair.
And also prior to my hairshedding and breaking and
falling out during COVID, myhair was relaxed and once that
(05:43):
happened and I saw the power ofthe natural products and the
ingredients and my hair restored, I said, oh, I'm never putting
chemicals in my hair again, sothat was also when I when I was
able to regrow my hair back.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (05:54):
Okay, oh , that's lovely.
So you start using your mom'sformula and you see how it works
.
Well, how do you move frommaking it for yourself to taking
it to the lab?
Shaina Rainford (06:06):
Yeah, so this was so.
I had COVID the end of March,early April 2020.
And I remember just feelinglike so depressed and
embarrassed and sad.
And I remember saying to my mom, like you know, if I'm young
and I'm experiencing this hairloss, and, mind you, I literally
just survived COVID and wasbegging God to let me live, and
now the least of my worriesshould be my hair right.
(06:27):
But I was so distraught over it.
I said imagine how many peoplethat look like me are suffering,
you know, with hair loss everysingle day.
And I said we really need toshare these products with people
.
So over the summer and earlyfall, I began to like share my
before and after pictures and mysister's on my personal social
media and people were like, oh,what did you use?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (06:46):
for that , what did?
Shaina Rainford (06:46):
you use for that, and they just started
buying the oil from us.
The products had no labels.
People didn't even weren't evenasking what's in it.
They were just like I want itand people were cash apping me,
drop offs.
It was crazy and fast forwardto like October, november.
I was like, you know, we reallyneed to make this a real,
actual business and that's whatwe did.
(07:07):
So we set up a website anddesigned labels and formed the
LLC and got an EIN number anddid all the things right and in
December December 18th 2020, weofficially launched
Baskin-Lattice, basque andLatiko.
(07:27):
And three months of launchingso from December 2020 to March
2021, the business grew soquickly that in one month, it
was replacing my annual salaryas a nurse practitioner Wow.
Yep and just three months, so,from December to March.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (07:38):
I mean, what do you accredit that to?
Is it social media?
What was going on?
Shaina Rainford (07:42):
Yeah, Absolutely Social media and also
, you know, it wasn't just that,we were just.
It wasn't like I was going tosay, oh, I'm going to make money
looking for a side hustle Right.
It was a experience that wasnear and dear to my heart and my
family, and really sharing thatstory and that testimony with
people online, you know itcreated an affinity for the
brand to people right.
(08:04):
We weren't just making things tosell it, we were.
You know, it was really asolution that was created out of
desperation.
People were really drawn in bythe story and our following grew
significantly.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (08:14):
It just worked.
Yeah, Were you sad to leavenursing or this was yeah.
No because I still get to helppeople right, so that's why I
mentioned that.
Shaina Rainford (08:23):
You know, since I was a kid, no, because I
still get to help people, right,so that's why I mentioned that.
You know, since I was a kid,right, I always wanted, it was
always my desire and passion, tobe in a career field where I
got to help people.
And you know, still to this day, right, I'm getting, I'm able
to help people literally allover the world that I'll never
see.
Every single minute or day,they're sending us amazing
testimonies about how much ourproducts have changed their
lives.
(08:49):
So we were doing about sixfigures a month.
So it was March 2021, where itwas the first month that the
actual our Shopify revenue wasmore than my year's salary as a
nurse practitioner.
And I remember saying to myselfyou know, I should see if, at
work, I could go part time,because it was difficult.
We were making where I wasworking all day making products,
(09:10):
restocking the website, sellingout so quickly.
It was tough.
And I remember saying, oh, Ishould see if I go part-time.
And then I remember hearing alittle voice in the back of my
head saying no, you should quit.
And I'm like, no, I can't dothat.
I have a mortgage, I have afamily, I have student loans.
And right after that so this isMarch I went on my birthday
(09:30):
vacation that year and the day Icame back from vacation to my
job that I had already been atfor about three years prior to
this, I remember my new it was anew supervisor that took over
and she was also a nursepractitioner.
She came and wrote me up, cameto my office and wrote me up for
being late on a while.
Right, contact with patients.
You have to get this annualtesting to make sure you weren't
(09:51):
exposed to tuberculosis.
My old supervisor, who wasamazing, would always remind us
send us an email, make sure yougo to employee health.
This one, nope.
I came back from vacation, shewrote me up oh wow, charming,
she did that.
Then again, a few weeks later,a patient came about 45 minutes
late for their 30 minuteappointment slot and I said I
can't see them.
You know, I have to get fromWestchester down to the Bronx to
(10:12):
pick my daughter up fromdaycare really late.
Now it's almost like sixo'clock.
And a few days after that shewrote me up again for refusing
to see a patient.
And after that second write-upI said you know what this is.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (10:23):
God telling me to move.
Shaina Rainford (10:25):
And yep, and I said third term is what you're
going to terminate me and thesame job that I'm trying to hold
on to I won't have.
You know, I won't have anyway.
It's already impeding mybusiness's growth because I'm
dedicating all this time here.
And so what I did was I wasgetting ready to close on an
investment property at the endof May.
I used nine days of vacation,went on vacation while I had my
(10:46):
closing scheduled, and the lastday of my vacation I scheduled,
sent an email to administrationand said I'm resigning,
effective immediately.
All of my items are already inmy office and I will not be
returning.
And once I did that, mybusiness tripled in revenue.
The following month I left Junethe first Monday of June 2021.
And that month, in June, we hit300K a month in revenue.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (11:08):
Well, congratulations.
That's amazing.
That is great, great, great.
It's Shades and Layers, and myguest today is beauty founder
Shaina Rainford, sharing thestory of her brand, baskin-lobos
.
Let's find out how she movedfrom formulating in her kitchen
to full scale operation and alsobeing in total control of her
supply chain.
I'm quite sure that now youhave a manufacturing partner.
(11:31):
So how did you find thispartner and how was the process
of scaling up?
Shaina Rainford (11:37):
So while we were scaling, it really became
essential to be able tomanufacture right, because
customers were becomingfrustrated that now they love
these products so much and thenthey have to fight online to get
them when they restock onFridays.
