WATCH: RENT luxury wigs through this Black Owned Subscription Service
On this episode of Shop Essence Live in partnership with The New Voices Family we interview co-founders and cousins Lauren Mitchell & Shante Frazier who have brilliantly created a Luxury Wig Rental Subscription service. Watch the interview to learn more about the process and get a 45% off doscount!
Transcript
00:00 Hello, hello, and welcome to another episode
00:03 of Shop Essence Live.
00:04 I am your host Noni, and this is a program we do
00:07 every single week in partnership with the New Voices family.
00:10 We bring you two new black owned businesses
00:12 to shop every week.
00:14 And when I tell you these businesses, the ideas,
00:17 they're always so genius.
00:18 And today, this one is no different.
00:21 Are you like me, where you love to try on a new hairstyle
00:25 all the time?
00:26 I have a whole closet full of wigs
00:29 I wear once or twice.
00:30 Well, if you have that problem, these ladies
00:33 have solved it all for us.
00:36 Everybody welcome Shante and Lauren of Well Capped.
00:40 Oh, hi.
00:42 Hey.
00:42 [LAUGHTER]
00:45 So I'm so excited about this.
00:48 I don't know if everybody understands
00:50 what is about to go down, because I feel like--
00:53 it is life changing.
00:54 All right.
00:55 I want you all to tell us how you
00:58 got started with your business.
01:00 What is it?
01:01 Put us on.
01:03 OK.
01:03 So we are Well Capped, which is a wig rental subscription
01:07 company.
01:08 Yes, I said--
01:09 Say that again.
01:10 [LAUGHTER]
01:11 Say that one more time.
01:13 Wig rental subscription company, and we are the first.
01:19 And this is so great, because I didn't know it was subscription.
01:21 I thought it was literally you went and you rented it.
01:25 So--
01:25 Yeah, you choose it, wear it, return it.
01:28 Choose it, wear it, return it.
01:29 OK, so take me back.
01:32 First of all, we're cousins.
01:33 Y'all founding cousins.
01:34 Yes, we are cousins.
01:35 We are family.
01:37 What was the moment where you were like,
01:40 there needs to be a wig rental subscription?
01:44 How did that all come about?
01:46 Right.
01:46 So it was 2021.
01:48 We're actually both consultants by trade.
01:50 So we were so inspired by the pandemic.
01:53 Everybody was at that time.
01:54 We were like, what can we do?
01:55 How can we make a little money on the side?
01:57 So we were thinking about it.
01:58 We were in a program called Generator.
02:00 And we had to think of different ideas.
02:03 And we just kept coming up blanks.
02:04 Like, oh, that's already done.
02:06 That's already done.
02:06 So our aunt was actually saying, oh, can you actually
02:10 do the rent-the-runway, but for wigs?
02:13 And we both looked at each other, and we were like, girl,
02:15 no, we're not allowed to do that.
02:17 Like, nobody's doing that.
02:18 That's weird.
02:19 But in the business, we were looking for three things,
02:21 and I'll let Shante take it.
02:23 Yeah, so we really wanted three things when it
02:25 came to starting a company.
02:27 I had a professor--
02:28 I got my MBA from NYU.
02:30 Lauren went to LSU for her MBA.
02:32 And one of my favorite professors
02:34 said, if you're looking for an industry to disrupt,
02:37 look for three things.
02:38 The first being an antiquated model,
02:40 meaning the way it looks today is the same way
02:43 it looked in 1982.
02:45 The second being room for growth.
02:47 So you don't want to go into something that's
02:49 matching the rate of inflation.
02:51 You want something that's growing
02:52 at an exponential rate.
02:54 And then the third thing that you want is a fragmented market,
02:57 because no one wants to be out here competing
02:59 with Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Amazon.
03:03 We didn't have that type of money.
03:04 So when you look at the hair industry,
03:07 it really does fit all three of those qualifiers.
03:10 You just took us all to school right now.
