overview
Curly Lifestyles was created as an inclusive digital brand for people with wavy, curly and coily hair.
The work began with defining the audience, positioning the brand and developing content around the real experiences of the curly hair community. Over time, the platform grew to more than 25,000 community members and expanded to include professional discovery, educational resources and external research collaborations.
The project has required both creative and strategic leadership, from shaping the brand identity and growing the audience to coordinating platform development and presenting the concept to researchers, judges and potential partners.
roles
Founder
Marketing Director
the process
Finding relevant curly hair information often requires moving between separate social platforms, professional directories and educational sources.
1. Establishing the Brand Foundation
The brand was positioned around the wider curly hair experience, including styling, professional services, education, identity and self-expression.
A focused audience and purpose provided direction for the brand voice, visual identity and content. This helped Curly Lifestyles develop a recognizable point of view rather than operating as a general beauty platform.
2. Growing and Learning from the Community
Consistent digital content and direct audience engagement helped grow the community to more than 25,000 people.
Content performance, questions and community feedback provided ongoing insight into what audiences found useful and relevant. Those signals were used to refine the content direction and improve the overall digital experience without publicly disclosing the brand’s internal audience research.
3. Developing the Digital Platform
The project expanded beyond social media through the development of a platform connecting users with hairstylists, barbers and educational resources.
Platform planning focused on how people would discover information, explore professional services and move between different parts of the experience. The work included coordinating development and shaping how the content and resources should be organized.
2. Strengthening the Brand Through Research
Curly Lifestyles became the focus of graduate-level research projects examining marketing and brand-development opportunities.
The brand was also presented through several business pitch competitions, earning multiple wins and external funding. These experiences provided additional perspectives, strengthened the way the concept was communicated and demonstrated outside interest in its potential.
Specific research findings, funding details and future business plans remain confidential.
The outcome
Curly Lifestyles grew from an early concept into an established digital brand with a community of more than 25,000 people.
The project has included the development of a digital platform, graduate-level research collaborations and successful pitch competition outcomes. Together, these milestones established audience traction, strengthened the brand’s credibility and created a foundation for continued development.
Building Curly Lifestyles strengthened my ability to take an idea and develop it into a clear, audience-led brand. The experience brought together positioning, content, community growth, research and pitching. It also reinforced an approach that continues to guide my work: understand the audience, create a clear reason to engage and use real feedback to strengthen the brand over time.
SKILLS AQUIRED
Brand Development
Established the positioning, purpose and identity of an independent brand centred on the curly hair experience.
Digital Platform Development
Coordinated the development of a platform connecting users with hairstylists, barbers and educational resources.
Audience Growth
Grew and engaged a digital community of more than 25,000 people through focused content and ongoing interaction.
Research Partnerships
Led graduate-level collaborations exploring marketing and brand-development opportunities without disclosing confidential findings.
Content Strategy
Developed a clear content direction shaped by audience interests, questions and engagement patterns.
Pitching & Funding
Presented the brand to external judging panels, earning multiple competition wins and securing funding for continued development.