ODYSSEY BOX is an online hair shop that places the Black community at the centre of everything it does. They offer advice, recommendations and support for the natural hair community and is the destination for conscious and luxurious haircare products. We spoke with Chloé Elliott, the founder, to learn more about the powerhouse behind the brand.
What was the catalyst that pushed you to start ODYSSEY BOX UK?
The catalyst that pushed me to start ODYSSEY BOX was the realisation that I had the passion, curiosity and drive to go one step further. I could share the knowledge I had gained over the years and transform negative feelings towards afro and curly haircare.
I was always going to start a business. It is in my nature to solve problems, not just for myself but for my peers too. The problem that necessitated a solution such as ODYSSEY BOX was two-fold. I spoke to so many Black women in business who were creating and selling haircare products that outperformed what you could find on the high street, and with quality ingredients that you could trust in. However, not enough people knew about them and why their creations were significant. My first business, CurlyGalChlo was founded with the specific goal of raising the profile of these Black-owned brands.
The other problem is one that so many of us can relate to. The annoyance you feel being followed around the hair shop; plus the uncertainty when scanning through the mass of products; followed by the frustration when they don’t work. It is something that I experienced from a young age and shared with other Black people that I met, particularly at university. It wasn’t until I discovered ingredient-conscious products from Black-owned brands that I started to question how much I really knew about looking after my hair.
What informed the name ODYSSEY BOX UK?
An ‘odyssey’ is a long and exciting adventure, and that is what I believe any haircare journey should be. Afro hair in particular has a complex and interesting history, but the thread that is woven in each era is one of negative perceptions, whether internally or externally. Afro hair has been demeaned, politicised and policed; it’s long overdue that it is respected, embraced and celebrated.
That kind of shift begins within oneself and it begins with education, empowerment and community. There’s an empowerment that comes with knowing more about how to care for your hair. You attract a community of like-minded people, hence the natural and curly hair communities on every social media platform.
ODYSSEY BOX plays its part in creating the adventure by educating its community on the products it provides. These are all products that I, as the founder, have used, believe in and feel confident sharing with others. We also take a person-focused approach – it’s about what you can get out of a product, not what the product can do for you! Your routine and technique make all the difference.
What’s the biggest misconception Black women have about their natural hair?
The biggest misconception that I have come across among Black women about their natural hair is the belief that it must look, behave or be cared for in one specific way.
To clarify, natural hair comes in curly, kinky, coily, wiry, spirally, wavy forms. Natural hair can shrink, curl, tangle, frizz, and grow. It can be covered up, it can be shown off, it can be defined, it can be fluffed. You can wash yours weekly, bi-weekly, monthly; whatever works for you.
The beauty of natural hair comes with its versatility and discovering the true extent of this is one of the best parts of the natural hair journey. If you focus too much on the rules and assumptions made about Black hair, you are doing yourself a disservice.
That’s not to say that you should ignore basic science applied to haircare or reject all outside advice. It simply means that you get to make your journey what it needs to be. You can personalise your routine.
Have there been any challenges that you faced as a young Black woman in business?
Having started my first business at 20, my perception of what challenges I face has changed dramatically since I launched ODYSSEY BOX. I am fortunate that my career path since graduating from university has allowed for a healthy dose of creativity, and in all the roles I have held, my Blackness and my experiences as a woman have been viewed as assets.
In fact, the challenges that Black women are usually up against, were not a part of my world at the beginning of my entrepreneurial journey. I had fantastic role models, I could see Black women achieving goals I had also set goals for myself. I could successfully pitch and win funding on the merit of my business ideas and I have such a strong sense of belief and confidence in myself that at the beginning, there was not a barrier that I came across that I would hesitate to take on. I’m not hesitating now, but there are a few obstacles that do slow me down to take pause. Some are in my control and others I have to let go and come to accept.
The first being that in today’s society, age and capability are considered to go hand in hand. The older you are, the more experienced you must be. So, in your early 20s, your capabilities often come into question. You are underestimated or worse, undervalued. If the difference between where you are now and where you could be in 20 years is what you know, there is no reason why you can’t seek to learn more and gain new experiences. Someone who is older doesn’t always know better and someone who is younger isn’t always an amateur.
The second obstacle is that not everyone who looks like you has had the same experiences as you. Don’t assume that because you occupy the same space you hold the same values. When it comes to business, you should never make assumptions. I have taken pauses many times to reflect on what I value, what I want to share with the world and what is important to me. Especially when I’ve landed in situations that I assumed could never exist and when the most obvious decision wasn’t always the right one.
The last obstacle is the time pressure that so many young people put on themselves to achieve their goals, plus the additional pressure as a Black woman of feeling as though you constantly have something to prove or have to justify yourself. I’ve come to learn that your achievements aren’t worth less depending on how long it takes you to reach them, and that navigating the world of enterprise as a Black neurodivergent woman is enough of a challenge without making it a race.
Who are the women that inspire you?
I hadn’t realised it, but my mum is one of my biggest inspirations. When I was younger, I thought that any Black woman could be at the top. I’d seen it in action. I still believe it is possible, it’s just a shame that since then, I’ve had so many experiences that have tried to tell me that it’s not.
I am also hugely inspired by Kadian, the founder of Bourn Beautiful Naturals, the first brand to become permanently available in the ODYSSEY BOX shop. She is an ambitious, humble, product-formulating extraordinaire. She has believed in me as much I have believed in her from the day we connected.
What advice would you give to other women looking to start their own businesses?
Start now! You regret the things that you don’t do more than the things you do. In the time it takes you to come round to the idea of taking the plunge, you could have already learned, achieved and grown so much.
If you have something special to share with the world, it is worth pursuing because no one else can do it like you. Don’t worry if it’s not perfect at the beginning, it’s a process.. It’s perfectly acceptable to leave room to improve. There will always be another business owner doing the same thing as you, but they will never be you.
Now you’re convinced… Make a plan. Write down your “why.” And follow through. All is well when you’re riding the high and running on adrenaline, but the things you write down will be the comfort and the reminder you need when you don’t know exactly what you’re doing. Then once you’re going, keep going and keep learning as much as you can.
Where do you see yourself and ODYSSEY BOX UK in the next five years?
In the next five years, I see myself as a fully independent and self-sufficient serial entrepreneur. I will be using my experiences and my businesses to empower my community through education and by providing career and personal development opportunities to young people.
Interviewed by Ruth Mbu
