Meet Karl Jackson | Technical Program Manager & Beardologists

We had the good fortune of connecting with Karl Jackson and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Karl, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I always liked to see things like thoughts and ideas come to life. I’ve been in the position to help products get to market, mainly software code turn into a product that people love. While looking for a product that could help solve my problems with dryness and an itchy beard, it only made sense to create what I couldn’t find. Now, I get to see people enjoy my products and the feedback I receive keeps me motivated to keep going. Live Good. Look Good. Feel Better!

What should our readers know about your business?
We are Black Beard Brigade Grooming Co. by Yulaw Naturals. It is our mission to provide natural hair and skincare products that have not been tested on animals during any stage of development, from the packaging to the materials used, to the finished product. We want to make our clients feel good while providing a unique experience. Although we are in a mature industry, we believe that we are different because we started when very few brands had products for Black men. Also, our initiative to educate our clients, work with community programs, and create a consumer experience helps set us apart from the rest.

We had our struggles starting out, and still have growing pains. “You can’t wait for all the lights to turn green before leaving the house.” This means, that you can only prepare so much before just taking the chance, then learn as you go. My day job consists of putting together software release schedules and go-to-market strategies with different internal organizations, so planning wasn’t hard. The hardest areas came from not knowing all the processes to consider when launching a business. Sourcing high-quality products and ingredients was a big thing for us. They couldn’t be cheapened and had to be effective. Finding a label design that looked great and was legible took longer than we had anticipated in the schedule and almost delayed our launch date. Business finance wasn’t in our backgrounds either, so that was just another learning curve. Understanding your balance sheet plays a major part in the success of your business. There was also an issue with beard oil leaking during shipment. Luckily, none of our clients were hard on us about the shipping issues and have continued to support us.

Just like the community supports us, we support the community. This business also allows us to support community programs that we believe in, without always having to come straight out of our pockets. When we first launched, we held a Community Day where we gave away 300 backpacks for back to school. Vendors that participated were encouraged to either pay with gently used clothing or nonperishables for their booth fee. Throughout the school year, we speak with middle school, high school, and college students, and discuss topics ranging from life choices, career awareness, and overall mentoring. In March 2022, we dropped off 10 laptops to ‘Freedom Readers’, in Georgetown SC, to help expand their literacy program.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
Jullien Gordon help start an accountability program that I joined while launching my business. The program helped me stay on track, while also connecting me with a mentor, Tonya Rapley. Having mentors was instrumental in my early success.

Website: https://blackbeardbrigade.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackbeardbrigade/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/blkbeardbrigade

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pg/BlackBeardBrigade/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCabICEGj2wKnCXxv_qWTPWw?

Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackbeardbrigade