Global hair care company provides beauty products and business opportunities to women
Strength of Nature Global, LLC, a company that develops and markets hair care products for women of color, is re-launching African Pride, once a very popular home hair styling collection. With the theme, “My Pride, My Way,” Charlene Bastien — the company’s national marketing and sales director — says Strength of Nature and the African Pride brand are freeing women from judgment and limiting expectations. “We’re encouraging women through this campaign to write their own rules when it comes to hair of all styles and textures,” Bastien says.
Charlene Bastien
The company is also encouraging women to write their own rules when it comes to their economic destiny by providing opportunities for them as entrepreneurs. Nearly all the businesses collaborating with Bastien and Strength of Nature for the re-introduction of African Pride are owned by women.
“That’s something we believe in,” said Bastien. “We’re a large operation but we’re not top heavy as a corporation so we work with a lot of independent business vendors. And a lot of them are women. We didn’t necessarily set out to do that but we happily realized recently that we have unknowingly been supporting women’s businesses for a very long time.”
One of the companies collaborating with Bastien is Beauty Recycled, owned by Gina Davis and Barissa Gardner. “We’re very excited to be working with Beauty Recycled,” Bastien said. “We’re very into environmental impact and they are leading our efforts to recycle our product packaging. We’re working on decreasing our carbon footprint and making customers more aware. We want to bring awareness to stylists and customers that we may need to use plastics and aerosols for packaging because of the products inside of them, but we can move out of a reactive state and be more proactive about recycling and disposing of these materials in a healthy way.”
Other women entrepreneurs who are contributing their business services and talents to Strength of Nature’s new African Pride rollout are Nicole Garner owner of The Garner Circle PR, who is leading the national publicity campaign; Keka Heron, owner of The Look Agency, who is handling make up and styling for the launch event on Wednesday, March 16 in Atlanta; and Renae Bluitt, owner of Crush Media, who is managing social media for African Pride.
Bastien says the company also gives back to women by serving those in need in the community. “We have a big heart when it comes to homeless women. Money is a limitation for any woman who winds up jobless and in a shelter. She might be thinking about how she is going to take care of hairstyling and grooming. So, we bring in speakers for these women and stylists to help them get back on their feet and feel confident when they go out to find employment.”
Strength of Nature’s focus on women seems to be a natural fit because of its products and Bastien’s background. She was once an independent entrepreneur in the hair and beauty business and she likes to encourage other women. “Being driven, believing in yourself and having passion and self-determination to know that what you have is valuable, worthy and needed are the first steps. Then somebody is going to give you an opportunity. As long as you continue believing those things, then success is only a matter of time. The power of self-belief is definitely needed as an entrepreneur.”
For Bastien, that someone willing to believe in her was Mario De Laguardia, owner and president of Strength of Nature. “I work directly for him and I would not have been able to accomplish what I have without him. He gave me a chance and he’s definitely my mentor,” Bastien said.
How to do business with Strength of Nature
Women who are interested in potential business opportunities with African Pride and other Strength of Nature brands can contact Charlene Bastien, national director of sales and marketing, and her team by sending proposals to their executive offices in Atlanta.
Attend the African Pride re-launch event
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
7-10 p.m.
King Plow Arts Center
RSVP: http://mypridemyway.