So I began looking formanufacturers and I came across
a black owned manufacturer thathad lower MOQs right, because at
(11:58):
that time we were doing wellbut not enough right to compete
for line space at the bigmanufacturers right with other
brands, and they took us on andwe actually became their biggest
client and now we're usingsometimes more than one
manufacturer to keep up with thevolume as we're scaling
Wonderful Black ownedmanufacturing.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (12:15):
I'm curious, are there quite a few
in the New York area, not thatI'm aware of, right, okay, so
what are your hero ingredientsand what's the sourcing process
like for you?
Shaina Rainford (12:27):
So our hero ingredients are typically just
natural oils, things that can befound naturally in the earth,
that promote good results.
So one thing we try to steerclear of is using fragrances.
So even for a natural aroma, weuse essential oils.
Right?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (12:41):
But those essential oils that all
have a purpose.
Shaina Rainford (12:43):
So rosemary, peppermint and other oils like
castor oil, uh, grapeseed oil,uh, everything has a benefit,
right down to the molecularlevel.
Um, so we do a lot of researchand I am the main person who's
formulating moving forward andhave significantly expanded the
product line.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (13:00):
And do you still consider yourself a
small batch or you're way beyondthat now?
Shaina Rainford (13:06):
No, we're producing millions and millions
of units across our SKUs a year.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (13:10):
That is so amazing.
And what has been the advantageof staying an online
direct-to-customer company?
Shaina Rainford (13:19):
So we're in control of our distribution,
100% right.
So when companies, distributorsor individuals wholesale
accounts now come to us and theywant to purchase from us, we
don't allow them to sell online.
Because we put so much into ourorganic efforts, why would I
let you sell my products online?
And then people are GooglingBaskin-Ladin because they saw
our Instagram post, but you'regetting the sale.
(13:40):
So we do have a few hundredstorefronts that sell our
products and we have somedistributors there, but we're in
control of our supply chain andwe have that in our agreements.
Also, profitability we havevery good, very healthy profit
margins online, which allows usto remain 100%.
I have 100% ownership, we don'tneed investors, we have
(14:00):
significant cash flow and wehave zero debt Amazing.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (14:02):
Oh my goodness, your story is just
incredible.
And how big is your team now?
How are they distributed aroundthe city of New York?
Shaina Rainford (14:11):
So we're all office-based.
We have our headquarters, whichis in Yonkers, so we have a
team of 14, which includesmarketing, social media,
administration, logistics,business support and my son,
jaden actually, who's about tobe 17, is really leading our
marketing efforts and reallyhelping us to scale on the paid
side.
So he works very closely withmy team and our agency.
(14:34):
Very, very smart Right.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (14:36):
That's great.
I'm glad it's staying in thefamily, which brings me to this
whole thing of building a legacybusiness.
So you have your son on boardas part of the team.
You know what other businesspractices or activities would
you say they are aimed at legacybuilding?
Shaina Rainford (14:51):
I'm very careful with spending, and that
way we can maintain 100%ownership and scale and have
cash flow.
I think those are the mostimportant things, because when
you kind of get ahead ofyourself, you end up you know a
lot of businesses.
Sometimes they have to go inthe negative to grow and what
happens is you lose bits andpieces of that ownership.
And now it's not you making thedecisions right.
(15:11):
You have to now consult withthis person and that person that
also has an interest in yourbusiness to be able to move
things forward, right, and howdo you describe your brand
identity?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (15:21):
What is it?
How do you speak about it?
We're bold.
Shaina Rainford (15:24):
We're the homegirl, the sister.
We engage with our community ina way that is it's real, it's
raw.
So you know, a lot of timeswe're laughing right Like.
If you go to our social, you'llsee things that are just
hilarious and people are havinga good time and laughing.
Other times we're, you know,just really being vulnerable
with customers.
They're sharing their hairjourneys and their
vulnerabilities.
(15:44):
We're sharing ours.
It's just a fun place.
We really, from the beginning,have been all about community.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (15:50):
Right, and what community activities,
like what kind of activations,do people expect from you?
Shaina Rainford (15:56):
So this year, one thing that we lack in the
past few years is really beingon the ground with customers and
whenever we are right, one ortwo times a year, we would go to
like events and we would havethese long lines of people
backed up and I'm like, oh,people know us offline, wow.
And everyone's like, oh my God,baskin-lather.
And it's just so crazy to me,right, because we're in the
digital space and we neverreally get to see our customers
(16:18):
one-on-one.
So when we do do random eventshere and there and we see all
these people just so excited tosee us, it's just, you know,
it's always mind blowing.
But this year, one of our bigthings that we're everywhere.
So we're doing all the eventsthis year.
You will see Baskin-Lathereverywhere.
We will be on the ground havingfun, doing activations, just
(16:38):
having a lot of fun.
Even every year, we have anannual anniversary party in
December and typically what wedo is invite customers who live
within the tri-state area andwe'll have brunch, we'll have
panels, we'll dance, have dinner.
So, again, lots of things thatare all about community.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (16:54):
And this December makes our five-year
anniversary, so we'll beplanning something really
special, okay great, and do youintend to remain an online brand
or do you have ambitions ofhaving a Sprigton Motor store?
Shaina Rainford (17:06):
We definitely will go into retail.
Big retailers have reached outto distributors that sell to the
stores like, oh, do you carryBaskin-Lobb there?
And I actually had a blackdistributor who's down in I
think it was in Charlotte, hadme fly down there just to tell
me if you're profitable online,do not go into stores.
And this was two years ago nowand eventually that will be the
(17:29):
goal, I would definitely say inabout two years.
But I truly felt that for rightnow we still have more space to
scale and grow online Right,and when you do go into retail,
you want the ball to kind of bein your court and it's never
really in your court in retailRight Cause you lose a lot of
control.
But we want to go with a superstrong presence Right.
We want people to go to thestores and sell out the products
(17:49):
and show the power of the brandRight and what we can bring to
the stores.
