Julissa Prado had a memorable nickname as a kid. Known as “the lemon girl,” she was always massaging something into her curly hair to try and style it. Growing up Latina in Los Angeles, the standard of beauty for hair—regardless of its original texture—was for it to be straight. She tried a range of methods to tame her coils, including putting them under a clothing iron, until she made a realization: Part of loving herself was loving her natural hair.
But Prado couldn’t find products that enhanced her curls as much as they ignored them. So, she became a haircare-at-home scientist, and mixed her own concoctions to get the results she was after. And when family, friends, neighbors, and even strangers asked for her tips, she shared what she learned.
By the time she was 15, Prado was committed to building the capital she needed to start her own business, in which she would help others love their underserved locks. In 2017, she launched Rizos Curls with the money she had diligently saved, and her products were a success almost overnight.
By using quality natural ingredients and creating marketing campaigns for those with curly, coiled, wavy, and otherwise textured hair, Prado reached an audience that was ready to leave a straight-and-narrow hair path behind. Besides selling products, she also committed to teaching her followers how to care for their hair, and in so doing, fostered a community of inclusion and understanding.
Less than two years after Rizos Curls launched, it sold $1 million dollars of products directly to its fans—all without outside funding. And at the beginning of 2020, Target began filling its shelves with Rizos Curls, making it so teenagers like Prado won’t need a nickname to embrace their true beauty.
How did you make your first dollar and what did that job teach you that still applies today?
My first job was working for my dad at his restaurant when I was 13. It taught me to value every single position within a business, because everyone there needs each other in order to be successful.
Take us back to the beginning—what was the lightbulb moment for your business and what inspired you to pursue this path?
Rizos Curls was something I knew I was going to start one day. For me, learning to love my natural hair was a big part of learning to love myself. As a little girl, I saved my money to buy every curl product I could find, but nothing seemed to work on my hair type. I went through many phases with my curly hair. I hid it in a gelled-down ponytail, wore it crunchy with extra hairspray, and even straightened it with a clothing iron! Eventually, I began mixing my own product at home and told myself that I would eventually create the very best one for curly-haired girls like me. I spent years developing the perfect formula. I wanted a product made with quality ingredients that would be inclusive and celebrate all curl types, from my Tia’s coily strands to my sister’s loose waves. It is an honor to be able to help other curly-haired people look beautiful and feel confident in their natural hair texture.
How are you making a difference and pushing your industry forward?
Rizos Curls is about so much more than just hair products: It’s about unapologetically falling in love with the natural version of yourself. It’s people coming together to celebrate what makes them most authentically themselves. The majority of our customers are women who have never worn their hair natural before, and they are transitioning out of straightening their curls.
We don’t just provide products, either. We provide curl education in English and in Spanish alongside community, resources, and encouragement. It sounds simple, but it had never been done before! So many of our customers tell us that Rizos Curls is the first brand that has made them feel heard and beautiful about who they are. This is especially true among so many of our Latina customers who have been so underrepresented in beauty. My goal with Rizos Curls is to help propel a more diverse understanding of what it means to be beautiful today.
2020 presented everybody around the globe with new, unprecedented challenges. How did you #FindNewRoads + switch gears towards your new version of success?
I have taken this time to remind myself that I can only focus on the items I can control. I can’t and won’t give my energy to the things I can’t control, because it’s beyond me. I’ve focused on product development, reading clinical studies on ingredients, talking to chemists, and creating content to serve my community.
This year also made me realize that it’s important to have a loyal customer base that understands your mission and DNA, and that’s why they chose to support us no matter what. Additionally, success in 2020 means so many things. Having a business that I can share with my family is so important to me. But also creating a brand where so many women and men feel represented keeps me going. Our financial growth is a result of the work, but it also reflects how the product has encouraged people to love their hair again. For me, that’s success.
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?
I see it more as having the determination to go after what you want. My entrepreneurial spirit and confidence in knowing that I have the ability to be resourceful with very little came from growing up in predominantly Latino neighborhoods. As a child, I’d wake up every morning to a man shouting “Pan! Elotes!” He’d come around in his truck at 8 a.m. and sell bread and tortillas from his car. I’d see my people hustling, rain or shine! I was always inspired by people who can create magic with very little. Immigrants are entrepreneurial in nature, because having to rebuild your life in a totally new country takes heart and ingenuity. I was very fortunate to grow up seeing everyday examples of this. My surroundings instilled a fearlessness in me and made me feel like anything was possible.
What has been the biggest learning curve throughout your career?
My biggest learning curve so far has been resisting outside capital to remain self-funded, and not giving into investors whose values did not align with what Rizos Curls is about. Rizos Curls is the three Cs—curls, community, and culture—and while it would be amazing to have the extra cash flow, I won’t compromise the community or cultural aspect of my brand for money.
For those who haven’t started a business (or are about to), what advice do you have?
The most important thing to do is to pursue your passion! But it’s also important to plan and save money to prepare for the rollercoaster ride of building a brand. You must be willing to get uncomfortable, because you will never have all of the answers. At the same time, you can reach out to your network and community for guidance—they will support you.
What is your number one piece of financial advice for any new entrepreneur and why?
Manage your cash flow! It’s so important to always understand how much money you have coming in and how much you need to spend in order to get the growth you want. Having clear goals and budgets is vital.
It’s easy to celebrate the wins, but how do you handle failure or when something hasn’t worked out for you?
While experiencing a failure is a bummer at first, I’ve always been a believer that what is meant to be will be. As long as I walk in my purpose, I know the right doors will continue to open. When projects are turned down or don’t happen, I trust that they weren’t meant for me. I’ve learned to be grateful for when things don’t work out just as much as when they do.
With success comes opportunity, but that also means you have your hands full. What keeps you inspired and motivated to keep going even on your most challenging days?
Being an entrepreneur is incredibly humbling. Each day I learn something new in order to face a challenge. I come to terms with the fact that there is so much I still don’t know, but I am a great student. Whatever it is that I need to do to succeed, I can quickly learn it.
What advice do you have for other entrepreneurs? How can they achieve the same success you've experienced?
The one piece of advice I give other entrepreneurs is my own guiding principle. I’m self-funded, but I still have to compete with multi-billion-dollar conglomerates. So I always tell myself, “Make in creativity what you lack in marketing dollars.” You don’t need a round of venture capital to excel in your space. Ultimately, staying true to your vision is what will allow you to connect with your customers, build loyalty, and ensure your success. Be incredibly creative, both in terms of content and in business processes, to stay ahead of the game. And don’t be afraid to reach out to your customers for help—some of your best ideas might come from your own customers.
What's the one productivity tip or work hack that truly changed your life?
Know when to ask for help! You can't do it all by yourself.
What is the #1 book you always recommend and why?
The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni. Building and understanding your team will be one of the most challenging yet rewarding things you can do for your business. This book has definitely helped me understand people better.
If you could go back to the beginning of your career journey—with the knowledge you have now— what advice would you give yourself?
Stop waiting for everything to be perfect, just start. You can figure things out as you go.
Fill in the blanks:
When I feel fear, I…
Talk myself through it.
The best career advice I always give…
Follow your heart.
To be successful, you…
Need to be versatile.
Three qualities that got me to where I am today are…
I’m understanding, resourceful, and creative.
The change I’d like to see in my industry is…
More diverse brands within the mainstream beauty industry.