03:12 I hope you guys have been taking notes.
03:14 [LAUGHTER]
03:16 Really good to know.
03:18 I'm sure everyone is dying to know what the process is.
03:22 I know the number one question that people are asking--
03:26 it was my first question.
03:27 It's like, oh, rented wigs.
03:29 What's the cleaning process between?
03:31 So I don't know if you guys can take us through step by step.
03:35 And then everyone, we are going to showcase and highlight
03:38 some of these units.
03:39 I'm not wearing one right now, but it's on its way.
03:42 So I'll post it on my IG.
03:43 [INAUDIBLE]
03:45 Yes.
03:46 I'll post it on my IG.
03:47 Make sure you follow me.
03:48 OK.
03:48 So just tell us the process.
03:50 So I want to sign up for a subscription service.
03:52 What's the step by step?
03:54 And then what do you guys do behind the scenes
03:55 to assure that it's properly cleaned before it
03:58 gets to the next person?
04:01 Yeah, so if you go to www.wellcat.com,
04:04 there's a woman in the lower right-hand corner
04:07 of our website.
04:08 She'll ask you a series of four questions.
04:11 And then based on how you answer those questions,
04:14 she'll recommend hairstyles to you.
04:17 We are looking into building out dynamic landing pages,
04:20 meaning your web page is just like your Amazon.com
04:25 experience, how your landing page is made for you.
04:28 We want to do that on the website.
04:30 But for now, we had to be scrappy.
04:33 So you get a unique URL based on how
04:35 you answer those questions.
04:37 So once you sign up, you pay $80 every two weeks or $100 a month.
04:43 Not a lot of you, though, because you get a discount code.
04:46 But once you sign up, you get your WellCat wig
04:49 that comes in a WellCat box.
04:53 And then they'll come in this little baggie.
04:57 And we are working on getting new packaging.
05:00 But behind the scenes, because I know
05:02 everyone wants to know if the wigs are clean and sanitized,
05:05 and we guarantee that they are.
05:08 If you have any issues at all, we have A1 customer service,
05:12 meaning you can send it to us, and we'll
05:14 make sure we get you together.
05:16 But there's a nine-step process that we use
05:18 with all of our contractors.
05:20 And basically, I don't want to bore you with each step.
05:23 But the biggest takeaway is that the wigs are cleansed twice
05:27 and then sanitized twice.
05:29 And the way that we sanitize it is the same way
05:31 that a surgeon would sanitize his tools
05:34 before going into surgery.
05:35 So good.
05:39 OK, so what's kind of the makeup of the variety of wigs?
05:44 How many do you have of it?
05:46 First of all, I can't skip over the fact
05:47 that y'all are giving people personal stylists on top of--
05:50 [LAUGHTER]
05:51 I didn't know there was a whole woman there recommending
05:54 the hairstyles.
05:55 I can't wait to take my quiz.
05:56 Make sure you guys go to WellCapped.com
05:58 to at least take your quiz and see
06:00 what hairstyle is recommended.
06:02 I feel like I'm in my what is my hairstyle saying era.
06:08 So I'm excited about that.
06:10 But I'd love to know--
06:11 I know we're going to show off a few of the units.
06:13 But what is the variety of wigs you have?
06:15 Are they synthetic?
06:16 Are they human?
06:18 What can people expect when they go to Well Capped?
06:21 All human hair, 100% human hair.
06:23 All human hair.
06:25 All human hair.
06:26 We want to make sure that you can curl it.
06:28 You can do everything to the wig except cut it and color it.
06:31 But the majority of time, if you do want a color,
06:34 you can email us and say, hey, do you have this in a number
06:37 four?
06:38 Or do you have this in a blonde?
06:39 And if we don't, more than likely,
06:41 because we're so small right now, we'll make it for you.
06:44 Wow.
06:45 And let me tell you, first of all, they are hooking us up,
06:48 y'all.
06:48 45% off.