And we just still have space togrow online.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (17:55):
Yeah, great, and do you have any
reflections on current rollbackon all these DEI policies,
because there are a lot ofBlack-owned beauty that went
into retail and were promoted.
What has been your reflectionon what is happening to, not
competitors but people who areadjacent on what is happening?
Shaina Rainford (18:14):
to not competitors, but people who are
adjacent.
Yeah, I think it's really,really unfortunate because the
black dollar is very, verypowerful.
So I think it's an unfortunatesituation.
But, you know, each week we'reseeing huge, huge retailers that
were the go-to losing billionsof dollars, and I think that the
outcome of that situation iseven proving more how valuable
we are Right.
(18:34):
So, like John 317 of the Biblesays, you may not understand now
what I'm doing, but later you,you know, you'll understand.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (18:40):
And I think that's kind of one of
those situations where now we'reshowing retailers we have the
power you don't, and you knowI've heard some of the beauty
founders criticizing blackconsumers that they don't spend
money on black owned products.
But I mean clearly you have adifferent experience oh, no,
yeah, my.
Shaina Rainford (18:58):
I have customers who will ask is this
black owned, before I buy?
They want to spend their moneyon black owned products?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (19:06):
Yeah, that's great, and you source
your products.
I'm not sure, but do you sourcein the US or do you import?
Are the current tariffs goingto affect you in any way, and
how are you gearing up for that?
Shaina Rainford (19:19):
So all of our products, we own the
formulations and they'remanufactured here in the US.
However, there are certain oilsespecially, that you have to
import from overseas.
I'm not a worrier like worry isactually a sin so we'll deal
with it when the time comes.
But it's going to affecteveryone, no matter.
It's going to affect the peoplewho are manufacturing overseas
first because they're going tohave the direct impacts.
(19:41):
For us, it's going to be thatthe prices of our packaging and
bottles are going to go up andeventually it will, you know,
affect us, but it's notsomething that quite in a frenzy
for right now and we have veryhealthy profit margins, so we
can not really be too affectedor have to worry so much about
passing additional costs over tothe customer.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (19:59):
Yeah, and I mentioned this because
your main thing is, you knowaffordability and accessibility.
So what is affordable?
How do you define that and howdo you know when you're staying
within that affordable range?
Shaina Rainford (20:14):
So whenever we're pricing something, right,
I'm always looking at what wouldI pay for this and what is the
value proposition of thisproduct.
So, for example, our scalpstimulator oil, which is a two
ounce bottle that lasts for amonth, but it looks small, right
?
So people may say, oh, this is$20, but it's a very powerful
formula.
It's twenty dollars and you'rehungry again in three hours,
(20:48):
right?
So I always put the think ofmyself as a consumer and I also
think of the value propositionof the product and, you know,
just making sure there's ahealthy profit margin so that
way we can continue to grow andscale.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (20:59):
Hey, it's shades and layers, Layers
and up.
Next, Shaina Rainford tells usabout her three proudest moments
as a beauty brand founder andreflects on DEI rollbacks at big
retail, as well as her plansfor the future of Basque and
leather.
What are your ambitions?
(21:19):
You know your dreams, both asan organizational leader and for
the product range that you'reoffering right now leader and
for the product range thatyou're offering right now.
Shaina Rainford (21:33):
So I would say my ultimate goal is to continue
to grow and scale my team.
I have a team of amazing peoplewho are also very passionate
about the brand and contributingto its growth.
Our goal is definitely tocontinue to really just scale
globally and put our footprinteverywhere and just be a
household name.
When people think of either youknow I'm suffering with hair
loss or I want to grow my hairfurther, I want them to think
Baskin-Ladder.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (21:51):
Who have been some of your mentors in
this industry or just in general.
Shaina Rainford (21:56):
So typically I'll look at just Black leaders
in general of other beautybrands, or really any brands,
and I'll watch their interviewsor listen to their podcasts and
see what their journey is like.
Right?
Another reason I decided not tojump into retail is seeing some
other direct competitors andindirect competitors who will
just straight up tell you it was.
(22:16):
They either did it at the wrongtime or they did too much
retail all at once and it reallyhad a negative effect on their
business.
Right, one of the, a big blackowned brand you know, did mass
retail with some of theirproducts and it had a very
negative effect.
Luckily they were able torebuild.
You know, I love seeing them win.
Right, you know they're doing agreat job, but with a different
beauty product.
(22:36):
So you know, those people justbeing vulnerable and really
sharing their stories is kind ofwhat makes me I thought there's
no perfect time for anything.
I always just kind of listen tothe.
You know, when God's speakingto me, he tells me to move on,
when he tells me to slow down, Islow down.
And when the time is right,right, we'll choose the first
the right retail partner for us,and you know those types of
things.
But I think that has been onevery useful thing.
(22:58):
I've gotten indirect guidancefrom from some other beauty
brand owners.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:02):
Right and any books that you'd like to
mention that have beeninfluential in your life, any
business books.
Shaina Rainford (23:09):
I've been reading are A Random Walk Down
Wall Street by Burton Macchio.
The Magic of Thinking Big byDavid Schwartz.
(23:30):
Tax-free Wealth by TomWheelwright.
And Does this Make my AssetsLook Fat?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:35):
That's wonderful.
That's great.
So, speaking of books, if youhad to write your own memoir,
what would you call it and why?
Shaina Rainford (23:45):
What would I call it?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:46):
That's a good question.
I don a good question.
Shaina Rainford (23:47):
I don't know.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:50):
I don't know, have you read any memos
that you've enjoyed?
That you think oh yeah.
I'd like to tell my story likethat.
Shaina Rainford (23:59):
I feel like rich dad poor dad is kind of a
memoir, as he's reallyreflecting from childhood
through life and how all of thedifferent events and, you know,
things he was exposed to andtaught really shaped him.
I would say that's one of themost inspirational memoirs, if
you want to call it that, thatI've read yeah, yeah.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (24:15):
If you had to invite a famous black
woman to dinner, living or dead,who would it be?
