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 

Links mentioned in this episode

• 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/ 

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Guest Social Media Info

• 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_ 

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