She created oils and herbs for healthy hair and skin. Soon you can buy them in Columbus
Before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Kristi Pitts regularly straightened her hair. So much so that she noticed limpness in her natural curls.
When Georgia went on lockdown that Spring, Pitts used the time to focus on making her hair healthier. She began experimenting with essential oils and different herbs in her own kitchen to grow her hair.
As she began seeing results, Pitts would talk to her friends and family about the products she’d been creating for hours. Her husband, Jay, encouraged her to sell her products.
Pitts was reluctant, having experienced trying to own and operate a clothing boutique in Chicago in the past. But she took a chance beginning with her Rosehip & Rose Flower facial oil.
Last year, Pitts began selling her Crowned Beauty Co. products at Market Days on Broadway. The launch was successful and her business has now grown to the point that Pitts will open a brick-and-mortar Crowned Beauty Co. store downtown in the Rankin Building on 10th street later this month.
“We want you to feel like you are in an oasis that is just for you and that you are who you are, which is royalty,” Pitts said.
Growing the Crowned Beauty brand
Although her boutique in Chicago didn’t produce great results financially, she learned from the experience. She realized it was easier to sell accessories and skin care products because everyone used them regardless of who they were.
Her optimism grew when Jay suggested starting a business in Columbus, after living and raising her two sons in the city for about 10 years.
“(The business) could be very small and successful because everyone has a face,” Pitts said. “Everyone wants to have glowing skin.”
She was nervous at first, unsure whether The Crowned Beauty Co. would work, but her fear evaporated after her first time selling at Market Days.
Setting up and working at this venue is tough because there is a lot of labor involved in essentially “moving what could be a shop in your car.” Pitts’ sons came with her the first day to help.
As her first Market Days experience began, Pitts doubts rose.
“What am I doing?” she asked herself. “No one’s going to buy this stuff.”
The first hour was slow, and Pitts worried. By the second hour, momentum picked up. People interacted with her products and showed interest.
Visitors tried different products ranging from essential oils and perfumes to body scrubs and hair care, all available in a variety of scents. The building success built her confidence, and a coincidence made her believe this business was meant to be.
Ms. Georgia seals the deal
Ms. Georgia contestants were in downtown Columbus that day interacting with people on Broadway. Their presence tied in with the Crowned Beauty Co. perfectly, especially because part of the customer experience for Pitts is to provide crowns for the “princesses and queens” she serves.
“I looked up and saw these beautiful girls with crowns on already,” Pitts said. “...That’s what brought it all together for me. I’m supposed to be here.”
In the store
The Rosehip & Rose Flower facial oil is not only the Crowned Beauty Co.’s first product, Pitts said, but continues to be the most popular.
It helps prevent wrinkles, improves appearance of dull skin and can reduce inflammation and acne, according to the website.
“One girl said it faded acne scars,” Pitts said. “But it also helps fade some stretch marks.”
The Crowned Beauty Co. also offers perfumes free of colors or preservatives that can negatively interact with hormones, she said. She also sells a foaming sugar scrub that has a Castile soap base.
There is also a selection of products made for men. And with the store, Pitts expects these offerings to grow.
Customers to the store have the opportunity to customize products and experiment with different scent profiles, she said, setting her shop apart from bigger stores that sell similar products.
Along with selling products, Pitts envisions the shop to also offer small networking events to provide an opportunity for women to uplift each other in Columbus. She hopes the boutiques could help provide more opportunities and space for her nonprofit, The Chandelier Room, which provides resources like clothing, teaching life skills and workforce development for women.
Grand opening coming soon
The grand opening is expected to take place on May 31. Prizes, games an discounts will mark the day. Customers can RSVP on the website, she said.
Located at 11 10th Street, across from the RiverCenter the store is in an area with a grassroots feeling, she said, and made her feel that anyone here could have a business and start something.
“The people in Columbus are so friendly and so kind,” Pitts said. “...Here, it just seems like whatever I put my mind to, whatever I was led to do, then I could do that because this was that type of city. Columbus is my home.”
This story was originally published May 7, 2024 at 10:21 AM.