Shaina Rainford (24:20):
Famous black woman.
That's a good question.
I'm trying to think who would Iinvite?
Oh, you know who.
I have to find her.
Sorry, there's this other lady.
I remember seeing this yearsago and remember again.
I was a teen mom, so thisreally resonated with me.
She was on a TV show talkingabout how she didn't even have
(24:41):
money to buy pampers for her sonand she had to wrap him in
plastic.
What is her name?
And I actually came across heron tiktok recently.
I have to find her now um justvery inspirational.
She's a speaker cool.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (24:57):
So could you mention three milestones
that you are proudest of so farat Baskin-Luther?
Shaina Rainford (25:03):
definitely um.
So one of our biggestmilestones is and which we've
still withheld since 2023, we'veheld two top now three, but two
top sellers in their categoryon the entire TikTok shop.
So we were early adapters ofTikTok shop and we really
dominated.
So we have the number onebest-selling edge control and we
have the number one most soldhair growth oil on the platform
and now we also have the numberone sold hair grease slash balm,
(25:26):
which is a stimulating scalpand hair balm.
Secondly, I would say we justwon a DTC growth award at our
fulfillment center.
So they have millions of squarefeet of fulfillment centers and
we were their number one basedon growth.
We have 691% growth based onthe number from 2023 to 2024.
Amazing, and a third one.
A third one is oh, we've justrecently reached almost 600,000
(25:50):
orders on Shopify.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (25:52):
Wow, man , that's.
That's really incredible.
How would you advise anaspiring beauty founder to go
about getting started?
Shaina Rainford (26:02):
Just, you just start.
I feel that anything that youhave to think too much about
like recently I was listening tosomething may have been like an
Instagram reel and the personwas saying, oh, you need to have
a business plan and do this anddo that.
You don't.
I think when you're inalignment with what it is that
you're supposed to be doing, youfigure it out along the way.
The resources will be providedto you and you just do it and
you go with the flow and youlearn as you go any influential
(26:24):
people in your life that youwould credit with your spirit,
your go-getter spirit.
My mother my mother is, you know, was a very well is a very,
very hardworking person.
She had me.
She was a single mom, sheworked two jobs while she was
getting her master's degree andshe just is the same go-getter,
(26:44):
hardworking.
You know, like I remember whenI was younger we would drive
around nice communities with bighouses right and just go to
open houses and you know, thenshe got her nice big, beautiful
house well before even Basconadawas started and now I have my
nice big, beautiful house right.
Sometimes seeing is believing.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (27:02):
Yeah, very true, and is there anything
else that you would like totouch on that maybe we didn't
speak about?
Shaina Rainford (27:08):
I think we covered everything.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (27:10):
Yeah, I think so, and that is all from
me this time around.
By the way, the famous blackwoman that Shaina would invite
to dinner tonight ismotivational speaker Lisa
Nichols.
Thank you for yourinspirational story, shaina, and
for sharing your go-getterspirit with us.
If you'd like to learn moreabout Baskin-Ladder, I've also
(27:30):
linked their website and socialsin the show notes.
While you're there, please hitshare and send it to a friend.
As always, I thank you forbeing part of this Shades and
Layers journey.
I'm Gudwanus Kwasana Ritchie,and until next time, please do
take good care.
I literally just survived COVID and was
begging God to let me live, andnow the least of my worries
should be my hair right.
But I was so distraught over itI said imagine how many people
that look like me are suffering,you know, with hair loss every
single day.
And I said we really need toshare these products with people
.
Prior to my hair shedding andbreaking and falling out during
COVID, my hair was relaxed andonce that happened and I saw the
(00:30):
power of the natural productsand the ingredients and my hair
restored, I said, oh, I'm neverputting chemicals in my hair
again.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (00:33):
Hello and welcome to Shades and Layers
.
I'm your host, Kutloano SkosanaRicci.
Today, my guest is NewYork-based beauty founder,
Shaina Rainford.
The story of Shaina's brand,basque and leather, centers
family family, and she will tellus how she's built and shaped
the brand.
Since receiving the formula fortheir viral hair oil elixir
from her mother, her teenage sonis now preparing to continue
(00:54):
the legacy.
Bask and Lather is now adirect-to-consumer operation
that moved from being a homemadehair oil to a customer favorite
selling hundreds of thousandsof units.
Shaina's entrepreneurialjourney started during COVID.
The nurse practitioner gotseriously ill and while she was
recovering, her hair started tofall out.
Her next step was to call hermom, and the rest is history.
(01:17):
Shaina has since quit her jobas a nurse practitioner and is
working full-time at BaskinLather, while also investing in
real estate.
So, without further ado, let'sget into her story.
Let's start with anintroduction of yourself who you
are, what you do, your companyand greater
Shaina Rainford (01:38):
Awesome.
Yes, my name is Shaina Rainford.
I'm the founder and CEO of Baskand Lather I'm also a board
certified nurse practitioner,which is what I did prior to
founding the company, and ourmission at Baskin-Lather is to
help men, women and children allover the world grow and keep
hair that they
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (01:54):
And what brought you into this mission.
Shaina Rainford (01:57):
Yeah.
So since I was a kid, I knewthat I wanted to go into a
career right, that would helppeople.
So I remember reading BenCarson's autobiography for kids
and go to medical school.
And then, when I was in highschool, I actually had my son
Jaden now almost 17.
And then, you know, I weighedthe pros and cons of medical
(02:18):
school versus some other optionsand I decided to become a nurse
practitioner.
And while I was practicing as anurse practitioner, covid
happened.
And during COVID I was movedfrom office-based practice to
the hospital and I acquiredCOVID, became really, really,
really sick, to the point that Iended up in the back of an
ambulance on an arm and a leg,yep, and I was just praying to
(02:41):
God to let me live to raise mychildren.
A few weeks later I started tolose my hair.
The texture changed, it startedto shed and break and nothing I
tried was helping.
I tried like protein mask andemergency treatments and salon
things and nothing was helping.
