Atlanta native, Spelman graduate, drummer (she still plays at her dad’s church), and speaker with a family full of entrepreneurs, CEO and inventor of Hairbrella and participant of Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator, Tracey Pickett is the epitome of a Boss Woman. Growing up, Pickett had several business ideas, but she desired to become a lawyer.
After passing the bar in 2011, Tracey landed her dream job at a Fortune 5 tech company. While working her 9 to 5, she pursued her side hustle (or as some of us reference it as our 5 to 9) on nights and weekends with her first startup Eboticon, an animated emojis stickers app. Eboticon reached #1 in paid social and #2 in paid overall apps in the Apple App Store with users in over 70 different countries, but Tracey wasn’t content quite yet.
Launching Hairbrella
In November 2016, Tracey launched Hairbrella, a rain hat designed to insulate women’s hair from the rain – solving the problem of women running around with bags on their heads. Shortly after a successful launch, Tracey quit her corporate job to pursue entrepreneurship full-time.
From the current successes of Hairbrella and being a part of Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator as a seller, it’s no secret that Tracey knows a thing or two about creating a brand that makes impact and stands out in today’s marketplace. “In order to create impact and stand out, a brand needs to solve a problem and create a relationship with your customer base, so you can continue to expand the way you solve problems for them,” said Tracey Pickett.
Solving a Problem to Create a Brand that Makes Impact and Stands Out
Tracey knew that in order to create a brand that would truly last, she’d have to be able to solve a problem and evolve relationships with her customers.
“I’ve always had ideas for inventions – I would draw them out as a kid and my parents always told me I had great ideas to fix things,” said Pickett. “I learned early not to ignore my God-given talents and definitely felt a pull to explore this space.”
In 2021, Tracey recalls asking God for a sign that would allow her to spend her last savings on the patent for Hairbrella. The next day, Sara Blakely, the founder and CEO of Spanx, sat next to her at Nakato restaurant and after pitching and telling her idea, Tracey knew her confirmation and reassurance sealed the deal. “If I didn’t take this leap, I knew I would regret it for the rest of my life. I’d rather try and fail than face the regret and not know what could have happened,” said Pickett.
And Even When You Want to Quit, Remember That’s Not an Option
Many women of color know the full routine of having to step into the shower with a shower cap to protect their hair, so why would they step outside without the same protection in the rain?! Tracey knew this was a problem worth solving, but she also knew it wouldn’t be an easy.
Although there may be times when you feel as if you want to throw in the towel, remember why you started and what you started for. “One of my mentors at my job said, ‘You’re going to want to quit, and when you get to that part of the journey, just decide you’re not going to do it,” said Pickett. “I recall that conversation every time things get hard – and quitting isn’t an option.”
Tracey Pickett is a participant in Amazon’s Black Business Accelerator. To learn more about Amazon’s commitment to supporting Black entrepreneurs selling in its store, please visit Amazon.com/bba.
To shop her dynamic products, visit the Hairbrella store on Amazon.
