Bozoma Saint John is taking her marketing skills from the Fortune 500 to her own empire. The former chief marketing officer at Netflix has launched her own wig and haircare company, Eve By Boz.
Saint John, 47, has already reached historic pinnacles in her career. After leading the marketing departments of tech giants like Apple, Uber, and Netflix, she wants to start her own empire.
She left the uber-popular streaming platform in 2022, going on to release a memoir about losing her husband to cancer in addition to her premature-born daughter. While healing from the losses, Saint John wants to embark on a legacy that honors her past and future.
She saw a gap in the haircare industry, specifically for wigs, where women of color owned these businesses. Especially for products that cater to diverse women, having that same demographic leading the effort was too rare for Saint John.
“There’s really no voice in the production process for women of color and Black women, who are the ones who are consuming a majority of the product,” she told Fortune.
Understanding this need, she began developing her line in spring 2023. She and her hair stylist attended a hair show in Guangzhou, China, to connect with vendors. She traveled throughout the continent to learn more about sourcing the products.
After doing her homework, Saint John decided to invest in herself and raise money to launch the wig venture. She put about a “couple million” into the business but has the expertise to make it succeed.
“I’ve worked for enough big companies and got a lot of stock at a lot of places,” she explained. “It’s time to reinvest in myself, and that’s what I decided to do. Also, I can have total control. I don’t want anyone telling me what to do.”
Saint John’s brand is a game-changer in its addingferent lace colors for the wigs. Diversifying this color selection will better serve customers of all skin tones, which also remains a priority for Saint John.
“I don’t want to have to go on YouTube or Google and see 14 million videos of Black women and women of color kitchen chemists dying their lace to match their skin,” she says. “My intention is that other companies will see the success of this one and will follow suit.”
Eve By Boz’s launch will be featured on Saint John’s other project, an entry as a cast member on the “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills.” While coincidental, Saint John welcomes the attention for what she deems a winning product. Eve By Boz’s 171-piece collection is available now for purchase exclusively on its website.
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