From creating her own shea butter at home to having airports, hotels, and luxury spas carry her products, Diamond Brown has experienced tremendous growth in her business. At present, she is one of the women who has been making waves across the body care industry—which doesn’t come as a surprise. Recently, we featured Austin entrepreneur Jourdan Winstead, who has developed holistic, plant-based skin care remedies based on ancient practices. Similar to how Jourdan Winstead created her products with a focus on community and inclusion, Diamond has likewise founded Diamond’s Body Care on an equally important cause.
Learn more about Diamond Brown’s story. Read on.
On how Diamond Brown started her business:
Back in 2008, Diamond Brown’s husband was unfortunately diagnosed with cancer and had to undergo chemotherapy and radiation. To alleviate her husband’s skin problems that were caused by his treatments, Diamond took the initiative to research plant-based ingredients. She looked into how shea butter and oils—particularly coconut, sunflower, and sweet almond—could help hydrate and moisturize skin.
In time, Diamond created her own shea butter to help her husband. But upon witnessing his health decline, Diamond not only quit her studies in nursing to oversee his hospice care, she likewise stopped creating her shea butter altogether.
After her husband’s death, Diamond pursued a degree in marketing and worked with a leading marketing company for 16 years. In 2020, she chose to resign and instead run her own skincare business, which produced body oils and sugar scrubs, among others. Of course, that’s not to say she wasn’t met with some friction from loved ones.
Speaking to AFRO News about her company, she shared, “I never thought I was going to make as much as I make for my salary doing my oils and creams. My parents were especially against it, as they always are against things that are not traditional, but now I make double of what I was making, and the sky’s the limit.”
Today, Diamond’s company serves as a way to honor her husband as well, with 10% of her proceeds donated to cancer survivors.
On having strong female role models to look up to:
Developing her brand has not been a seamless process. In her talk with ENSPIRE Magazine, Diamond said she had to overcome obstacles such as knowing how to source the right packaging, produce professional labels, and price products correctly.
Fortunately, apart from her own dedication and perseverance, establishing her business was possible with the support of women she looked up to. This is because, as LHH’s feature on inspiring stories for women explains, having great female role models allows aspiring entrepreneurs to navigate starting their own companies. By sharing their business acumen and stories of personal triumph, role models can serve as a springboard for women who want career advancement.
For Diamond, she was able to find empowerment from the women she looked up to. For one, Adrianne White of Envii Labs responded to her messages on social media when she asked for business advice. Prior to that, Diamond watched Adrianne’s hair care brand reach new heights, which inspired her to pursue her dream of starting her own skincare company.
On her plans for business expansion:
Diamond’s Body Care shows no signs of slowing down. In 2022, that much became clear when the skincare company served as an official sponsor of New York Fashion Week, and Diamond became the first Black woman to have her items exclusively used for spa treatments at the JW Marriott Uptown Charlotte.
More importantly, in the fourth quarter of 2022, Diamond was finally able to move her business to a larger lab and storefront at Bessemer City. She likewise purchased a 2200-square-foot warehouse to expand her operations in Charlotte, where she is planning to open a retail store for both Diamond’s Body Care and Dapper Body Care—her men’s skincare line.
As shared in her interview with Prodigy Press Wire, her company’s growth has enabled Diamond not just to increase sales, but to hire and mentor young women.
When asked about the essential advice she would give to these women, she shared, “Most people will tell you to play it safe, because that’s how they play. No! We are taking risks, betting on ourselves and living out our wildest dreams over here.”