For this special edition of The Business Corner, I would like to introduce readers to Carla Clarkson, owner of The Link Studios, and the creator of Honey Blowout.
Clarkson is a native of Philadelphia who was chosen as part of QVC & Home Shopping Network’s (HSN) The Big Find searches for new products to serve their audience. HSN and QVC are major distribution channels that have significant opportunities to reach millions of customers in a very short period of time.
Honey Blowout is a treatment that protects your hair, retains moisture, protects it during heat styling, and promotes shine. The product is used as a daily treatment prior to applying shampoo, or as part of a deep penetrating treatment. The bottle of Honey Blowout is available for $35 on their direct-to-consumer (DTC) website, honeyblowout.com.
Clarkson developed the product in her kitchen and later scaled it up to a manufacturing company that produces the product in Allentown. She used the funding she won from the Raise Roundup business pitch competition to pay the product manufacturing costs and make the transition to a professional production plant.
In order for the product to appear on their channels, products undergo a rigorous quality assurance process before the launch across HSN and QVC’s platforms.
The judges on The Big Find “loved the idea” of “treating your hair before you shampoo,” said Clarkson.
Clarkson’s inspiration for the line of products was her grandmother, whom she called “a huge part of [her] success.” Clarkson explained that her grandmother was a hairstylist and entrepreneur, which inspired her to learn how to do hair and earn her license at Bok High School. She noted that her grandmother also attended Bok and trained to become a hairstylist at the school.
Clarkson worked as a hairstylist for 20 years and she mentioned that there was a void in the market for a product that is user-friendly and could work at both the salon and at home. She mentioned her clients needed something prior to shampooing that would bring the benefits of honey straight to their hair prior to shampooing. Honey Blowout used prior to shampooing applied to damp hair creates a rich lather that helps to lock in the benefits of honey to keep your hair pH balanced.
Customers on HSN noted that real honey is used in the product and that is why they like it.
Honey Blowout was featured during Black History Month on HSN and QVC.
Teresa M. Lundy is the principal and founder of TML Communications, the award-winning strategic public relations, crisis communications, and community engagement firm that produces results. Follow Teresa on Twitter @TeresaMLundy.