And then I remember I said, mom, you know the two oils that she
was making for my sister.
I said, can you make me some?
(03:01):
And I started using it and myhair reverted back to normal
almost instantly.
So backtrack, about five yearsprior to that, my youngest
sister.
She lost all of her hairbecause she was misdiagnosed.
She had flaking and crusting onher scalp and my mom took her
to the primary care doctor andthey said, oh, that's dandruff.
And they treated her withdandruff shampoos Got worse and
(03:23):
worse and worse and then herhair started to fall out in big.
By the time she was properlydiagnosed by a black female
dermatologist with ringworm, herhair was almost completely gone
.
And when she was treated withthe antifungals, her hair fell
out completely.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (03:37):
Oh my goodness, yeah, they're quite
strong, yeah, yeah.
Shaina Rainford (03:41):
Yep, she was going to school with the cap and
her hair was not growing backafter it fell out and she was
treated even after the infectioncleared.
So my mom took her to all typesof specialists from New York to
New Jersey to Pennsylvania andthey did scalp analysis and all
of these assessments and theysaid they didn't see any
activity at the follicular level.
So they weren't sure that herhair was ever going to grow back
.
And my mom was distraught,right.
(04:03):
So she started doing researchon natural and efficacious
ingredients that promote hairgrowth.
Right, because my sister wasyounger, it's not like you can
go pick a hair growth treatmentfrom the store, right, a lot of
them contain chemicals and shewhipped up Bacocon which is now
our best-selling number oneproduct and it worked.
Her hair started to grow backback, but when it was growing in
(04:25):
, initially it was like a peachfuzz and it was fine like very
thin.
So my mom did some researchabout natural ingredients that
helped to also add thickness andvolume to hair, and that's when
she learned about Jamaicanblack castor oil and she created
a blend that doesn't have theharsh roasted castor bean smell
it wasn't as thick.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (04:44):
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Shaina Rainford (04:46):
And that's now our hair elixir.
My sister's hair grew from baldto way down to her waist, and
she has four.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (04:53):
C hair.
Wow, that's pretty amazing.
So mom sounds like magic, yeah.
So I mean, has she always beensomebody who experiments with
things in her kitchen?
I mean, how you desperate, okay, yeah, you do find a solution
when you're desperate,especially for your kids, right,
yeah.
But uh, before your hair fellout due to COVID, you know what
(05:17):
were you doing with your hair,what?
How were you styling it?
How were you caring for it?
Shaina Rainford (05:21):
I would have some time.
Well, this is before the silkpress era, so I would have a lot
of washing sets or I would havebraids.
Sometimes I would have sew-ins.
I always alternate betweenprotective styles and wearing my
hair out, just so that I'm notapplying too much heat and
damaging my hair.
And also prior to my hairshedding and breaking and
falling out during COVID, myhair was relaxed and once that
(05:43):
happened and I saw the power ofthe natural products and the
ingredients and my hair restored, I said, oh, I'm never putting
chemicals in my hair again, sothat was also when I when I was
able to regrow my hair back.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (05:54):
Okay, oh , that's lovely.
So you start using your mom'sformula and you see how it works
.
Well, how do you move frommaking it for yourself to taking
it to the lab?
Shaina Rainford (06:06):
Yeah, so this was so.
I had COVID the end of March,early April 2020.
And I remember just feelinglike so depressed and
embarrassed and sad.
And I remember saying to my mom, like you know, if I'm young
and I'm experiencing this hairloss, and, mind you, I literally
just survived COVID and wasbegging God to let me live, and
now the least of my worriesshould be my hair right.
(06:27):
But I was so distraught over it.
I said imagine how many peoplethat look like me are suffering,
you know, with hair loss everysingle day.
And I said we really need toshare these products with people
.
So over the summer and earlyfall, I began to like share my
before and after pictures and mysister's on my personal social
media and people were like, oh,what did you use?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (06:46):
for that , what did?
Shaina Rainford (06:46):
you use for that, and they just started
buying the oil from us.
The products had no labels.
People didn't even weren't evenasking what's in it.
They were just like I want itand people were cash apping me,
drop offs.
It was crazy and fast forwardto like October, november.
I was like, you know, we reallyneed to make this a real,
actual business and that's whatwe did.
(07:07):
So we set up a website anddesigned labels and formed the
LLC and got an EIN number anddid all the things right and in
December December 18th 2020, weofficially launched
Baskin-Lattice, basque andLatiko.
(07:27):
And three months of launchingso from December 2020 to March
2021, the business grew soquickly that in one month, it
was replacing my annual salaryas a nurse practitioner Wow.
Yep and just three months, so,from December to March.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (07:38):
I mean, what do you accredit that to?
Is it social media?
What was going on?
Shaina Rainford (07:42):
Yeah, Absolutely Social media and also
, you know, it wasn't just that,we were just.
It wasn't like I was going tosay, oh, I'm going to make money
looking for a side hustle Right.
It was a experience that wasnear and dear to my heart and my
family, and really sharing thatstory and that testimony with
people online, you know itcreated an affinity for the
brand to people right.
(08:04):
We weren't just making things tosell it, we were.
You know, it was really asolution that was created out of
desperation.
People were really drawn in bythe story and our following grew
significantly.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (08:14):
It just worked.
Yeah, Were you sad to leavenursing or this was yeah.
No because I still get to helppeople right, so that's why I
mentioned that.
Shaina Rainford (08:23):
You know, since I was a kid, no, because I
still get to help people, right,so that's why I mentioned that.
You know, since I was a kid,right, I always wanted, it was
always my desire and passion, tobe in a career field where I
got to help people.
And you know, still to this day, right, I'm getting, I'm able
to help people literally allover the world that I'll never
see.
Every single minute or day,they're sending us amazing
testimonies about how much ourproducts have changed their
lives.
(08:49):
So we were doing about sixfigures a month.
So it was March 2021, where itwas the first month that the
actual our Shopify revenue wasmore than my year's salary as a
nurse practitioner.