06:50 Shop Essence Live Shop.
06:51 That's easy, y'all out there.
06:53 All Capped Shop Essence for 45% off through January.
06:57 When I tell you the amount of money saved--
07:00 because I don't even go near the human hair,
07:03 because those are like $500.
07:05 Exactly.
07:06 Easily $500.
07:08 And I'm like, well, I change my hair so often.
07:10 Am I going to spend that much on one wig?
07:13 So I'll end up just buying a new synthetic every single week.
07:16 $50, $50, $50.
07:17 And now I can get a high quality wig and switch it up.
07:22 And it's cheaper than what I'm spending.
07:25 It's just so genius.
07:27 You guys are such geniuses.
07:28 OK, so now let's get to the different units
07:31 that you have to show off.
07:32 What do we have first?
07:34 OK, so this is our--
07:37 this is Calendria.
07:38 Everybody say hi.
07:39 Oh, Calendria.
07:41 She's got the shrink.
07:43 Let's see that.
07:44 Let me get her together.
07:47 Let's see the lace.
07:48 And the biggest thing for me, I hate dealing with the lace.
07:54 I don't ever cut it right.
07:55 Pre-cut is bleached, so you can see right through.
07:58 And it's bleached already.
08:01 And then we also have an adjustable band
08:03 in each of our wigs.
08:04 So if the wig is too big or maybe too small or too tight,
08:09 or you're a big-headed queen like me,
08:11 you can adjust the band to make sure that it's to your liking.
08:16 Love, love.
08:17 I would say this one is about 24 inches.
08:19 They also come curled.
08:20 So when you receive it in your package,
08:22 you'll have pin curls that you just take them straight down.
08:25 Should take you less than five minutes to get together.
08:28 OK, I'm going to the well-kept immediately.
08:31 Me and my mom.
08:32 Subscriptions.
08:33 All right, who is the next one?
08:35 This is our girl, Farrah.
08:36 Farrah is Zoom call ready.
08:39 So when you have a Zoom call, when
08:41 you want something conservative, you
08:42 don't want to do too much for them.
08:45 First of all, don't give them my secrets.
08:48 Because I got a drawer in my desk of wigs or scarves.
08:53 If you out on a Friday night in your 30-inch bust down
09:00 and then Monday get to show up for a quarterly review,
09:04 you might want to come as Farrah.
09:05 She's very conservative.
09:08 Yeah, she's got the Eric look.
09:09 I love her.
09:11 It's one of my favorites.
09:13 It's inspired by the Farrah Fawcett look, of course.
09:17 And we also have you parts as well.
09:19 Well, that's a mirror from Destiny's Child,
09:21 but that's--
09:22 [LAUGHTER]
09:24 Farrah, you might want to get your bags.
09:26 [LAUGHTER]
09:28 [INAUDIBLE]
09:30 That's a very old black woman.
09:32 If you're watching, you're going to get the reference.
09:35 [LAUGHTER]
09:37 It's better than getting your bags.
09:38 Go get your bags, Farrah.
09:40 So good.
09:41 And I'm actually wearing low-caps right now.
09:43 But you're wearing low-cap right now?
09:45 No, this is a U-part wig.
09:47 My hair is actually just cut into a bob.
09:50 But I wanted to show off her little U-part.
09:52 So it looks more like a sew-in, but this is my U-part wig.
09:55 Oh, OK.
09:58 I was a sew-in girl.
10:00 I would spend hours and hours at the salon.
10:03 And then with the U-part, you put less tension on your hair,
10:07 literally just sew it up.
10:09 I still get mine sewed down around the perimeter
10:11 for my security.
10:13 I mean, it's blended.
10:14 It's so much better for your natural hair.
10:17 This is my natural hair today, but my hair
10:19 has grown so much from wearing the wigs
10:21 and just giving it a break from being flat-armed.
10:24 Yes, yes, yes.
10:26 And that is key, too.
