Leya's Little Secret Interview
Leya’s Little Secret
We interviewed Aleya Armstrong-Jenkins, owner of Leya’s Little Secret hair care products! Check out our Q&A interview below!
Global Pop Trendsetters: What inspired you to develop your hair product idea?
Aleya Armstrong-Jenkins: What inspired me to develop my hair care products was the way my hair was growing. It was not how I wanted it. It would never afro, it didn’t have any body to it and I just felt like the ends always were splitting. I knew I had to do something about it. I was also using many different products at once and of course never really giving it any time to get used to the products. I started to do research about how I could come up with my own. I wanted it to be a hair care line that as soon as you use it, you can feel the difference in that very first wash.
GPT: What challenges did you have to overcome at the beginning of your journey?
AAJ: Some of the challenges that I had to overcome was trying to figure out where to get all my ingredients and how much of every ingredient was needed per batch of hair product that I was making. You may run out of something in the middle of making a batch, and it becomes a waste. Hair ingredients do expire and you do not want to over-buy. So knowing how much of each ingredient I had to get took me a long time to get right. Another challenge was making my labels waterproof. I was getting labels that the ink (because I use an inkjet printer) was running and smearing the words. I had started to use tape but that got time-consuming and messy. I finally found a way to preserve the labels but I am currently still looking for an even better label. So it’s a work in progress!
GPT: What is unique about your business?
AAJ: What is unique about my business is that you are not just getting any hair care brand! You are getting a hair care brand that you can FEEL it working as soon as you use it. You can feel the love put into each product because your hair will feel loved. It will show you that in its results of thickness and growth and healthiness. I took a formulation class and went into madness with it! Now, I formulate it all myself, it’s all original.
GPT: What strategies did you first use to market your business?
AAJ: The strategies, that I used first to start my business were Facebook and Instagram posts. I started marketing the new products that I was making and promoting their release dates. I started by telling people to direct message me to place an order and then eventually started my website. From there, I started to pay for ads to get more traffic to the website. I continued with my word of mouth when I was not online.
GPT: What are you working on now?
AAJ: I am currently working on Loc and braid gel. I want to start that line. It is a difficult formulation but that’s a part of the game. Trial and error. Keep going until you get your desired consistency for your products.
GPT: What have you enjoyed most about starting your own company?
AAJ: I have enjoyed the repeat customers the most since starting my journey! It is amazing to hear how much my products have transformed their hair. It feels amazing to know that they were once insecure about having thinner brittle hair but until finding my products, it has thickened to the point they almost can’t take care of their own hair. The testimonies feel great to hear. This was the major goal. To be a problem solver of thin and breaking hair, and to be able to heal the scalp to become healthy enough to allow new beautiful growth.
GPT: What advice would you give to someone just starting a business?
AAJ: The advice I would give someone starting a business is to please do your research on your field. Watch every resource on YouTube, Google, etc. Utilize the web around you and get familiar with what you are doing. Get some friends who may be on the same page as you and get opinions regarding the task. Listen and watch resources that can give you a better understanding of what is to come. Therefore, you would’ve heard and seen the pros and cons and made a sound decision.
GPT: What goals are you still working towards achieving?
AAJ: The goal that I am still working on achieving is becoming the biggest privately owned custom independent hair store in the world. I want to be the top shop for everything hair. I want it to be a store at the front with all the products and manufacturing right on sight at the back of my own property.
Photo of Aleya Armstrong-Jenkins, owner of Leya’s Little Secret.