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Meet The SHEeo: Candera Thompson Of The Herbal-Infused Hair & Skin Line Bask & Bloom Essentials
With the rise of more and more black women breaking away from traditional 9-5s to become their own bosses, the CEO is getting a revamp as the SHEeo. In the Meet The SHEeo series, we talk to melanated mavens leveling up and glowing up, all while redefining what it means to be a boss.
Candera Thompson launched Bask & Bloom Essentials as a remedy to postpartum hair breakage and shedding. Using high-quality ingredients free from harsh chemicals and toxins, Bask & Bloom offers a full hair care line, including herbal infusions that protect against breakage while providing intense moisture. Within four years, the company has built a loyal customer base thanks to their wide range of product bundles that cater to various hair textures for a more simplified hair regimen.
Meet Candera Thompson of Bask & Bloom Essentials.
Photo courtesy of Candera Thompson
Title:CEO of Bask & Bloom Essentials
Year Founded: 2015
Location: Saint Louis, MO
# of Employees: 3
30-Second Pitch: Bask & Bloom Essentials is a rapidly growing brand in the hair and skin care industry serving all members of a household. We offer a full hair care line that includes herbal infusions to protect against breakage while providing intense moisture and our skin care line promotes a basic, 3-step regimen to maintain a natural glow.
What inspired you to start your brand?
I was transitioning to natural after having my first daughter and experiencing lots of breaking and shedding. While some postpartum shedding is normal, I wanted to find a remedy once I got past that phase to strengthen my hair and give it a fuller look. A few ladies in a Natural Hair Facebook group I was in suggested black tea rinses and I started researching herbal teas that were beneficial for the hair. After trying and seeing some of the issues subside, I wanted to research further to add these ingredients into a line of hair care products.
What was your a-ha moment that brought your idea into reality?
My a-ha moment came while on a vendor's website where I purchased my herbs from. They updated with how-to videos and a few of them showed how to infuse herbs into an oil or liquid extract. A light bulb went off, this is how I would include them into my products. After research and testing for a few months, I was more confident it bringing a line to market.
Who is your ideal customer?
[My ideal customers are] 24-45-year-old ingredient-conscious women seeking to solve issues with dry, brittle hair and sensitive skin. They are college educated with an annual income ranging from $60-$80k. They prefer access to a unique, full line of products and love being educated on different natural remedies for beauty through demos and tutorials.
What makes your business different?
Seeing that we use unique herbs in our products, we spend a lot of time educating our audience on the multiple benefits of each ingredient. We create challenges that are unique to a group of customers to participate in that demonstrates overall healthier hair and skin and the end of that time period. We offer a range of bundles based on hair texture and solutions to make it easier for consumers to have a better regimen. This has allowed us to create a loyal base of customers who have shared our company to everyone they know, making them a believer in our brand also.
What obstacles did you have to overcome while launching and growing your brand? How were you able to overcome them?
Funding, resources to effectively launch a beauty brand and great recommendations for manufacturers, time management with working a full-time job and being a mother. I saved a lot of my paycheck to put into my business so I had to become very frugal in the beginning to create excitement around my products and launch. I incorporated the mindset that "done is better than perfect" and if I can at least get started, the business will eventually fund itself. I decided against working with a manufacturer in the beginning to mass produce and instead had everything tested by a lab to ensure all ingredient levels were ideal for launch. As far as time management, I just had to say no to a lot as there is no such thing as balance. I built my brand to the point where I could leave my full-time job, even though I got laid off before I could resign.
"I incorporated the mindset that 'done is better than perfect' and if I can at least get started, the business will eventually fund itself."
What was the defining moment in your entrepreneurial journey?
When I got laid off from my full-time job, I was three months pregnant with my second child, planning to not return after I had her. At three months pregnant, many would've have been afraid to not have a steady paycheck but I took it as a sign. I got what I asked for and was preparing for even if it was premature.
Where have you seen the biggest return on investment? (i.e. marketing, ads, vending, social media)
Social media and email marketing and Facebook/IG ads.
Where do you see your company in 5-10 years? (The ultimate goal?)
On the shelves of big retail stores, international pop up shops to meet and greet customers, a few boutiques where customers can test products and get one-on-one recommendations and shop, launching a nonprofit program for teenage girls interested in entrepreneurship, making it to eight figures in revenue and investing into other black-owned beauty brands.
Biggest lesson you’ve learned in business?
Do it afraid and unsure, everyone else is and are making fear look good.
For more of Candera and Bask & Bloom, follow her on social: Instagram.
This article is sponsored by Hulu.
UnPrisonedhas returned for its highly anticipated second season, delving deeper into the complex dynamics of the Alexander family.
The series premiere comes a year after its debut season garnered rave reviews from fans and critics and earned record-breaking ratings for Hulu's Onyx Collective brand. UnPrisoned's success can be attributed to its raw, relatable themes and comedic appeal.
Inspired by creator Tracy McMillan's life, the show follows Paige (Kerry Washington), a therapist and single mother whose life takes an unexpected turn when her father, Edwin (Delroy Lindo) --who was released from prison-- moves in with her and her teenage son, Finn (Faly Rakotohavana).
Throughout UnPrisoned's first season, viewers witnessed how Edwin's incarceration deeply affected Paige's life and relationships. In the series, Paige unpacks her trauma through interactions with her inner child and her online followers. Meanwhile, Edwin is overcoming specific struggles with his own past that led to his life of crime, including a dysfunctional upbringing and his mother's arrest. As the Alexanders attempt to reconcile, new challenges arise.
This new season promises to further explore their unconventional family dynamic. Here are several compelling reasons why season two of UnPrisoned should be on everyone's watchlist.
