By Nikki Walton
Rochelle Graham-Campbell is an accomplished entrepreneur, speaker, and boundary breaker in the natural hair, e-commerce, and digital media industries. She’s also a wife, mother, and philanthropist. As CEO and Co-Founder of Alikay Naturals™, a luxury and organic line of hair and skincare products, and its parent company, Black Onyx World, LLC, she leads a multi-million-dollar empire with a powerful combination of vision, drive, and excellence.
I had the pleasure of sitting down with this natural hair pioneer to chat about maintaining her morning rituals, visions for her business, and self-care routine in a rapidly changing world.
On her morning routine…
Chapter 5 in my new book, 90 Days to C.E.O: A Guide To Avoid Business Pitfalls And Unlock The Secrets Of Entrepreneurship talks about the importance of self-care, especially for entrepreneurs.
- I usually wake up between 5:45 and 6:30 a.m. The first thing I do before getting out of the bed is pray.
- I meditate by my pool for 10 – 15 minutes.
- I drive to get coffee. I prefer driving to get coffee rather than making coffee at home because I can listen to some of my favorite business podcasts.
- Rapid fire email session: I answer emails in the morning and send urgent emails to staff.
- I read at least one business article from a trusted business publication to stay on top of the latest trends in business.
- At 8 a.m., I get my children ready for the day. I get them dressed, we eat breakfast, I drop my baby girl at daycare and my husband takes my son to school.
- I usually take my first business call of the day at 10 a.m. I work best in the morning. My energy and focus is at its best then.
- Every morning, I have a check-in with my Executive Assistant. We go through my entire calendar for the day.
Additionally, I make sure I take one full hour for lunch to reflect. As entrepreneurs, it is essential to stop, self-evaluate and reflect on certain questions. Mindfulness is the key to helping entrepreneurs achieve the kind of success they want.
On the launching of Alikay…
My intention was not to start a hair brand. At the start of my natural hair journey, I cut my damaged hair and began the search for natural products. During my search, I learned that most of the products on the market contained harsh chemicals. The natural products were expensive and the affordable products were harmful. Also, I didn’t see anything that catered specifically to women with kinky hair, only textures with looser curls.
So I decided to create my own products to achieve my healthy hair goals, which were inspired by my Jamaican roots. My first product was the Essential 17 Hair Growth Oil. I created the product for myself, but my followers noticed a healthy change and growth in my hair and they wanted to buy Essential 17. I began by making only a few batches, and the demand grew, thus starting the Alikay Naturals brand.
Originally, the Alikay products were made for women with kinky hair only. I felt they were the most undeserved market. Over time, it has progressed into a healthy hair solution for all curl types and those with locs. Alikay has become a lifestyle brand with products for men, babies, body, hair and home.
On her vision for Alikay and the well-being of multicultural women going forward…
The multicultural woman has always been an afterthought in the hair care industry. But at Alikay Naturals, we love and respect the multicultural woman. We’re here to serve her and we believe that she deserves all the things! Her needs are a priority and she deserves quality.
A lot of the legacy brands that pushed relaxers down our throats and told us that our kinky natural hair was not beautiful, are starting to see the value of the multicultural woman. They’re jumping on the natural hair bandwagon but are selling those same watered down products that contain hidden chemicals. They’re slapping “Olive Oil” on the packaging and calling it natural and I’m disgusted by that.
I hope that the natural hair consumer still remembers to be educated, reads and interprets labels and continues to advocate for healthy, real, organic products.
On living her best life…
Self-love and believing in myself has become so important to me. In order for the world to love and accept you, you have to love yourself first. You have to know how amazing you are and not accept anything less than what you truly deserve.
On her current read…
I am currently reading Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less by Greg McKeown. The book talks about how to regain control of your own choices so you can focus your energy into making decisions based on what is necessary and not impulsively.
Then of course there’s my book, 90 Days to C.E.O: A Guide To Avoid Business Pitfalls And Unlock The Secrets Of Entrepreneurship. My book gives all the tools needed to start and run a successful business. People don’t want to put in the work it takes to keep a business running. Or maybe they think if they don’t have the money, they can’t progress. Even without capital, you can still build a successful business. I started with $100, and today, the brand still remains a debt free business.
On what’s next!
- Supporting and purchasing my book, 90 Days to C.E.O: A Guide To Avoid Business Pitfalls And Unlock The Secrets Of Entrepreneurship. Covering the hustle, self-care, and purpose beyond profit, 90 Days to C.E.O is a comprehensive no-BS guide to starting and running a successful business.
- I have business courses on https://rgbusinessuniversity.com/. The Rochelle Graham Business University is a place for visionaries to learn how to chart a course for their lives and businesses. I provide inspirational, anecdotal and tactical knowledge that will equip you to create your dream business and live life on your terms.
- Continue to support Alikay Naturals! When you see our products on the shelves, please support us. We are family owned, made in the US, we own our own manufacturing facility, we only use natural and organic ingredients. We are one of four products that are sold in mass retail that are self-manufactured; that means we can guarantee quality and ensure consumers are receiving the same products I made in my apartment 10 years ago.
Show Rochelle some love in the comments!