10:28 It is like, I am very much about beauty wellness right now
10:31 and soft beauty and making sure the things we
10:33 do to enhance our beauty isn't stripping away
10:36 at the beauty we were born with.
10:37 That's why I absolutely--
10:39 I love a wig.
10:40 I love a really great protective style.
10:43 Ladies, we have to be mindful.
10:44 And gentlemen, we have to be mindful
10:46 when it's a protective style that is really
10:48 protecting your hair.
10:51 You're taking care of it underneath.
10:52 So, so great.
10:54 I wonder, too-- and I cannot wait to take my well-capped
10:57 quiz when I go.
10:58 But I wonder, what's the variety of color that you have?
11:01 So I saw those two wigs.
11:03 Are they available in different colors as well?
11:06 We are working on that.
11:07 So we are a venture capital of Bath.
11:09 So we raised over $300,000 in diversity
11:14 and non-diversity funding.
11:15 So some from winning pitch competitions.
11:18 We also completed Techstars Atlanta,
11:21 which we're so proud about.
11:23 But we do have limited funding.
11:26 So right now, we are building out our inventory.
11:30 So we're asking, like Lauren mentioned,
11:32 if you see something on our site, and you're like, hey,
11:35 I love DeFera.
11:36 Can I get it in a different color, like a red
11:39 or a burgundy?
11:40 Copper.
11:40 We have a few.
11:41 We have a few colors.
11:42 But because when we first initially built Well-Capped,
11:46 it was for those trendsetters who
11:47 want to switch it up and have that 30-inch Meg
11:50 the Stallion wig Friday night.
11:51 And then Olivia Pope Bob on Monday for work.
11:55 Those are the best we built Well-Capped for.
11:58 But we also have to pay attention
12:00 to our other customer profiles, which is the bougie Black girl.
12:03 We like to call her that internally.
12:05 She doesn't have time to go to on the weekends.
12:09 And then the second would be our budget-conscious mom
12:12 that doesn't want to explain that $600 wig to her husband
12:16 when he sees that bank statement.
12:17 I imagine all three of those women.
12:19 [LAUGHTER]
12:22 I know.
12:22 So we all three--
12:23 It was really funny.
12:24 So that's what we started doing.
12:26 And then also, we recently just started doing a wig buyback
12:30 program where we're local to Atlanta.
12:32 So that's all the wigs that you have.
12:35 You could bring it, and we'll buy the wigs back for you.
12:37 Almost like a--
12:38 I wouldn't even do it to y'all.
12:39 I don't think I'm going to pass the good test.
12:41 I told you.
12:42 It's all synthetic that I wear.
12:45 But I just cannot wait to upgrade.
12:48 2024, we're upgrading everything.
12:50 And let's upgrade everything.
12:52 Let's upgrade everything.
12:53 Let's upgrade everything.
12:54 These styles, these protective styles.
12:56 And I'm just so, so excited for you guys.
12:59 And I love that you're on Shop Essence Live.
13:02 I feel like we're at the beginning
13:04 of the incredible journey that you guys are going to be on.
13:07 So I'm just so excited to keep up with the brand.
13:10 Make sure that you guys follow these ladies.
13:12 Tell us, what are your Instagram?
13:14 We're going to check out the website for sure.
13:16 But what's your ID?
13:18 Our ID is Well-Capped.
13:20 We also have a Facebook group.
13:21 We would love for you to join.
13:22 That's Well-Capped as well.
13:24 And then our Twitter, well, xnow is Get Well-Capped.
13:28 And then we're also happy to announce that in January,
13:31 we are going to do a giveaway.
13:32 So for the first, I believe we'll do the end of January,
13:36 we'll pick the winner.
13:37 But you and your home girl will get one month free of Well-Capped.
13:40 Maybe two.
13:41 But we haven't decided yet.
13:43 But be on the lookout for that.
13:44 Make sure you're following us on Instagram
13:46 so you can enter that giveaway.
