Mompreneur Spotlight: This Mother+Daughter Duo Built A 6-Figure Business In 3 Years

In this episode of Mompreneurs, host Nancy Redd is joined by mother-daughter business team Evana and Zoe Oli, founders and owners of doll brand Beautiful Curly Me. In just a few years, the duo built a business that has now profited six figures and has been featured in Forbes, Good Morning America and People Magazine. Redd sits down with the Oli ladies to talk about their trials and tribulations, how they got started as entrepreneurs, and what their brand means to them.

From Humble Beginnings To A Household Name

Source: Courtesy of Evana Oli / Subject

Mompreneur Evana Oli was working a 9-5 corporate job when her daughter approached her about creating their dolls. She had no idea that she would be starting a business – let alone with her daughter. But when 6-year-old Zoe came to her and said she wanted to create dolls that looked more like her, Evana knew it was important.

This was a conversation that had, in a way, been a long time coming. Months before the idea for the business was born, Zoe came home from school and asked why her hair wasn’t “straight or pretty” like her classmates. This was a sentiment that struck Evana right in the heart.

Evana had, at this point, spent plenty of time herself trying to conform to white beauty standards. She said of working in corporate America, “It was this rat race of trying to maintain that perfect image.” Evana did not want this for her daughter. So when Zoe had the idea of designing her own dolls that would have natural hair, braids and curls, her mom understood the power of the product.

A three-year turnaround to a profit can seem fast, but the Oli’s journey did not lack obstacles. Evana was still juggling her full-time job, while helping her daughter run a business, who was still a full-time student. She slowly started meeting with designers and manufacturers to get a sense of what this would cost. It was important to her to involve her daughter in every step of the process.

“I wanted to be true to the vision of my daughter…a lot of people put their kids up as props…for me…it was important for her…to really be a businesswoman.” She brought Zoe to toy shows, involved her in raising capital and made sure she immersed herself in the world of entrepreneurship.

The first order of Beautiful Curly Me dolls required a $5,000 investment – which was a lot for the family at the time – and since then, it’s grown into a six-figure business. Today, the company also makes books (written by Zoe), pillow cases, puzzles and – one of their most popular products – matching mother-daughter-doll bonnet sets.

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More Than Money

Source: Beautiful Curly Me / Beautiful Curly Me

Building generational wealth was always important to Evana, but for her and her daughter, Beautiful Curly Me is about so much more. “It’s not just about being in business to make money – it’s about being in business to make an impact,” says Evana.

She comes from a line of women with the same goal, as her mother has a non-profit for women in Africa. The Beautiful Curly Me brand is about instilling confidence in young girls – both by giving them dolls and stories that reflect their experiences and through the mother-daughter team behind it who are so inspiring in their own right.

It’s also about showing the power of listening to family. Redd points out that Black women, by necessity, have always been entrepreneurs. She remembers her mother and the women around her growing up constantly having side hustles. She didn’t see those women turn their hairdressing or cleaning businesses into six-figure businesses, though.

The beauty of Evana recognizing how impactful her daughter’s idea could be is that it demonstrates what can happen when parents support their kids’ dreams. It’s a form of, “Using that same brilliance that was stifled for a variety of reasons,” says Redd. It’s what can happen when generations listen to each other.

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Business Basics For Mompreneurs

Source: Courtesy of Evana Oli / Subject

Wisdom For Moms Without A Business Background

After learning about their story, Redd asked Evana to share her tips for aspiring entrepreneurs. Redd recognized that not all mothers who want to go into business have an MBA (which Evana does), nor do they necessarily have strong business-minded role models within their family. So she asked Evana what her advice would be to women in that situation.

Role models don’t have to come from within the family, says Evana. “There are role models everywhere…strong women everywhere…find a network…find a sisterhood…there’s so much power when women get together.” Evana even jokes that women can call her (she didn’t give out her number, but she is on Instagram @EvanaOli and her DMs are open to mompreneurs with questions).

It’s those very networks that can be useful in particular to moms who don’t have a background in business. Mompreneuers can learn from these communities, find resources and even find mentors and coaches.

Empowering Resources For Black Mompreneurs

Evana and Zoe shared the many organizations and resources that have helped them along the way. From groups that helped with finding capital to finding mentors, these are just some of the organizations the duo recommends mompreneurs check out:

Women In Toys (WIT). Provides networking and educational opportunities for female entrepreneurs in toys, licensing and entertainment.
Hello Alice. Reports on grants available to small business owners, including Black-owned business grants.
Fearless Fund. Group that invests in women of color-led businesses.
Russel Innovation Center for Entrepreneurship in Atlanta. Hub that helps Black businesses in Atlanta grow through various resources.
Goodie Nation. Combines the power of social and financial capital to fund Black-led tech startups.

New Entrepreneur Pitfalls

Redd asked Evana about some of the pitfalls she faced as a new mompreneur, and how she’d advise others to avoid them.

One of the first things Evana recommends is recognizing that building a business takes time, and being willing to start small is crucial. If that means you need to hold onto your day job while things pick up with your business, that’s okay. She also advises new business owners to plan for the worst. “Things cost more than you think,” says Evana, explaining that it’s important to have a financial plan for how you’ll bridge the gap if those first sales are taking time or if you go beyond your budget.

For mompreneurs who are thinking about getting started, or who have launched a business and are frustrated over how long it’s taking to build, Evana says this: “If you have something you’re passionate about, it will sell.” She emphasizes focusing on your story – on what the company means to you – and communicating that to customers.

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From A Childpreneur’s Perspective

Source: Courtesy of Evana Oli / Subject

CEO of Beautiful Curly me, Zoe, sat down for a few minutes at the end of the episode and shared some of what she’s learned through her experience.

Zoe recognizes that amazing things can happen when mothers and daughters work together. She’s grateful to her mom for handling the day-to-day operations while she’s in school. But most importantly, she’s grateful to her mother for listening to her, which she acknowledges not all parents do with their young children.

“Listen to your child,” says Zoe, “Let them follow their passions…help them follow their dreams.” She’s a living example of what can happen when parents recognize the brilliance in their children.

Zoe, like her mother and grandmother, is looking beyond herself and immediate gains. She’s already working on donating $5,000 to girls in need, she reads her books at shelters, and she initiated a program through which, for every doll purchased, one is donated to a child in need. She continues to look for ways to give back and to inspire confidence in other children.

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Mompreneurs: Mother+Daughter Launch A 6-Figure Business