Inspiring Conversations with Ashonte Wallace of Belle Societe

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashonte Wallace.

Hi Ashonte, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Belle Société may appear to be a newer brand, but the journey behind it began more than a decade ago. It is actually my third hair company.

I’m originally from Sacramento, and I grew up learning how to do my best with what I had. Even when resources were limited, I always cared about how I presented myself. Hair, style, and beauty were never only about appearance to me. They were connected to confidence, dignity, and how a woman feels when she walks into a room.

Earlier in my life, I experienced incarceration and had to make a conscious decision about who I wanted to become afterward. I could have allowed that chapter to determine what I believed was possible for me, but I chose to rebuild.

In 2014, I started my first hair company. I did not have a perfect roadmap, but I had a genuine passion for beauty and the determination to create something of my own. As a licensed cosmetologist, I also spent years behind the chair serving women, listening to their experiences, and learning what they truly wanted from their hair.

I repeatedly heard the same frustrations. Women were paying premium prices for hair that did not always last, while more affordable products often came with inconsistent quality and very little information about processing, installation, scalp care, or maintenance.

Before Belle Société, I built two other hair companies. Each experience taught me something different about customers, product quality, branding, operations, and the realities of entrepreneurship. By 2019, I had partnered directly with a hair factory, which gave me a deeper understanding of sourcing, manufacturing, processing, product development, and quality control.

In 2022, conversations with Walmart began. That opportunity made me think beyond creating another hair company. I began thinking about what it would take to build a brand capable of serving women through national retail.

Belle Société was officially created in 2024 with that larger vision in mind.

Belle launched with our Satin Blend assortment, including drawstring ponytails and braiding hair created for the Walmart customer. Belle Société products ultimately launched in over 600 Walmart stores nationwide.

Human hair has always been my bread and butter. It was the foundation of my previous businesses and an area where I had already developed years of experience. After launching Belle’s Walmart assortment, I added premium human hair extensions so we could serve women across different price points, styling needs, and stages of their beauty journeys.

The name Belle Société translates to “Beautiful Society.” I chose it because my mission has always been bigger than selling hair. I want to be a day-maker—someone who leaves women feeling better than she found them. I want to help create a more beautiful world for women, filled with confidence, kindness, love, and opportunities to feel seen.

Becoming a mother gave that mission an even deeper meaning. I want my daughter to grow up knowing that where you begin does not determine where you can go. I want her to see that a woman can rebuild her life, create something meaningful, and become the person she once could only imagine.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It has not been a smooth road, but every stage has prepared me for the next one.

One of my earliest challenges was learning to believe that I belonged in important rooms. I had to overcome the assumptions other people might make about me, along with the limitations I sometimes placed on myself. I had to learn that I was allowed to speak with authority, pursue major opportunities, and build something much larger than where I started.

I also had to learn the difference between knowing the hair industry and knowing how to scale a consumer brand. Product knowledge was only one part of the equation. Building a sustainable company required me to understand inventory planning, working capital, production, packaging, fulfillment, retail compliance, forecasting, marketing, and team leadership.

Entering national retail brought an entirely different level of responsibility. A major retail launch can look like the finish line from the outside, but it is actually a new starting line. The opportunity must be supported by the right systems, capital, discipline, and decision-making.

Another challenge has been distinguishing Belle Société in a crowded category. Hair extensions are everywhere, but trust and transparency are not. Customers are frequently presented with vague claims, inconsistent quality, and limited education. I knew we could not simply become another company selling hair. We had to be intentional about how we developed products, communicated with customers, and supported women throughout the buying and wearing experience.

There have been moments when the responsibility felt overwhelming, but the challenges have made me a stronger leader. I have learned to keep moving, ask better questions, make difficult decisions, and remain connected to the reason I started.

We’ve been impressed with Belle Societe, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Belle Société’s primary differentiator is what happens to the hair after it has been processed.

Once processing is complete, we wash the hair using our organic treatment solution. This final cleansing step is what we mean when we describe our hair as organically treated. It reflects our commitment to bringing greater intention and transparency to a category that is often left out of the clean-beauty conversation.

Our philosophy is simple:

People care about what they put in their bodies and on their skin. We believe they should care just as much about what they put on their hair and scalp.

Women may wear extensions and protective-styling products against or near their scalps for extended periods, yet they are often given very little information about how those products were processed or treated before reaching them. Belle Société wants to help change that conversation.

Belle launched with our Satin Blend assortment, including drawstring ponytails and braiding hair created for accessible, everyday styling. The assortment launched nationally through Walmart. We later expanded the brand to include premium human hair extensions, allowing us to serve both the woman looking for an affordable, ready-to-wear style and the woman investing in premium human hair.

As a licensed cosmetologist, I understand the questions women have before they buy: What has this hair been treated with? Will it blend? How should I install and maintain it? How long should it last? How can I protect and care for my natural hair and scalp while wearing it?

We are not only selling a finished look. We want to give women greater clarity about what they are wearing and the education they need to choose, install, and care for their hair confidently.

Our future extends beyond products. We are building a broader vision centered on beauty, hair wellness, scalp-conscious education, content, athlete partnerships, and women’s empowerment. I am especially interested in how Belle Société can support women and girls in sports by helping them express themselves without compromising performance, comfort, or hair wellness.

Customers may initially discover Belle Société because they need hair, but I want them to leave the experience feeling more confident, informed, and cared for than they did before they found us.

We all have a different way of looking at and defining success. How do you define success?
One of my favorite quotes—and one I have lived by for years—is:

“When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe, then you’ll be successful.”

That quote has stayed with me because real success requires more than simply wanting something. It requires hunger, discipline, sacrifice, consistency, and the willingness to keep moving when the outcome is not guaranteed and no one else can see the vision yet.

I also believe that powerful dreams inspire powerful actions. When your dream is meaningful enough, it changes how you move. It makes you willing to enter the room, learn an unfamiliar skill, start over, and continue working when giving up would be easier.

I define success in three ways: sustainability, impact, and legacy.

Sustainability means building Belle Société into a profitable, scalable company that can serve women for generations. Profitability allows us to create jobs, pursue larger opportunities, build generational wealth, and continue investing in our mission.

Impact is helping women feel confident and informed. It is creating products they can trust, providing education they can use, and opening opportunities for women and girls in spaces where beauty, wellness, business, and sports intersect.

Legacy is what my daughter and other women learn from my journey. I want my daughter to understand that difficult circumstances do not have to limit her future. I want her to see that women can lead, rebuild, dream powerfully, and turn those dreams into action.

Ultimately, success means building a company that is profitable enough to last, meaningful enough to matter, and powerful enough to open doors for other people.

Pricing:

• Belle Société offers products across different price points so women can choose what works best for their desired style, lifestyle, and budget. Select Belle Société Satin Blend ponytail and braiding-hair products generally retail for approximately $24.99 to $29.99 through Walmart. Pricing for our premium human hair extensions varies depending on the product type, texture, length, and collection. Because pricing and availability may vary by platform, readers can find the most current information at https://www.bellesociete.com or through the retailer where they prefer to shop.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.bellesociete.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bellesociete
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@bellesociete