Today I interview Shante Frazier, the founder and CEO of WellCapped, a wig rental subscription startup (think Rent the Runway for Wigs). In this episode we dive into the story of WellCapped and how it addresses a problem Shante often experienced in her life as an African American woman using wigs. Turns out this is a widespread problem in a fragmented and antiquated market – ripe for disruption!
Shante then shares with us her personal journey with WellCapped. She shares the raw challenges of being a black woman founder who was literally told to not seem like “two black women trying to sell weave”, and how she overcomes these challenges with both personal grit and strategic brilliance.
[0:30] Shante introduces us to Wellcapped and how the company and business model solves for major frustrations in terms of both time and cost for women who wear wigs and extensions.
[9:10] Shante takes us through the Wellcapped journey, from inception at a venture studio to bringing on her cofounder, and preparing for the next funding round.
[20:00] Shante discussed Wellcapped’s vision on segment expansion outside the African American race and building Machine Learning models and AR to better customize and serve their customers
[25:00] Shante details her personal struggle to leave corporate and jump all-in on startup life, and all the peaks and valleys that come with it.
[36:00] Shante shares the real and raw challenges of being a minority founder where she was once literally told to not seem like “two black women trying to sell weave”. She details how her natural grit of never taking no for an answer propels her forward and she gives tactical advice on how to navigate the entrepreneurship path as a black woman.
