In the era of the Black Lives Matter and #MeToo movements, businesses are becoming more responsive to the different needs of women and people of color. However, when it comes to the certain parts of the service industry, there are still barriers.
Local entrepreneur Piersten Gaines found this out, after losing her hair at the hands of licensed stylist, who didn’t know how to work with the nuances and textures of a Black woman’s hair. Fast, franchise chains were out of the question and after her preferred stylist moved from Boston, where she was going to school at the time, Gaines was left looking for a new option. And she quickly realized she wasn’t the only woman of color in this position.
So, combining her business background and connections made while attending Harvard, she began the journey to create a luxury blowout brand of salons specifically catering to women of color.
“For people with textured hair, to find a person that you know and that you trust is just… it’s a long process, you know it’s trial and error, it’s word of mouth. But what might work for one person, might not work for you,” Gaines said. “Traditionally, with black hair salons and black stylists, people are really dependent on their specific stylist. You have your trusted stylist. If they move, if they’re not available… you’re kind of stuck and starting over from scratch. We’re creating a brand where regardless of which stylist you go to, you’re going to get the same… experience.”
Dallas-based Press Roots started as an idea, a solution to the problem Gaines was facing in 2017. In 2018, she hosted her first popup event to a sold-out crowd in Boston. 2019 saw the creation of Pressed Roots as a corporation and is the year Gaines began hosting popups in Dallas.
With a sole focus on blowouts, on Wednesday, the salon concept is opening its flagship location in the Trinity Groves neighborhood of Dallas, with plans to bring in three more locations to the region by the end of the year.
“We’re really trying to make it a pampering experience, a luxury experience that a lot of this demographic really isn’t used to when it comes to their hair,” Gaines said. “The mission of the company is to make quality haircare easy and accessible for all women to achieve, so we want it make so where regardless of where you are, you can find a place that you can trust.”
"We’re really trying to make it a pampering experience, a luxury experience that a lot of this demographic really isn’t used to."
Part of the issue with a stylist dealing with textured hair, Gaines said, is that there is a lack of education and that for a long time larger businesses could get by without having to train or cater to women of color. She said the variety of types and texture of hair for people of color mean one person’s need likely differ from another. In addition, when someone like her finds a stylist, they often feel trapped because there aren’t many other options.
Due to the need to find good stylists, Gaines said her business is not only needed in the market, but incredibly scalable. She wants to create the same boutique experience other up-scale salons offer their clients, without having to spend hundreds of dollars, a common problem for women of color, Gaines said. And, the company offers a 2-hour in-and-out guarantee.
For this reason, Press Roots has used its current $600,000 in funding to help train its stylists and buildout its flagship shop. Currently, the company has about 15 W2-employed stylists.
“This could be a good business opportunity because… this demographic is a repeat customer, they’re coming every week or every other week, and they are willing to spend money,” Gaines said. “I want to give a path from stylist to ownership… I would like to make a community that doesn’t have a lot of opportunity to use their talents and their skills to create wealth and ownership.”
However, the company is looking to raise an additional $2 million, some of which it already has committed from current investors, to open up the three other Dallas locations. As it looks ahead, Pressed Roots hopes to have a location in every state within the next five years. Gaines said she is currently discussing with mentors and investors about whether to operate other locations as a single entity or as franchise locations. For now, the Dallas locations will all be owned by Pressed Roots. The company has its eyes on Houston as its next market.
No matter what the decision for future expansion, Gaines says she plans to move fast, as there is little barrier for entry into the hair service market, and she wants to get her company out there with an established, trusted brand as soon as possible.
“When people get out of the house and they do things, they want to have an experience... they want to feel like they’re a part of something, that they’re doing something,” Gaines said.