The Alexander Family Life Is Still In Shambles
UnPrisoned's second season resumes where the series left off, with Paige grappling with the fallout from her troubled therapy practice and Edwin navigating life independently after moving out. Meanwhile, Finn faces his own challenges. The teenager is battling anxiety and seeking information about his father—a topic Paige avoids discussing.
The Alexander Family Are Attending Therapy To Resolve Their Underlying Issues
Amid the chaos in their lives, the Alexander family decides to mend their bond by confronting their past traumas. They seek professional help and attend therapy sessions with a “family radical healing coach,” played by John Stamos, a new cast member. This collective effort aims to unravel the complexities of their shared history and strengthen their relationships.
The process of unraveling each character's internal conflicts and their potential impact on future relationships may clash with Paige's textbook therapy approach. While Paige is used to being in the therapist's seat in both career and family, this forces her into the unfamiliar role of a patient during therapy sessions. This shift would compel her to look in the mirror and try a radically different approach.
The Alexander Family Learned A Big Lesson During A Therapy Session
In therapy, the Alexanders are tasked with addressing their individual traumas to salvage their remaining relationships. One of the family therapist’s eccentric suggestions was an exercise involving a family wrestling match. During this session, Paige faces tough questions about her refusal to share information about Finn's father.
While it's unclear whether this scene is reality or fantasy, the image of the family duking it out in the ring certainly makes for hilarious yet compelling television.
Paige Tries Dating Again Following Failed Relationships
Amid her life's chaos, Paige decides to step back into the dating field. However, her many attempts have left her with mixed results. The dating apps have turned out to be a fail, and an outing with her ex Mal (Marque Richardson), who is also her father's parole officer, doesn’t go quite as expected after he brings an unexpected guest – his new girlfriend.
The situation takes an awkward turn when Mal's new partner learns why the former couple split, partly due to Paige's self-sabotage.
UnPrisoned Is A Perfect Balance Of Comedy And Drama
As a dramedy, UnPrisoned takes a comedic approach to its heavy subjects. The show takes us on a ride with Paige's dating misadventures and navigating a friendship with her ex.
Other lighthearted moments include Edwin's attempts at CPR based on online videos and, of course, the antics of the Alexander family's unconventional new healing coach.
The second season of UnPrisoned is now available on Hulu.
UnPrisoned | Season 2 Trailer | Hulu
Feature image courtesy
Blair Underwood Initially Turned Down 'Sex And The City' Because 'It Was About How Samantha Was Fascinated By Dating A Black Man’
Actor and heartthrob Blair Underwood is opening up about why he turned down Sex and the City the first time he was offered a role. Many fans of the HBO series may recall Blair's time on the show in which his character was dating Miranda (Cynthia Nixon). However, he was previously offered another role where his character would date Samantha (Kim Cattrall).
During his interview with AV Club, the Set It Off star revealed that he was uncomfortable with the initial offer due to the character's fascination with him being a Black man.
“I actually did say ‘no’ the first time,” he said. “The first time they had offered the role, to be honest with you, it was about how Samantha was fascinated by dating a Black man and wanted to know if, uh, all of the rumors were true about our anatomy! And I said, ‘Listen, I’m honored, thank you, but I just don’t want to play a character based on race, on curiosity about a Black man.'”
But that didn't stop them from reaching out again. This time he was offered to play Dr. Robert Leeds, the love interest to Miranda and he decided to go for it. "So they were nice enough to call about a year later, and I said, 'Well, is it gonna be about race?' And they said, 'No, no, no, we’re not even gonna mention race!' And I think it really did only come up maybe once," he recalled.
"It did five episodes, and I think Samantha mentioned it once, saying something about 'a Black doctor' that Miranda was dating. And that’s really been a consistent thing in my career: not wanting to be boxed as 'the Black guy.'
"I’ve had that conversation with many producers along the way, and they were so great. They said, 'No, he’s just a doctor who Miranda meets in the elevator, and they have a nice little fling.' And it was amazing."
Blair has had a wide-ranging career playing everything from a lawyer on L.A. Law to playing Madame CJ Walker's husband on Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madame CJ Walker. And during his interview, he revealed another role that he initially turned down, Set It Off. The movie, which is considered a classic in Black culture, stars Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith, Vivica A. Fox, and Kimberly Elise. Blair's character, Keith, played a banker and love interest to Jada's character, Stony.
He explained why he said no at first and eventually accepted the offer. "I had initially said “no” to that. Because I was playing this historic, iconic African-American historical figure in Jackie Robinson, and the time, y’know, there was Boyz N The Hood, and Menace II Society was out there, and I’d finished playing this noble Negro… [Laughs]," he said.
"And I’m reading the script, and there’s a scene where Jada Pinkett’s character—Jada Pinkett-Smith now—was going to sell her body so she could make some money to send her brother to college. And I remember, honestly, I threw the script across the room. I was, like, “I don’t want to do this. I want to do something uplifting for the Black culture and Black characters, and I don’t know if I want to see this.”
After a conversation with the movie's director F. Gary Gray and the actor's manager encouraging him to finish reading the script, Blair had a change of heart. What he first thought about the movie turned out to be totally different.
"So I finished the script, and I saw that the character they were asking me to play was really the love story in the midst of all of this turmoil of all of these characters, the four ladies: Queen Latifah, Vivica Fox, Kimberly Elise, and Jada," he explained.
"It was so well-written, it was such a great platform for them. And to be able to play the love story and the storyline that gave Jada’s character a leg up and a way out of this world, something to hope for, to wish for, someone to love her… I said, 'You know what? I’d like to be a part of that.'
"And I’m so glad I did, because that film resonates to this day. People all the time come up to me and say that they love that movie. So I’m glad that I did it."