Natural vs Everything Else: That Is the Question
Renae Williams
Renae Williams is the creator of CoCoBella Natural, a haircare product line that caters to those with textured hair. Renae big chopped and developed the brand after experiencing illness and hair loss due to the presence of chemicals in hair products. Named an “accidental influencer”, Renae became a prominent voice in the natural hair community, encouraging women to accept, love, and care for their kinky, curly tresses. In addition to offering her 3-step QUENCH Complete Curl Care System, Renae wrote an eBook Keep it Simple Sis: The Journey to Healthy Hair Care and Healthy Self-Esteem, a memoir detailing her big chop and journey to self-discovery.
How do you define “textured” hair?
The definition of "textured hair" can vary depending on the context and cultural perspectives. However, in the context of hair care and beauty, "naturally textured hair" to me refers to hair that has not been chemically altered or processed to change its natural curl pattern or texture. When I am speaking about textured hair, I am referring to Black or African American women who are rocking their kinks, coils, and curls as it grows from their scalp without the aid of perms, relaxers, or texturizers to straighten or loosen their curl pattern.
Black women across the globe are currently having to explore “the big chop” due to health reasons. What is the one thing you wished you knew before making your decision to cut your hair?
The term “natural hair journey” is not just a cliche’. You will have days where you will question all your life choices and then there will be days when you feel this is the best decision you ever made. It’s a journey, feel all the things you need to feel, but remember to breathe and enjoy it.
Remember, everyone's natural hair journey is unique, and it's essential to do what feels right for you. Embracing your natural hair can be a journey of self-discovery, self-love, and self-acceptance, and it's worth it in the end.
What are your thoughts on the natural vs relaxed hair battle that has become more pertinent in the last four years?
Whew Chile, the great debate of natural vs. relaxed hair! If I'm being honest, it's like a showdown between two beautiful beasts in the arena of confidence, self-esteem, cultural identity, and beauty standards. But can we just keep it simple sis?
I am a firm believer that hair is an essential part of a person's identity, women especially. The way it looks or is styled can significantly impact how they feel about themselves. Ultimately, each woman should be free to make the decision that best aligns with her values, preferences, and health considerations. I support a woman’s choice. In a world filled with endless hair possibilities, I think it's important to create an atmosphere where understanding, acceptance, and respect is front and center. Do we really need something else that causes division between us? My position is to celebrate the fabulous diversity of the many choices we have and just embrace the uniqueness in each woman's individual hair journey!
At the end of the day, it's all about rocking that confidence and owning your unique style. Both choices are equally stunning and empowering!
There are hundreds of natural hair care products out there, why risk launching a new one in such a saturated industry?
While it's true that the hair care market is saturated with lots of brands, I believe that my decision to launch a hair care line in 2019 was driven by a combination of passion and purpose. Here are a few of the reasons why I took on this venture:
Passion and Expertise: Hair care has been a personal passion of mine since I big chopped in 2012. I invested time and effort in studying the science behind hair health, ingredients, and formulations. This enthusiasm translated into a product line that is carefully crafted and well-informed.
Authentic Brand Story: Every brand has a story, and I wanted to create an authentic and relatable narrative behind my hair care line. By sharing my personal journey, beliefs, and values, I hoped to connect with consumers on a deeper level and build trust in my brand.
Differentiation: While the market may be crowded, I firmly believe that differentiation is possible through innovation, branding, and marketing strategies. By focusing on what makes my hair care line stand out, I aimed to create a loyal customer base willing to choose my products over others.
Belief in Destiny: Lastly, I firmly believe that what is meant for me will happen. My passion, determination, and belief in the uniqueness of my hair care line gave me the confidence to navigate the challenges of a saturated market and work towards building a successful brand.
In a nutshell, NO ONE is me and that is my Superpower!!
The “accidental influencer”? Tell us more!
Becoming a social media influencer without actively trying was a unique and fascinating journey. My passion for supporting women is how I stumbled into the world of influencing, even before I knew influencing was a thing. I had always wanted to be a person that made a positive impact in others’ lives, women especially.
In 2012, I made the decision to go natural and big chop. I immediately felt societal judgment. If I am being honest, I felt unsure and unattractive in my own skin. My journey through my own natural hair transformation and the struggles that came with it, ignited a passion in me to help other women navigate through their journey of natural hair as well. I started a Facebook natural hair support group to give women like me, who had made the decision to go natural by choice or by circumstance, a safe space to explore their natural hair journey without fear of judgment and criticism. Educating myself on how to achieve and maintain healthy hair and sharing my findings with the group members became my jam.
I consistently showed up for my tribe. In addition to sharing the information I learned, through post and pictures, I also provided live step-by- step tutorials and demonstrations on how to care for, style, and maintain healthy hair. I did product reviews and shared my results through pictures, live and prerecorded videos. Although it was not my intent to gain a following or get noticed, it happened anyway…. accidentally. My engagement with my group members as well as on all of my other social media platforms created an opportunity for me to be seen by hair care brands who sought to collaborate with me to help promote their products. These collaborations gave me a bigger, broader audience and before I knew it, I was helping women love themselves and their natural hair worldwide.
I now understand that showing up in the world as my genuine, authentic self, and engaging with them in a real and relatable way, gained me their respect and trust. Father, I thank you. I am incredibly grateful for my loyal community of beautifully melanated women (and men).
They inspire and motivate me to dream bigger, be bigger and show up every day for myself and for them. I could not have imagined when I made a hair decision in 2012 and then starting a natural hair support group would ultimately turn into a life changing decision.
Because of the relationships and bonds formed with my community I now am my own hair care brand and am living out my dreams of being impactful in other people's lives. I will never be able to say thank you enough.