428: How KIN Apparel’s Founder Turned a Dorm Room Side Hustle Into a $10 Million Business

This week in the guest chair I have Philomina Kane, Ghanaian-American entrepreneur and content creator. In 2017, she graduated from Princeton University and began to cement herself as a haircare YouTuber. Garnering a following of nearly 200,000 subscribers, Philomina became a guiding force, empowering Black women to embrace and care for their natural hair. After building a strong brand and loyal following, Philomina founded KIN Apparel, a brand dedicated to crafting satin lined hoodies and hats for both hair protection and comfort.

In this episode she shares about:
– How the innovative approach of KIN Apparel caught the attention of Shark Tank landed a six-figure deal with SKIM’s founding partner Emma Grede
– Her desire-driven approach to marketing and how leading with offering a solution to a problem has hooked her audience
– Reaching over $10M in revenue while continuously navigating challenges like fulfillment centers and a changing financial landscape

Highlights include:
00:00 Intro
03:15 From the Bronx to Ghana
07:30 Building a following on YouTube
14:50 Founding KIN Apparel
20:00 Transition to full-time entrepreneurship
27:00 Benefits of vulnerable marketing
32:00 Financial journey- grants and funding
41:00 Navigating the changing financial landscape
44:00 Shark Tank experience
47:00 Challenges with fulfillment centers
57:00 Tips for entrepreneurs

Check out episode 428 of Side Hustle Pro podcast out now on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and YouTube

Links Mentioned:
Philomina’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@naturallyphilo
Philomina’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs3xy3wpZ-d/?img_index=1
Philomina’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@naturallyphilo_
KIN Apparel: https://kinapparel.org/
KIN Apparel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kinapparel_/?hl=en
LEDA Program: https://ledascholars.org/
Science of Black Hair: https://www.amazon.com/Science-Black-Hair-Comprehensive-Textured/dp/0984518428
Hello Alice: https://helloalice.com/
Black Ambition: https://blackambitionprize.com/
New Voices: https://newvoicesfoundation.org/

Listen on:
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/side-hustle-pro/id1126021323
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/13qDj08lBR4ymzGhXIKy8t?si=8daf52a57e054042
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/sidehustlepro
Click here to subscribe via RSS feed (non-iTunes feed): http://sidehustlepro.libsyn.com/rss

Affiliate Disclosure: I may be an affiliate for products that I recommend or share. If you purchase those items through my links, I may earn a commission. You will not pay more when you use my links.

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