7 Power Moves Black Beauty Entrepreneurs Can Make To Build Strong Brands

The Black beauty industry is facing a critical moment. As government programs roll back public diversity commitments, tariffs drive up production costs, and major retailers shrink shelf space, Black founders are being pushed to the margins of an industry they helped build.

[SEE ALSO: ‘Legacy Isn’t Given—It’s Built’: Inside Sadiaa’s Black Beauty Panel At IBS New York]

While barriers grow, a new movement is brewing — one focused on ownership, loyalty, and innovation on our own terms. Beauty founders and experts are weighing in: building something lasting takes more than visibility. It demands strategy, structure, and a return to community-first principles.

Whether you’re an emerging founder or an established brand recalibrating for the future, get into seven key moves we learned at our legacy building panel at IBS New York to build lasting Black beauty power and keep the future where it belongs.

1. Build With the People Who Already Believe in You

The foundation of a thriving Black beauty ecosystem already exists. It lives in the salons, barbershops, and service spaces that have always championed our culture. Instead of chasing mass market validation, founders should build deeper with those who already trust them. 

“People are too individualized. Back in the day, we were all in it together,” said READY to BEAUTY founder Corey Huggins. “Now there’s your agenda, your agenda, my agenda… If we could bring back that sense of pride, that extended family, I think we’d be a lot better.” 

Community isn’t just the audience. It’s the distribution network, the marketing engine, and the growth strategy.

2. Turn Salons Into Your Strongest Sales Force

Stylists are more than hair dressers. They are artists, frontline influencers, educators, and potential retail partners. If you’re serious about sustainability, it’s time to stop treating salons like an afterthought. 

According to trichologist and industry veteran Rodney Barnett, “If [stylists and barbers] were loyal to the manufacturer, you wouldn’t need a retailer. You are the sources to be able to educate the public on a particular product.”

The brands that will last are equipping the professionals that their ideal consumers already trust.

3. Make Vulnerability Part Of Your Business Plan

In a social-first, AI-powered world, the pressure to perform to perfection is real. But authenticity still wins.

“I made myself vulnerable to reach out and ask for help and support. We don’t do that anymore,” says Nu Standard founder Autumn Yarbrough. “Allow yourself to be vulnerable and trust yourself that you will overcome whatever the results are.”

Brands built on real stories, real pivots, and real connection cut through the noise. Here, vulnerability is a strength. It’s the bridge to loyalty, collaboration, and long-term trust. Show up as a person, not a persona.

4. Mix Old-School Grit with New-School Tools 

It’s okay to be on the hunt for the next big innovation, but it’s important to note that building stronger brands requires a health mix of tradition and technology. That means building brands that evolve and grow with you, not just react to trends.

“You talk about being uncomfortable… [Comer Cottrell] sold his product out of the back of their car,” shared Barnett on his experiences working with the Pro-Line founder.

The most resilient brands blend old-school business ethics (hard work, community, service) with new-school tactics (social selling, DTC models, e-commerce ownership).

5. Own Your Supply Chain, Not Just Your Brand

Tariffs, global shipping issues, and rising material costs are tightening margins and testing the survival of independent beauty brands. Relying solely on international suppliers or operating without control over your manufacturing leaves too much to chance. The next era of Black beauty is more than owning the brand.

As Huggins put it: “I don’t want a seat at the table. I want to own the team. I want to own the manufacturing company that built the team.”

That’s the mindset needed now more than ever. Diversify your sourcing. Strengthen domestic manufacturing relationships. Explore cooperative buying power. Build systems you can control. Because real power — and real protection — comes from owning every link in the chain, not just the logo on the box.

6. Build for Impact, Not Just for Instagram

A viral post is nice, but a thriving ecosystem is better. Brands focused on real problems, not just performances. are the ones that last. 

“Impact does not mean you have to have millions of followers loving you and then you’re changing the world,” said Yarbrough. “You can change the world [with] one person. And that was something I realized that I wanted to do.”

The future belongs to founders who think beyond social validation. These are the founders who design products, services, and systems that circulate resources and shift power. They think about policies, partnerships, and platforms — not just placements. The brands built to last are the ones that center purpose, not popularity.

7. Center the People Who Built This Industry

Lastly, ownership without community alignment is the wrong kind of vulnerable. As an brand founder, you’re a movement build and economic driver.

“We are America’s culture. We’ve built this, we’re creating it, we’re sustaining it. We’re the sauce,” said READY to BEAUTY founder Corey Huggins.

Successful brands know that they are bigger than products and profits. You show up for the very community that built this industry and keeps your business alive. That means you are innovating with intention, listening to real community feedback, and designing systems that ensure your cores customer base feels seen, included, and in power.

This will help build loyalty that can’t be bossed, bought or filtered.

The future of Black beauty won’t be handed to us by corporate check-writers or retailer shelf resets. It’s already ours. Brand by brand. Chair by chair. Community by community. We don’t need a seat at the table when we’re already building the house.