And I remember saying to myselfyou know, I should see if, at
work, I could go part time,because it was difficult.
We were making where I wasworking all day making products,
(09:10):
restocking the website, sellingout so quickly.
It was tough.
And I remember saying, oh, Ishould see if I go part-time.
And then I remember hearing alittle voice in the back of my
head saying no, you should quit.
And I'm like, no, I can't dothat.
I have a mortgage, I have afamily, I have student loans.
And right after that so this isMarch I went on my birthday
(09:30):
vacation that year and the day Icame back from vacation to my
job that I had already been atfor about three years prior to
this, I remember my new it was anew supervisor that took over
and she was also a nursepractitioner.
She came and wrote me up, cameto my office and wrote me up for
being late on a while.
Right, contact with patients.
You have to get this annualtesting to make sure you weren't
(09:51):
exposed to tuberculosis.
My old supervisor, who wasamazing, would always remind us
send us an email, make sure yougo to employee health.
This one, nope.
I came back from vacation, shewrote me up oh wow, charming,
she did that.
Then again, a few weeks later,a patient came about 45 minutes
late for their 30 minuteappointment slot and I said I
can't see them.
You know, I have to get fromWestchester down to the Bronx to
(10:12):
pick my daughter up fromdaycare really late.
Now it's almost like sixo'clock.
And a few days after that shewrote me up again for refusing
to see a patient.
And after that second write-upI said you know what this is.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (10:23):
God telling me to move.
Shaina Rainford (10:25):
And yep, and I said third term is what you're
going to terminate me and thesame job that I'm trying to hold
on to I won't have.
You know, I won't have anyway.
It's already impeding mybusiness's growth because I'm
dedicating all this time here.
And so what I did was I wasgetting ready to close on an
investment property at the endof May.
I used nine days of vacation,went on vacation while I had my
(10:46):
closing scheduled, and the lastday of my vacation I scheduled,
sent an email to administrationand said I'm resigning,
effective immediately.
All of my items are already inmy office and I will not be
returning.
And once I did that, mybusiness tripled in revenue.
The following month I left Junethe first Monday of June 2021.
And that month, in June, we hit300K a month in revenue.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (11:08):
Well, congratulations.
That's amazing.
That is great, great, great.
It's Shades and Layers, and myguest today is beauty founder
Shaina Rainford, sharing thestory of her brand, baskin-lobos
.
Let's find out how she movedfrom formulating in her kitchen
to full scale operation and alsobeing in total control of her
supply chain.
I'm quite sure that now youhave a manufacturing partner.
(11:31):
So how did you find thispartner and how was the process
of scaling up?
Shaina Rainford (11:37):
So while we were scaling, it really became
essential to be able tomanufacture right, because
customers were becomingfrustrated that now they love
these products so much and thenthey have to fight online to get
them when they restock onFridays.
So I began looking formanufacturers and I came across
a black owned manufacturer thathad lower MOQs right, because at
(11:58):
that time we were doing wellbut not enough right to compete
for line space at the bigmanufacturers right with other
brands, and they took us on andwe actually became their biggest
client and now we're usingsometimes more than one
manufacturer to keep up with thevolume as we're scaling
Wonderful Black ownedmanufacturing.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (12:15):
I'm curious, are there quite a few
in the New York area, not thatI'm aware of, right, okay, so
what are your hero ingredientsand what's the sourcing process
like for you?
Shaina Rainford (12:27):
So our hero ingredients are typically just
natural oils, things that can befound naturally in the earth,
that promote good results.
So one thing we try to steerclear of is using fragrances.
So even for a natural aroma, weuse essential oils.
Right?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (12:41):
But those essential oils that all
have a purpose.
Shaina Rainford (12:43):
So rosemary, peppermint and other oils like
castor oil, uh, grapeseed oil,uh, everything has a benefit,
right down to the molecularlevel.
Um, so we do a lot of researchand I am the main person who's
formulating moving forward andhave significantly expanded the
product line.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (13:00):
And do you still consider yourself a
small batch or you're way beyondthat now?
Shaina Rainford (13:06):
No, we're producing millions and millions
of units across our SKUs a year.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (13:10):
That is so amazing.
And what has been the advantageof staying an online
direct-to-customer company?
Shaina Rainford (13:19):
So we're in control of our distribution,
100% right.
So when companies, distributorsor individuals wholesale
accounts now come to us and theywant to purchase from us, we
don't allow them to sell online.
Because we put so much into ourorganic efforts, why would I
let you sell my products online?
And then people are GooglingBaskin-Ladin because they saw
our Instagram post, but you'regetting the sale.
(13:40):
So we do have a few hundredstorefronts that sell our
products and we have somedistributors there, but we're in
control of our supply chain andwe have that in our agreements.
Also, profitability we havevery good, very healthy profit
margins online, which allows usto remain 100%.
I have 100% ownership, we don'tneed investors, we have
(14:00):
significant cash flow and wehave zero debt Amazing.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (14:02):
Oh my goodness, your story is just
incredible.
And how big is your team now?
How are they distributed aroundthe city of New York?
Shaina Rainford (14:11):
So we're all office-based.
We have our headquarters, whichis in Yonkers, so we have a
team of 14, which includesmarketing, social media,
administration, logistics,business support and my son,
jaden actually, who's about tobe 17, is really leading our
marketing efforts and reallyhelping us to scale on the paid
side.
So he works very closely withmy team and our agency.
(14:34):
Very, very smart Right.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (14:36):
That's great.
I'm glad it's staying in thefamily, which brings me to this
whole thing of building a legacybusiness.
So you have your son on boardas part of the team.
You know what other businesspractices or activities would
you say they are aimed at legacybuilding?
Shaina Rainford (14:51):
I'm very careful with spending, and that
way we can maintain 100%ownership and scale and have
cash flow.
I think those are the mostimportant things, because when
you kind of get ahead ofyourself, you end up you know a
lot of businesses.
Sometimes they have to go inthe negative to grow and what
happens is you lose bits andpieces of that ownership.
And now it's not you making thedecisions right.
