Entrepreneur of the Week: How Bold Beardsmen is Redefining the Grooming Experience For Men

Tony Aniagba and Neville Hall Jr., the founders of Bold Beardsmen, are not concerned about appealing to a large audience. The innovative duo are quick to point out that their beard care product line is targeted for a small, yet influential demographic of men living life with a purpose–ranging from risk takers to the stay-at-home fathers to artists and the everyday businessman. “Our focus is not selling a product for the beard, but rather building a story around the lifestyle and grooming experience that drives and influences every bearded man of color, said co-founder, Neville Hall Jr.”

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“We also challenge the claim that beards are a trend or some form of a fad that will fade out once the next best thing comes around,” Hall continued. This brand caters to facial hair growth, a transformation that all men experience as they come of age. So beards will always be relevant, especially in our culture.”

In fact, to prove their business concept, the trailblazers hit the streets of New York City. “Instead of going the more conventional route, we wanted to build an organic following. So with a camera in-hand, we traveled around parts of the city interviewing hundreds of beardsmen and profiling stories of their most memorable bold moments. From these brief encounters, about 90% of these men confessed that they knew of no products they could use for their beards. The few questions we asked on those street corners led to lengthy conversations and stories that left us inspired. That’s when it all clicked, we knew that these were stories that other men could relate to and decided to go for it and create a product.”

The product line features all natural ingredients in various scents. Beyond a product line, Bold Beardsmen is a movement. “We stand for the under-represented bearded men who do super things but are still fallible. The men we signify are not magazine models, nor are they perfect people. These are everyday men who still get nervous at the thought of doing new things but what guides them is the fear of never trying.” With a digital magazine featuring everything from grooming tips to lifestyle and culture, Bold Beardsmen is a breath of fresh air for a “style” often judged more critically–especially for men of color. Black Enterprise caught up with the co-founder Neville Hall Jr. to learn more about their journey. 

What marketing tools have you used to successfully position your business? 
We’ve used Instagram to attract a large number of loyal followers. Instagram was a great way to use a clean and aesthetic platform to showcase stories and pictures. This tool gave our brand the opportunity to grab the attention of an extended audience outside of New York and was fairly easy to use. Most times, the potential reach on Instagram is overlooked.

Additionally, e-mail marketing has helped us increase momentum with our products. Once we curated a list of target customers, we used e-mails to keep them excited about product updates and promotions.

Any other marketing tips for small business owners?
Before you spend a second of your time on marketing, get a pulse check on who your targeted audience and demographic will be. When you arrive at a decision, be as unconventional as possible.

It’s so easy to follow the conventional methods that we know today as marketing, but do your best to shake things up. It’s worth it in the long haul.

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