Big Hair Means Big Business in South Carolina
January 6, 2015
The 2nd Annual Miss Naturally Crowned Carolina Pageant Features Business Pitch Competition for Women with Natural Hair
COLUMBIA, SC – The Capital City’s first natural hair beauty pageant, Miss Naturally Crowned Carolina, is coming back to Columbia for a second go-round on April 18, 2015. The pioneering pageant is the brainchild of 27-year-old Columbia natives, Jessica Boyd and Maureen Ochola, who are also the minds behind Columbia’s first natural hair beauty supply start-up, Quench Natural Beauty Boutique.
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In April 2014, fueled entirely by social media and guerrilla marketing, the very first Miss Naturally Crowned Carolina pageant sold out a 220 seat venue at the S.C. Department of Archives & History. Major supporters included local sponsors Fig Columbia and Paul Mitchell the School Columbia, as well as nationally recognized brands such as Koils by Nature, Coco Curls, Myavana, and LAMIK Beauty. The pageant also drew overwhelming media attention from all local major media outlets, as well as national natural hair industry blogs such as NaturallyCurly.com and Natura Magazine.
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2014 Miss Naturally Crowned Carolina Contestants: Na’Chanelle Brown, 19, of Anchorage, AK; Iman Edgers, 22, of Columbia, SC; Alyssa Eskew, 22, of Lexington, SC; Amber Fennell, 25, of Savannah, GA; India Hill, 22, of Columbia, SC; Chanelle Johnson, 24, of Manning, SC; Jahvasha Johnson, 21, of Brooklyn, NY; Tailah Michael, 22, of Charleston, SC; Jasmine Moore, 20, of Columbia, SC; and Jacquel Taylor, 21, of Sumter, SC.
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The biggest reward for the co-founders (and best friends of over a decade) was witnessing the huge entrepreneurial impact of the pageant. Admittedly inspired by Boyd and Ochola’s own leap of faith, 50% of pageant contestants went on to launch their own businesses. The 2014 grand prize winner, Chanelle Johnson of Manning, SC, is a USC graduate and current academic advisor who was awarded $1,000 to launch her own photography business. Second runner-up India Hill of Columbia, SC, recently wrapped up her day job at a local television news station to pursue a freelance writing and blogging career. Former contestant Jasmine Moore of Columbia, SC officially launched a booming baking business; Tailah Michael of Charleston, SC created an errand service and event planning company; and former contestants Jacquel Taylor and Jahvasha “Jiffy” Johnson are now taking the local modeling scene by storm.
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Left: Jessica Boyd, Right: Maureen Ochola
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Left: 2nd Runner Up India Hill, Right: The Inaugural Miss Naturally Crowned Carolina Chanelle Johnson
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Boyd says, “Not only did we aim to promote positive dialogue and images of naturally afro-ethnic textured hair, but we felt a responsibility to last year’s contestants to help them develop personally. From the beginning of the pageant process to the end, these women completely transformed. No matter how many seats we sold out or the amount of money we raised, that accomplishment was the silver lining.” Ochola adds, “This year, I’m most excited to bring to the South Carolina community an opportunity for naturalistas to showcase both their beauty and brains.”
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This year’s pageant will feature a business pitch competition and award a grand prize of $1000 in start-up funding, marketing and branding services, business coaching, natural hair products, and other non-cash prizes. The pageant is now open statewide to women with naturally afro-ethnic textured hair from the ages of 19-30. Applications are available at www.naturallycrowned.com and will be accepted until January 30th, along with an application fee of $35. Sponsorship, vendor, and advertising opportunities are also available at the Miss Naturally Crowned Carolina website.
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