Amber Fillerup Clark is proof that you don’t need to follow a quote-unquote traditional path to find success.

Before she founded her wildly popular hair-care brand, Dae Hair, and had a line of sought-after products lining the shelves at Sephora locations around the county, she took a risk and dropped out of college after one year to enroll in a yearlong hairstyling program. 

One successful blog, two popular hair-care lines (her aforementioned hair-care brand Dae Hair and her clip-in extension products line, BFB Hair), and 1.3 million Instagram followers later, it’s safe to say that she made the right decision. Grab a pen and keep scrolling to take notes from this enterprising beauty entrepreneur.

Trust us, you’re going to want to write down her financial advice for new entrepreneurs and commit it to memory!

How did you make your first dollar and what did that job teach you that still applies today?

I got my first real paycheck by doing little girls’ hair at a boutique that hosted birthday parties! I still have a love for hair and have three businesses that came from that passion. From that paycheck, I learned what taxes were and it was a very disappointing moment, lol.

Take us back to the beginning—what was the lightbulb moment for your business/career and what inspired you to pursue this path?

I have always had an entrepreneurial spirit from my dad! He has his own small business and always took us to work with him. He inspires me so much with how hard he works and how he treats his employees. 

Entrepreneurship is all about taking calculated risks. What’s the most pivotal risk you’ve taken, and how did it change your path? 

In 2014, my husband was in law school but my blog was growing like crazy so we made the decision together to take a risk and move to New York to blog full time. At the time we didn’t know if blogging or “being an influencer” would still be a thing in five years let alone 10 years so we just ran with it and decided to have fun and make the most of it while we had the chance. It was the best decision we ever made.

What career mistake has given you the biggest lesson?

I think the biggest mistake I made was not having a five-year plan and a very clear vision when launching our first company. It ended up all being okay and we learned SO much along the way, but it just makes such a difference the more time you spend working on the brand’s DNA and long term vision.

2020 presented everybody around the globe with new, unprecedented challenges. How did you #FindNewRoads + switch gears towards your new version of success?

We had just launched barely two months before everything shut down. It was really challenging and scary but I learned not to compare our company to more established companies. We did what we could with what we had and made it through. 

Going after what you deserve in life takes confidence and guts. Does confidence come naturally to you or did you have to learn it? What advice can you share for women on cultivating confidence and going after their dreams? 

Confidence did not come naturally for me. I dropped out of college after a year and went to hair school. I always felt intimidated talking to certain people about my business knowing I never went to business school and am not familiar with a lot of the business lingo. I have realized that not knowing has served me well. I don’t overthink things and just do what feels right and feels creative. Everything I do is motivated by the passion I have. There is a lot that I know about my particular field because of my skill set in hair and being an influencer that other people don’t have. So I have learned to just be upfront about what I don’t know, be confident about what I do know, and from there I can learn from people around me and they can learn from me as well. 

What has been the biggest learning curve throughout your career?

We recently launched our hair care line in Sephora. We are self-funded with a very small team and I had never had experience with a large retailer. It has been a massive learning experience entering retail and has been incredibly rewarding to learn so much so quickly. 

When you separate yourself from your job title and the bells and whistles of your business or career, who are you and what do you like to do? How have you remained true and authentic to who you are?

I am a wife and mother. I love to just be with my family. We could be lounging around the house doing absolutely nothing or off on an adventure around the world, I just have so much fun being with them. 

For those who haven’t started a business (or are about to) what advice do you have? 

I would say, do something that you are incredibly passionate about and think about the big picture. It is really hard to launch a company, but even harder to do the mundane things it takes to keep it running day in and day out, so it helps when you love what you do. 

What is your number one piece of financial advice for any new entrepreneur and why?

1. Self-fund for as long as you can. 

2. Be super scrappy with the money you do have. 

3. If you seek investors, be super picky about who you bring on. 

4. Just because you have money doesn’t mean you should spend it. 

5. Doing things right and thoughtfully will ultimately save you money.

What's the one productivity tip or work hack that truly changed your life?

I am a working mom and love to work at night; all my creative juices flow at night when I am just laying in bed on my computer. 

What is the #1 book you always recommend and why?

“Lean In” by Sheryl Sandberg for any working mom (or any woman, really) wanting to feel more confident in her decision to be in the workplace. “Atomic Habits” for learning how to break bad habits and make good ones stick. 

If you could go back to the beginning of your career journey—with the knowledge you have now—what advice would you give yourself? 

I would tell myself to be more confident. 

Fill in the blanks:

When I feel fear, I…

Plan or make lists.

To be successful, you need to be… 

Passionate and motivated.

I turn bad days around by…

Remembering all my blessings.

If there were more hours in the day, I would… 

Spend even more time with my kids.

Three qualities that got me to where I am today are… 

Being creative, kind, and driven.