It’s been a while since the last Beauty & The Biz post but I’m thrilled to revive one of my favorite series dedicated to savvy beauty entrepreneurs. Meet Olivia Hayward, the founder behind Mane Message, a line of adorably cute and innovative hair accessories. Thanks to Olivia, I no longer turn to those thin, boring, black elastic hair ties when I style my hair. And let me just say, her story is truly inspirational for young people. Read on to hear her story and what’s next for Mane Message.
How did you come up with the concept of Mane Message?
I was a junior in college (plus a part time nanny and intern) and was itching for a creative outlet. I was studying design and photography in school, so starting an Etsy shop had been on my mind. One day while sitting at a stoplight I looked down at my wrist and saw my plain black drug store elastic that was cutting of my circulation and thought, there has to be a better way. After a lot of research and testing I launched Mane Message.
Have you always been into beauty and hair accessories?
Yes! I’ve always had a beauty and accessory addiction. Can collecting makeup be my hobby?
Describe a typical day for you.
I get up, wrangle my Boston Terrier puppy Ramona and head into the Mane Message workspace to meet up with my lovely team of ladies. Then we spend the day making hair ties, tie dyeing, filling orders and what I like to call “girl talking”. I try to balance my days by doing emails, bookkeeping and all the other fun things that come along with running a small business in the morning and then work on creative projects in the afternoon.
Have you traveled to any cool places for work?
I wish I had a better answer for this one… Since I run an online business I don’t have to travel much, but I do talk with people all over the world on a regular basis. Emailing wholesale clients in South Korea, Japan, Austria and Norway definitely gets me day dreaming about all the exciting places my hair ties get to travel.
What advice do you have for aspiring beauty entrepreneurs?
Consistency, hard work, exceptional customer service and attention to detail are all vital to building your brand.
What spring hair trends are you looking forward to?
I love a good messy bohemian braid.
What are you currently working on right now?
I’m just putting finishing touches on our spring line. I’ll give you some hints- metallics, marbling and graphic geometric patterns. Can’t wait to start releasing things in the coming weeks!
What’s your favorite part about your job?
I love being able to wakeup every morning and know that the possibilities are endless. I just have to have the drive to go for it.
What’s the most challenging part?
Delegating has always been hard for me. I’m getting better at it, but it does not come easily to me.
Where do you look for inspiration for your themed collections?
Magazines, Pinterest and Pantone Color Trends. I’ve found that long walks can normally kickstart the creative process too.
What’s your work motto?
Let’s do this!
Photos courtesy of Olivia Hayward//Mane Message
Beauty & The Biz is dedicated to beauty entrepreneurs, businesswomen (or men), makeup artists and every beauty professional in between. As a consumer, we’re exposed to beauty products through endless advertisements, magazine and blog features and online reviews. I’m interested in the story that can’t be told on the back of the box, and I hope you are too! Read more Beauty & The Biz posts featuring Ada Polla of Alchimie Forever and Kitiya Mischo King of Mischo Nail Lacquer.