(15:11):
You have to now consult withthis person and that person that
also has an interest in yourbusiness to be able to move
things forward, right, and howdo you describe your brand
identity?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (15:21):
What is it?
How do you speak about it?
We're bold.
Shaina Rainford (15:24):
We're the homegirl, the sister.
We engage with our community ina way that is it's real, it's
raw.
So you know, a lot of timeswe're laughing right Like.
If you go to our social, you'llsee things that are just
hilarious and people are havinga good time and laughing.
Other times we're, you know,just really being vulnerable
with customers.
They're sharing their hairjourneys and their
vulnerabilities.
(15:44):
We're sharing ours.
It's just a fun place.
We really, from the beginning,have been all about community.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (15:50):
Right, and what community activities,
like what kind of activations,do people expect from you?
Shaina Rainford (15:56):
So this year, one thing that we lack in the
past few years is really beingon the ground with customers and
whenever we are right, one ortwo times a year, we would go to
like events and we would havethese long lines of people
backed up and I'm like, oh,people know us offline, wow.
And everyone's like, oh my God,baskin-lather.
And it's just so crazy to me,right, because we're in the
digital space and we neverreally get to see our customers
(16:18):
one-on-one.
So when we do do random eventshere and there and we see all
these people just so excited tosee us, it's just, you know,
it's always mind blowing.
But this year, one of our bigthings that we're everywhere.
So we're doing all the eventsthis year.
You will see Baskin-Lathereverywhere.
We will be on the ground havingfun, doing activations, just
(16:38):
having a lot of fun.
Even every year, we have anannual anniversary party in
December and typically what wedo is invite customers who live
within the tri-state area andwe'll have brunch, we'll have
panels, we'll dance, have dinner.
So, again, lots of things thatare all about community.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (16:54):
And this December makes our five-year
anniversary, so we'll beplanning something really
special, okay great, and do youintend to remain an online brand
or do you have ambitions ofhaving a Sprigton Motor store?
Shaina Rainford (17:06):
We definitely will go into retail.
Big retailers have reached outto distributors that sell to the
stores like, oh, do you carryBaskin-Lobb there?
And I actually had a blackdistributor who's down in I
think it was in Charlotte, hadme fly down there just to tell
me if you're profitable online,do not go into stores.
And this was two years ago nowand eventually that will be the
(17:29):
goal, I would definitely say inabout two years.
But I truly felt that for rightnow we still have more space to
scale and grow online Right,and when you do go into retail,
you want the ball to kind of bein your court and it's never
really in your court in retailRight Cause you lose a lot of
control.
But we want to go with a superstrong presence Right.
We want people to go to thestores and sell out the products
(17:49):
and show the power of the brandRight and what we can bring to
the stores.
And we just still have space togrow online.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (17:55):
Yeah, great, and do you have any
reflections on current rollbackon all these DEI policies,
because there are a lot ofBlack-owned beauty that went
into retail and were promoted.
What has been your reflectionon what is happening to, not
competitors but people who areadjacent on what is happening?
Shaina Rainford (18:14):
to not competitors, but people who are
adjacent.
Yeah, I think it's really,really unfortunate because the
black dollar is very, verypowerful.
So I think it's an unfortunatesituation.
But, you know, each week we'reseeing huge, huge retailers that
were the go-to losing billionsof dollars, and I think that the
outcome of that situation iseven proving more how valuable
we are Right.
(18:34):
So, like John 317 of the Biblesays, you may not understand now
what I'm doing, but later you,you know, you'll understand.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (18:40):
And I think that's kind of one of
those situations where now we'reshowing retailers we have the
power you don't, and you knowI've heard some of the beauty
founders criticizing blackconsumers that they don't spend
money on black owned products.
But I mean clearly you have adifferent experience oh, no,
yeah, my.
Shaina Rainford (18:58):
I have customers who will ask is this
black owned, before I buy?
They want to spend their moneyon black owned products?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (19:06):
Yeah, that's great, and you source
your products.
I'm not sure, but do you sourcein the US or do you import?
Are the current tariffs goingto affect you in any way, and
how are you gearing up for that?
Shaina Rainford (19:19):
So all of our products, we own the
formulations and they'remanufactured here in the US.
However, there are certain oilsespecially, that you have to
import from overseas.
I'm not a worrier like worry isactually a sin so we'll deal
with it when the time comes.
But it's going to affecteveryone, no matter.
It's going to affect the peoplewho are manufacturing overseas
first because they're going tohave the direct impacts.
(19:41):
For us, it's going to be thatthe prices of our packaging and
bottles are going to go up andeventually it will, you know,
affect us, but it's notsomething that quite in a frenzy
for right now and we have veryhealthy profit margins, so we
can not really be too affectedor have to worry so much about
passing additional costs over tothe customer.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (19:59):
Yeah, and I mentioned this because
your main thing is, you knowaffordability and accessibility.
So what is affordable?
How do you define that and howdo you know when you're staying
within that affordable range?
Shaina Rainford (20:14):
So whenever we're pricing something, right,
I'm always looking at what wouldI pay for this and what is the
value proposition of thisproduct.
So, for example, our scalpstimulator oil, which is a two
ounce bottle that lasts for amonth, but it looks small, right
?
So people may say, oh, this is$20, but it's a very powerful
formula.
It's twenty dollars and you'rehungry again in three hours,
(20:48):
right?
So I always put the think ofmyself as a consumer and I also
think of the value propositionof the product and, you know,
just making sure there's ahealthy profit margin so that
way we can continue to grow andscale.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (20:59):
Hey, it's shades and layers, Layers
and up.
Next, Shaina Rainford tells usabout her three proudest moments
as a beauty brand founder andreflects on DEI rollbacks at big
retail, as well as her plansfor the future of Basque and
leather.
What are your ambitions?
(21:19):
You know your dreams, both asan organizational leader and for
the product range that you'reoffering right now leader and
for the product range thatyou're offering right now.
Shaina Rainford (21:33):
So I would say my ultimate goal is to continue
to grow and scale my team.
