Meet Cyndrea Mathews and Shantika Lynch of For the Culture Beauty Supply in Culver City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Cyndrea Mathews and Shantika Lynch

Cyndrea and Shantika, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Cyndrea Mathews: After graduating from USC with my master’s degree in Communication Management, my career began as a digital marketing executive for one of the largest public relations firms in the world. I managed social media campaigns from strategy to execution in the entertainment space during my six years of employment with this firm, moving up the ranks each year. However, I always felt this tug on my spirit that I was meant to do much more.

As the little girl with the typical lemonade stand, to soliciting my family for jobs sewing their torn clothing, to selling custom bracelets at my middle school to fund a modeling class I wanted to attend, I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit, and I knew someday I would own my own business. So as I moved up in my corporate career when it would seem I should feel more confident and encouraged by my career trajectory, instead I had a growing sense of discontent and began to feel out of place, knowing my calling was elsewhere.

I yearned to do “my own thing,” but as responsibilities mounted after becoming a wife and a mother, the need for financial stability kept me on the corporate path a little longer, however, the tug just got stronger and stronger. During maternity leave after having my second child, I decided it was time to go for it. To listen to my spirit and make my dreams a reality. There was never going to be a “right” time, so I had to make it “my time.” I wanted my children to see a mother who was happy, fulfilled and accessing her full potential so they will be inspired to do the same and more.

I opened my journal, as I would do every so often, and revisited my list of goals: publish a book, sell my feature-length script, get a song placement with a major artist, open a beauty supply store, invest in real estate, and initially it was a bit overwhelming to look at that list that seems a bit scattered and to hone in on one thing to focus on. But during a conversation with my stylist where she revealed her dream of opening a beauty supply store and finding that the vision we each had for our stores were completely aligned, we decided to partner, and I took it as a sign of what my focus should be.

Neither of us had business experience, but we decided not to get paralyzed by the daunting task in front of us but to take it one step at a time and figure everything out as we go.

Shantika Lynch: My journey began in 2003 when I was laid off from an Administrative Assistant position. I had never really thought about becoming a professional hairstylist before, but I had always done my own hair, and I started getting inquiries about who was taking care of my hair. Once I told them that I did my own hair, they’d immediately want to schedule an appointment, and I accepted the work to make money, and I really did and still do love hair.

While experimenting on each person who entrusted me with hair, I started to notice that the hair needed something. That’s when I decided to become a Cosmetologist. My love for hair grew even more right along with my will to learn how to care for it. Learning and practicing cosmetology was a truly joyful experience for me. I earned my license February 2005 from Marinello Beauty School in Inglewood, CA. While training I was building my clientele and opened my own salon during this time. My business grew organically through word of mouth.

Fast forward to the year that I met Cyndrea. I believe that it was sometime in 2014. She asked me where I get my hair done. Of course, I replied, “I do my own hair.” Needless to say, we scheduled an appointment, and the rest is history. Throughout our professional relationship, we developed a friendship in which we discussed many things but mostly hair. In 2018, at one of our appointments I mentioned that I was going to open a Beauty Supply store with someone else.

A short time later in May of 2018, Cyndrea proposed that we open a beauty supply store together. She knew that we shared some of the same ideas of how we wanted the store to look and what customer service we would provide. We put a plan together and began executing that plan to the manifestation that you see today. Cyndrea is an amazing businesswoman. I could not have been blessed greater than having her as my business partner.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been an easy road. One of our main struggles has been finances. We pooled our resources and made the most of what we had, but we’ve had to be very strategic with our budget. Another challenge has been establishing accounts with certain vendors, some of which make it very hard for black owned beauty supply stores to purchase their brands by either being non-responsive or requiring steep purchasing amounts in order to establish an account, that many small black-owned businesses are not able to afford.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the For the Culture Beauty Supply story. Tell us more about the business.
For the Culture Beauty Supply is a retail store that specializes in natural hair products and protective styling solutions. We also have a full salon with talented stylists who offer a range of services: natural hair care and styling, hot works, weave installation, cuts, coloring, and braiding.

One of the features that sets us apart from other beauty supply stores is our DIY Hair Oil & Butter Bar, where visitors can create a custom combination specifically for their hair needs using a selection of natural oils and butters, and the DIY Bar can even be reserved for parties. It is our mission to celebrate black culture through the beauty and versatility of black hair by providing the products, services, and education necessary to empower our community to embrace their natural texture.

We are most proud of the atmosphere we’ve created and the customer service we provide to our customers. We’ve designed a clean, open, and vibrant space where customers can feel comfortable while shopping. We’ve decorated with beautiful art that reflects our culture, and we treat everyone who walks through our doors like family.

Our beauty advisors are knowledgeable and passionate and able to assist with questions, product selection, and even styling suggestions. This isn’t something you get with traditional beauty supply stores.

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
There’s definitely a shift happening in the beauty industry, and beauty standards are being challenged, the natural hair movement is going strong, and the need for more products and resources for black women who embrace their natural texture is growing.

There is also a rise of black-owned beauty supply stores. This is a very significant shift due to the fact that while African American’s outspend every other race in beauty supplies, beauty supply stores are still largely Korean-owned.

This illustrates the huge disparity in the industry and the need for more beauty supply stores that are owned and operated by people who identify more closely with the primary consumers. We are proud to be a part of this movement.

Contact Info:

• Address: 6281 Bristol Parkway Culver City, CA 90230
• Website: www.fortheculturebeauty.com
• Phone: 424-800-2142
• Email: fortheculturebeauty@gmail.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/Fortheculturebeauty
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/Fortheculturebeauty
• Twitter: www.twitter.com/FTCBeauty

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