Show notes
Jan 31, 2024
In this episode of ScaleUp Radio, we sit down with Yanika Cordina, the brilliant mind behind Cordina Hair, to unravel the journey of creating a revolutionary hair tool – the Flower Curl. Here are the key takeaways from our conversation:
**1. The Birth of Cordina Hair:**
- Struggling to find her career passion, Yanika initially started a pet care business in her 20s to gain experience and supplement her income.
- The unique Flower Curl hair tool emerged from Yanika’s frustration with traditional styling solutions.
- Launching Cordina Hair took 3 years, involving extensive prototyping, testing, patenting, and overcoming manufacturing challenges.
**2. Dragon's Den Drama:**
- Appearing on Dragon's Den, Yanika sought validation and exposure for her innovative product.
- Despite a deal falling through with Sarah Davies, the experience brought credibility, even though direct sales impact was minimal.
- Surprisingly, it was a viral social media video, not Dragon's Den, that fuelled significant sales growth.
**3. Navigating the Manufacturing Maze:**
- Finding manufacturing partners willing to innovate proved challenging but vital for Cordina Hair's success.
- Detailed technical specifications and production plans streamlined the manufacturing process.
- Starting with UK-based seamstresses and transitioning to a larger factory enabled scalable production.
**4. Fortifying with Patents:**
- Early filing for worldwide patents, guided by a freelance patent attorney, safeguarded designs and added value to the business.
- Intellectual property played a pivotal role in warding off copycats and supporting business growth.
**5. Sales Strategies and Partnerships:**
- Cordina Hair strategically leverages various sales channels, including direct e-commerce, retail partnerships, and collaborations with salons and boutiques.
- The partnership with Urban Outfitters stands out as a significant milestone, with US retailers driving substantial recurring orders.
- Wholesale partnerships heavily rely on vendors to drive promotion and sales.
**6. Mane-taining Marketing Mastery:**
- Cordina Hair achieved over 100 million views on TikTok and Instagram through a constantly evolving and controversial content strategy.
- Viral videos, while impactful, don't always correlate with sales, prompting Yanika to meticulously review performance data.
**7. Tackling Global Logistics:**
- International logistics remain a persistent challenge, requiring continuous optimisation to ensure smooth operations.
Join us as Yanika Cordina shares the ups, downs, and curls in her journey of building Cordina Hair into a thriving business in the beauty industry.
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Most founders I speak to feel busy but stuck; plenty happening, but not always clear on what genuinely matters most this quarter. If that’s you, the G90 Summit is worth a look. A structured half-day where we work through everything competing for your attention, get clear on the three to five things that must happen in the next 90 days, then commit to them and build the system to make sure they actually happen. Quarterly, virtual, £97 a seat.
Yanika can be found here:
linkedin.com/in/yanika-cordina-b47a5488
https://www.cordinahair.co.uk/
https://www.instagram.com/cordinahair/
Resources:
Microsoft 365 - https://www.office.com/
Later - https://later.com/