13:47 And Lauren--
13:49 Yep, go ahead.
13:50 I was going to say, Lauren and I are all about whole wellness.
13:53 So last year, we hosted a Hot Girl Summer workout,
13:58 virtual workout class.
14:00 So we may be bringing that back, where all of the girls
14:02 had to log in, code, we worked with a personal trainer.
14:05 So your hair looking good is one thing,
14:08 but you also want to make sure your body looks good.
14:10 Custom with it.
14:11 Come on.
14:13 See, they didn't have to get everything together
14:15 from head to toe.
14:16 But Well-Capped is there for us.
14:18 I am definitely going to be following y'all,
14:20 because I want to know about that workout class for sure.
14:25 I'm just so excited to introduce this to the Essence audience
14:28 100%.
14:29 I feel like everybody watching, either you or you know somebody
14:32 that you know in your life, I would absolutely eat this up,
14:36 because this is so, so-- it's too good.
14:38 It's too good.
14:39 So let's help them expand for sure.
14:41 So let's make sure that we support.
14:43 When you shop at Shop Essence Live,
14:44 you are shopping directly with these Black-owned brands.
14:46 Nothing going sideways to me or anybody else.
14:49 It's going directly to them.
14:51 So I encourage you guys, go to their site, wellcapped.com.
14:56 Use the Shop Essence promo code for 45% off.
15:00 That is huge.
15:00 That's almost half off, y'all.
15:02 45% off through the end of January.
15:04 So you want to act now.
15:05 Don't wait.
15:06 Enter the new year with a new lease on your hair for sure.
15:14 So you guys are a part of the New Voices family.
15:18 We're in partnership with--
15:19 can you say a little bit about what it's like being
15:21 a part of that community?
15:23 Yeah, absolutely.
15:24 It's been an amazing experience.
15:26 I've been fortunate enough to have a co-founder, Shante.
15:29 That is my family, obviously.
15:31 But to gain a new family and more like sisters,
15:35 the way that I know that they're rooting for me just as much
15:38 as I'm rooting for them, and I just have that support,
15:41 has been really much of a blessing for me and Shante
15:46 to just have that support system.
15:48 Because it's really hard for Black entrepreneurs as it is.
15:51 So just to have that extra support means everything.
15:55 Yeah.
15:56 What about you, Shante?
15:58 We're just so grateful for the resources.
16:00 They'll plug us with different local events
16:03 that Essence may be hosting, like the holiday market
16:08 that they just opened.
16:11 So we've really been grateful.
16:12 Can't express gratitude enough.
16:15 We're really excited.
16:17 So good, y'all.
16:18 So if you guys are a Black entrepreneur
16:20 or you know somebody that is an entrepreneur, please,
16:23 please bet on yourself.
16:24 Encourage them to bet on themselves.
16:26 Join the New Voices family.
16:27 You go to newvoicesfamily.com to learn more.
16:31 It is free.
16:32 All right, y'all.
16:33 It is free to join.
16:34 It is a bunch of information.
16:37 There is community.
16:38 There are workshops.
16:39 If you don't know what the next step is,
16:42 resources are right there.
16:43 You guys, sad to see you go, but I
16:47 am just so excited for what the future brings for you both.
16:51 I'm going to get my well-capped wig.
16:53 I'm going to try it on.
16:54 Make sure you guys are following me on Instagram
16:56 so I can do a little before and after.
16:57 I'm so excited to try it on.
17:00 And I'll probably do one every single month
17:01 when I get my new well-capped wig.
17:03 We can't wait to get you well-capped.
17:06 Come on, everybody get well-capped, OK?
17:08 [INTERPOSING VOICES]
17:11 Get well-capped.
17:13 Join the community on Facebook, Instagram.
17:16 Go take the quiz.
17:17 You guys, thank you so much for joining us on today's show.
17:22 That's such a pleasure.
17:23 And thank you guys at home for watching.
17:26 See you guys next time.
17:27 Bye.