Photo Credit: NaturallyRoyalCo
In a time where there is a high unemployment rate due to COVID-19, two of our very own panthers have capitalized by creating their own business.
Nazeyah Cort, currently a senior at Old Westbury started her own natural care business. NaturallyRoyalco was created in March of 2020 with both Cort and her sister. Cort mentioned in an interview that due to her losing her job during the pandemic like many others, she needed a new source of income. She also explained, “I was also on my natural hair journey at the time and wanted to share with others the hair tips and products I used for my hair. Which was all-natural based products that I made at home.”
Cort believes that COVID-19 has positively been affecting her new business. “I would say that the pandemic oddly affected my business in a positive way. Many of the beauty and hair supply stores were closed and people needed hair products to keep their hair maintained during quarantine,” she said. “Quarantine also gave many natural care and black owned businesses a lot of attention. Ultimately this allowed me to give those same people resources and it created an increase early on in my sales.”
When asked about her experience with remote learning and the ways in which it affects her business, Cort mentioned that remote learning has both negative and positive effects on her business. “The positive way is that I am home and able to obtain resources for my products much easier than it would be on campus away at school and away from my business partner. Also being that I have my own space at home it is easier to make my products with my business partner while tending to studies at the same time,” she said. “As for the negative effects being that there is remote learning the workload has increased, making my academics more time consuming than it would be if it were in person classes. I tend to have some days where I am not able to tend to my business as much because of the overwhelming workload.”
Nazeyah Cort and her business partner
Photo Credit: NaturallyRoyalCo
NaturallyRoyalCo offers different products for its customers including coconut oil, shampoo, conditioner, and a full package deal of products.
Photo Credit: Deeply RootedCo
Brianna Murphy, also a senior at SUNY Old Westbury and has started her own business called Deeply Rooted. Murphy’s business was started in 2019 on the college campus. “I was braiding hair at Old Westbury in my dorm and as my business began to blossom, I decided to take my talents to the next level and apply my skill to create income,” Murphy said. She then branched out and started working at a hair and beauty shop.
As for her experiences with the pandemic, Murphy says that she too has experienced both negative and positive moments with her business. “Negatively it has impacted the ways in which I interact with my clients. My clients can’t just walk into the shop the way they used to; they can’t bring guests with them to appointments anymore either” she said.
“As for the positive ways, COVID-19 has pushed me [to] rebrand myself and organize my business. I have created a system for clients to boo with me through both social media and a booking site. Rebranding myself has made me advertise my business even more. Being that everyone is on their phones more often, advertising through social media has been more beneficial to my brand. Also, it allows me to show new and prospective clients who I am and my talents,” she said. “There are some people who I haven’t met who come on my page and just from the way I advertise myself felt more inclined to book with me…Lastly, the pandemic has made me feel the need to come out of my comfort zone and be more social with clients. In the times we are in, it is refreshing to have conversation to keep our minds off of the current state of affairs. I see it as therapeutic for myself and my clients”
Remote learning has also affected Murphy’s brand. “Remote learning has made it harder for me to prioritize my business and academics equally. At first, I thought remote learning would be more beneficial for me because I figured it would give me more time to balance my workload…” she said. “…I feel like sometimes I don’t utilize the time given to be more productive with my studies. I essentially just have to make sure I am able to spend enough time on my studies and a good amount of time with my business and brand.”
Brianna Murphy
Photo Credit: DeeplyRootedCo.
Both entrepreneurs were asked what could we look forward to in the next coming of months with their businesses. Cort mentioned that she is currently working on an LLC and in the works of getting her products in stores. “I want my brand to be everyone’s main source of hair products”. NaturallyRoyalCo also is in the process of creating a new moisturizing product and a curling cream. As for Murphy, she plans on working towards staying relevant, trying new techniques and growth overall in her business.
The next time you are on Instagram and are in need of a braider or a natural care product be sure to follow these two amazing women entrepreneurs pages. Follow NaturallyRoyalCo on Instagram @naturallyroyalco and DeeplyRootedCo @roots.bybri.
