Rising Stars: Meet Artiera Hickman

Today we’d like to introduce you to Artiera Hickman. They and their team shared their story with us below:

Curl of Art was founded by Artiera Hickman in 2020 with the idea of making natural haircare minimalistic. After embarking on her own  curl journey in 2017, she tested countless hair care systems in hopes to achieve the most organically luscious curl pattern that she knew her hair was capable of…and realized what she was looking for wasn’t available on the market. Despite her best efforts, she was not able to obtain one single-handed product that was clean, lightweight, and eco-friendly. As a wife and mom of two curly daughters, her daily schedule didn’t allow for a complicated hair care routine. She needed a product that was wash and go yet effective and decided to pioneer creating it for herself, her daughters, and the community of people wishing to safely flourish their natural curls as well. After mastering the perfect formula for all hair types, Curl Of Art was born.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It’s been a fun road but certainly not a smooth one. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial spirit but never imagined being a beauty founder in the CPG space. There’s been alot of learning lessons along the way! Between raising capital, learning all areas of the business (because let’s be honest…..I’m over here bootstrapping) and operations, I’ve learned a great deal of information along the way!

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Before becoming a beauty founder, I specialized in personal and experiential events. I loved the idea of hosting, cooking, making floral arrangements and celebrating any occasion under the sun. I found myself hosting friends and creating memorable moments with ease. It was at that exact moment I decided that events were the career path for me. I spent several years curating events for well-known celebrities. Fast forward to 2020, when Covid 19 took the entire world by storm, it seemed as though events were a thing of the past and rose the question, “Would we ever be able to gather in social settings again?”. I then began exploring other avenues in areas that interest me the most. As a new naturalista and beauty enthusiast, I then decided to birth Curl of Art. I love how I have been able to apply my creativity from planning events to the brand messaging of my haircare line Curl of Art. I have even had the honor of planning and executing my own launch event. I am most proud of how I have navigated my career and applied all of my skill sets to Curl of Art.

What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
The most important lesson I’ve learned throughout this journey is to be unapologetically and authentically YOURSELF. In a world where there is a high level of expectation to “show more” especially for brand founders, your audience wants to see the real deal. Your consumers buy into you before ever buying your product. I’ve learned to set my pride to the side and give my audience what they want while still being true to myself. They can always tell when you’re ingenuine and it’s forced.

Pricing:

• $22 Co-wash
• $26 Curl Perfector
• $45 Bundle

Contact Info:

• Website: www.curlofart.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curlofart/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/curlofart

Image Credits
Ashley Nguyen Bree Green Morgan Taylor