I have a team of amazing peoplewho are also very passionate
about the brand and contributingto its growth.
Our goal is definitely tocontinue to really just scale
globally and put our footprinteverywhere and just be a
household name.
When people think of either youknow I'm suffering with hair
loss or I want to grow my hairfurther, I want them to think
Baskin-Ladder.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (21:51):
Who have been some of your mentors in
this industry or just in general.
Shaina Rainford (21:56):
So typically I'll look at just Black leaders
in general of other beautybrands, or really any brands,
and I'll watch their interviewsor listen to their podcasts and
see what their journey is like.
Right?
Another reason I decided not tojump into retail is seeing some
other direct competitors andindirect competitors who will
just straight up tell you it was.
(22:16):
They either did it at the wrongtime or they did too much
retail all at once and it reallyhad a negative effect on their
business.
Right, one of the, a big blackowned brand you know, did mass
retail with some of theirproducts and it had a very
negative effect.
Luckily they were able torebuild.
You know, I love seeing them win.
Right, you know they're doing agreat job, but with a different
beauty product.
(22:36):
So you know, those people justbeing vulnerable and really
sharing their stories is kind ofwhat makes me I thought there's
no perfect time for anything.
I always just kind of listen tothe.
You know, when God's speakingto me, he tells me to move on,
when he tells me to slow down, Islow down.
And when the time is right,right, we'll choose the first
the right retail partner for us,and you know those types of
things.
But I think that has been onevery useful thing.
(22:58):
I've gotten indirect guidancefrom from some other beauty
brand owners.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:02):
Right and any books that you'd like to
mention that have beeninfluential in your life, any
business books.
Shaina Rainford (23:09):
I've been reading are A Random Walk Down
Wall Street by Burton Macchio.
The Magic of Thinking Big byDavid Schwartz.
(23:30):
Tax-free Wealth by TomWheelwright.
And Does this Make my AssetsLook Fat?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:35):
That's wonderful.
That's great.
So, speaking of books, if youhad to write your own memoir,
what would you call it and why?
Shaina Rainford (23:45):
What would I call it?
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:46):
That's a good question.
I don a good question.
Shaina Rainford (23:47):
I don't know.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (23:50):
I don't know, have you read any memos
that you've enjoyed?
That you think oh yeah.
I'd like to tell my story likethat.
Shaina Rainford (23:59):
I feel like rich dad poor dad is kind of a
memoir, as he's reallyreflecting from childhood
through life and how all of thedifferent events and, you know,
things he was exposed to andtaught really shaped him.
I would say that's one of themost inspirational memoirs, if
you want to call it that, thatI've read yeah, yeah.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (24:15):
If you had to invite a famous black
woman to dinner, living or dead,who would it be?
Shaina Rainford (24:20):
Famous black woman.
That's a good question.
I'm trying to think who would Iinvite?
Oh, you know who.
I have to find her.
Sorry, there's this other lady.
I remember seeing this yearsago and remember again.
I was a teen mom, so thisreally resonated with me.
She was on a TV show talkingabout how she didn't even have
(24:41):
money to buy pampers for her sonand she had to wrap him in
plastic.
What is her name?
And I actually came across heron tiktok recently.
I have to find her now um justvery inspirational.
She's a speaker cool.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (24:57):
So could you mention three milestones
that you are proudest of so farat Baskin-Luther?
Shaina Rainford (25:03):
definitely um.
So one of our biggestmilestones is and which we've
still withheld since 2023, we'veheld two top now three, but two
top sellers in their categoryon the entire TikTok shop.
So we were early adapters ofTikTok shop and we really
dominated.
So we have the number onebest-selling edge control and we
have the number one most soldhair growth oil on the platform
and now we also have the numberone sold hair grease slash balm,
(25:26):
which is a stimulating scalpand hair balm.
Secondly, I would say we justwon a DTC growth award at our
fulfillment center.
So they have millions of squarefeet of fulfillment centers and
we were their number one basedon growth.
We have 691% growth based onthe number from 2023 to 2024.
Amazing, and a third one.
A third one is oh, we've justrecently reached almost 600,000
(25:50):
orders on Shopify.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (25:52):
Wow, man , that's.
That's really incredible.
How would you advise anaspiring beauty founder to go
about getting started?
Shaina Rainford (26:02):
Just, you just start.
I feel that anything that youhave to think too much about
like recently I was listening tosomething may have been like an
Instagram reel and the personwas saying, oh, you need to have
a business plan and do this anddo that.
You don't.
I think when you're inalignment with what it is that
you're supposed to be doing, youfigure it out along the way.
The resources will be providedto you and you just do it and
you go with the flow and youlearn as you go any influential
(26:24):
people in your life that youwould credit with your spirit,
your go-getter spirit.
My mother my mother is, you know, was a very well is a very,
very hardworking person.
She had me.
She was a single mom, sheworked two jobs while she was
getting her master's degree andshe just is the same go-getter,
(26:44):
hardworking.
You know, like I remember whenI was younger we would drive
around nice communities with bighouses right and just go to
open houses and you know, thenshe got her nice big, beautiful
house well before even Basconadawas started and now I have my
nice big, beautiful house right.
Sometimes seeing is believing.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (27:02):
Yeah, very true, and is there anything
else that you would like totouch on that maybe we didn't
speak about?
Shaina Rainford (27:08):
I think we covered everything.
Kutloano Skosana Ricci (27:10):
Yeah, I think so, and that is all from
me this time around.
By the way, the famous blackwoman that Shaina would invite
to dinner tonight ismotivational speaker Lisa
Nichols.
Thank you for yourinspirational story, shaina, and
for sharing your go-getterspirit with us.
If you'd like to learn moreabout Baskin-Ladder, I've also
(27:30):
linked their website and socialsin the show notes.
While you're there, please hitshare and send it to a friend.
As always, I thank you forbeing part of this Shades and
Layers journey.
I'm Gudwanus Kwasana Ritchie,and until next time, please do
take good care.
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