Our journey has been anything but easy but faith, community, and purpose keep us going.

Over the past few years, we’ve witnessed a heartbreaking pattern: many Black-owned brands, built with passion, excellence, and purpose, have been forced to close their doors.

These weren’t brands lacking in creativity, drive, or ambition. Many were venture-backed. They had investors, capital, and access. They had teams. They had support. And yet, even with all of that, the challenges proved too great. That’s a conversation the industry isn’t having loudly enough.

And watching this unfold has made me reflect on my own journey.

As a Black woman founder, building something from the ground up has been anything but easy. The barriers we face are steep and systemic. From lack of access to capital, to the constant uphill battle for visibility, to simply being underestimated or overlooked, every win has come with deep labor. Every milestone has been the result of unwavering faith, grit, and relentless perseverance.

When I launched Strands of Faith, I didn’t have venture capital, crowdfunding, angel investors, or loans. I had my personal savings from a 9-5 job and a credit card. That was it. No safety net. No financial cushion. Just a heart filled with purpose and a vision to serve a deeply underrepresented community with clean, effective haircare products made with love and intention.

While Strands of Faith was born from my own experience as a Black woman, it’s never been just for one community. Our mission is to serve people of all races and backgrounds who have textured hair, those who are often overlooked by mainstream beauty. But beyond the strands, we care about hearts. That’s why mental wellness and encouragement are woven into everything we do. This brand is for everyone who deserves to feel seen, celebrated, and cared for.

With that vision in mind, I started building: scrappily, humbly, faithfully!

We reinvested every dollar back into the business. We celebrated small wins like they were big ones. We listened to our community. We pivoted when we had to. We showed up even when it was hard. Especially when it was hard.

That’s why, every time I see another Black-owned business close, it hits me differently. I don’t just see a brand close. I see the late nights. I see the founder praying for sales. I see the team trying to make payroll. I see the weight that never makes it to social media. I see it and I hear it all too often.

And as a self-funded brand, resourcefulness isn’t optional, it’s a necessity. It’s what keeps the lights on. It’s what keeps the dream alive.

But in the midst of all that weight, what rises in me is not fear, it’s gratitude!

Gratitude for every single person who has supported our brand. For every order. For every repost. For every DM. For every encouraging comment or kind email. You are the reason Strands of Faith is still here. You’ve helped carry this vision and we don’t take that lightly.

And the truth is, the stats are sobering. According to recent data, less than 3% of venture capital funding goes to women founders. And only 0.35% of VC funding goes to Black women. That’s not a typo. That’s reality. And it reveals what we’re up against from the very beginning.

So yes, the odds have been stacked. But FAITH has been stacked even greater.

It wasn’t until much later in our journey that we began receiving grants. And even then, they were hard to come by, extremely competitive and never guaranteed. They have been small boosts to pour fire on what we have built. We’re incredibly grateful for the organizations that saw our vision, believed in our mission, and chose to invest in us.

And now, somehow, miraculously, we’re here. Year 7!

Well no, not miraculously actually, but by FAITH.

The number 7 carries weight. It carries history. It carries all the tears, the tough calls, the joyful breakthroughs, and the quiet moments where, for a split second, I wondered if I could keep going. It carries the names of customers who’ve become family. It carries the legacy of something we’re still building, in real time, with real love.

But I want to be clear: I’m not sharing this for sympathy. I’m sharing it for truth.

Because too often, when it comes to brands, people only see the highlight reels. They see the packaging, the content, the viral posts. But they don’t see the weight. The behind-the-scenes struggle. The faith it takes to keep going.

So today, I just want to say:

To our community....THANK YOU!!!
Truly. We could not do this without you!

When we say your support means everything, we mean it.

Every time you choose Strands of Faith, you’re helping keep a vision alive. You’re saying yes to representation. Yes, to clean beauty for textured hair. Yes to Black women founders who are building something with soul.

To my fellow Black founders: I see you. I honor you. I grieve with you.

To the ones who had to close your doors: your work mattered. It still does. It always will.

And to the ones still pushing: keep going. But don’t break in the process. Rest if you need. Breathe if you must. You are not alone.

This journey has not been easy. But it’s been worth it.

So as we press forward, through our seventh year, through our Christmas in July celebration, through every new product and every challenge, please know how deeply grateful we are.

Every bottle we ship, every strand we touch, is rooted in faith.

We’re building legacy. We’re rewriting narratives.

And we’re doing it not just for Black women but for everyone with textured hair who’s been underserved, underestimated, and unseen by traditional beauty standards.
Because this isn't just about products, it’s about people. It’s about showing up for those who’ve gone far too long without being truly seen. And we are doing it all with faith, love, and purpose.

And as always, we ask that you continue to KEEP THE FAITH, just as we do the same.

Faithfully,
Ameka Coleman
Founder & CEO, Strands of Faith