US nurse started haircare brand with $500; sales hit $100m in six years

Former nurse Courtney Adeleye built a haircare business from a modest $500 investment into a brand generating more than $100 million in annual sales within six years. Her company, The Mane Choice, expanded into approximately 60,000 retail locations before its acquisition by MAV Beauty Brands in 2019 for a reported $61.5 million, according to Beauty Independent and Women’s Wear Daily.

Adeleye’s journey began with a personal search for better haircare products. What started as an effort to understand and care for her natural hair eventually grew into a business that challenged established conventions in the beauty industry. Scroll down to read more…From nursing to natural haircareBased in Detroit, Adeleye trained as a nurse before turning her attention to haircare.

After deciding to stop using chemical relaxers, she began documenting her natural hair journey online, sharing product recommendations, experiments and insights into hair health.Her interest in the science behind hair growth also influenced her approach. She began mixing her own formulations after finding that existing products did not meet her needs. Over time, her online audience grew, and followers began asking to purchase the products they had seen her using.In 2013, she launched The Mane Choice with $500, which covered the initial bottles, labels and ingredients.

The company initially offered a deep conditioner, with Adeleye making small batches and reinvesting the proceeds into subsequent production. Rather than relying on outside investors, she expanded gradually as demand grew. The approach allowed her to retain full ownership while developing a customer base before moving into a broader product range.Supplements helped accelerate growthAlthough the company began with haircare, its expansion into supplements proved pivotal.

Adeleye introduced products designed to complement haircare routines, tapping into growing consumer interest in hair health and nutrition. A promotional campaign on Black Friday generated more than $30,000 in orders after a discount-code error led to unexpectedly high demand. The surge created a fulfilment challenge because the company had only 500 supplement units available.Adeleye contacted customers to explain the situation and offered refunds or free shipping once additional stock arrived.

The response helped demonstrate the loyalty her brand had developed among early buyers. Supplements subsequently became a major driver of the company’s growth. The Mane Choice also secured retail distribution through major chains, including Walmart and Target, bringing its products to a substantially wider audience.A $61.5 million acquisitionBy the time The Mane Choice reached its sixth year, the company was generating more than $100 million in annual sales.

Adeleye began exploring its valuation, initially seeking to understand the financial strength of the business rather than necessarily planning an immediate sale. In 2019, she agreed to sell the company to MAV Beauty Brands in a deal reported at $61.5 million. Her complete ownership of the business meant she could make the decision without negotiating with outside equity investors.The sale also marked a turning point in her approach to brand building.

The Mane Choice's identity was closely tied to haircare, which Adeleye later recognised could make expansion into skincare and body care more complicated.Building again with Watch & Sea BeautyAdeleye did not step away from entrepreneurship permanently. In 2022, she launched Olbali, a beauty and wellness platform that included several brands. She later closed the venture to concentrate on Watch & Sea Beauty, a business spanning haircare, skincare and body care.The new brand officially launched in December 2024, followed by the introduction of its Flourishing Collection in early 2025.

The haircare range entered 200 Target stores in February that year, building on relationships Adeleye had established with retailers during her earlier venture, according to Beauty Independent and theGrio. Watch & Sea also reflects lessons learned from her first company. Adeleye has emphasised the importance of developing products around consumer needs, investing in research and building a business with room to expand beyond a single category.Her journey illustrates how a small, self-funded venture can grow through customer trust, product development and strategic retail partnerships.

From mixing haircare products at home to negotiating a multimillion-dollar acquisition and returning to the industry with a new brand, Adeleye has built her career around identifying gaps in the market and finding ways to address them. The next chapter is no longer about proving she can build a successful haircare company. It is about applying those lessons to a broader beauty business while preserving the consumer relationships that helped her first venture grow.You use AI every day.

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