Meet Carlyse Thomas: Founder & CEO, The Curly Cape

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

Hi Carlyse, every day, we about how much execution matters, but we think ideas matter as well. How did you come up with the idea for your business?
It all started during a scheduled “wash day” weekend in October 2019. If just the thought of wash day doesn’t make most naturalistas already hesitant enough, I knew that I had a long weekend ahead with the process of taking out my crochet passion twists, detangling, pre-poo, shampoo, deep conditioning and then styling. Furthermore, I have low porosity combination 4 type hair so I knew that the detangling and pre-poo portion of the process was not going to be a walk in the park. In the process of using a creamy conditioner and tons of water to pre-poo my hair, I became annoyed with the constant dripping of product onto my shoulders. I was forced to constantly grab a towel to wipe the product and water from my skin. Desperately trying to find a remedy for this annoyance, I wrapped a towel around my shoulders hoping it would help with protecting my skin and tank top. You would think this would be the solution to my problem, right? Unfortunately, it wasn’t! The towel kept falling off as I proceeded to twist my hair. Frustrated at this point, I blurted out “I NEED A CAPE!” And so, The Curly Cape was born!

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The element that sets The Curly Cape apart is its many features that other capes do not have. Since some hair styles require use of water and large amounts of hair products, our beauty cape is made of a material that absorbs any liquid that may drip from the hair during styling. Furthermore, The Curly Cape has a satin collar, sleeves for easy mobility, multiple size ranges for comfortability and is machine washable. I’m proud that I’ve created an efficient and functional product to assist women during at-home and salon hair maintenance routines. Until now, there was not an efficient beauty accessory that prevented wiping product that dripped from the hair or limited spillages on the floor. Patrons would either have to drape heavy towels around their necks or use plastic and nylon capes. Granted, the plastic and nylon capes protect but they do not absorb water or water-based products; in fact, water and product content will roll off of these capes. As a result, I’m most excited to say that I created a product that solves a problem that women deal with on a day-to-day basis. I am also thankful to have only been in business for a short while and receive great feedback from customers about how this product has changed their #washday lives but being an entrepreneur comes with its challenges. Since I have a new product that many are not familiar with, the biggest challenge is trying to convince people that The Curly Cape is different and not the average beauty cape. Some people have blatantly stated that they do not see the benefit of my product. From this experience, the biggest lesson is to have patience and continue to persevere throughout this whole process. And as I am patiently waiting, I want the world to know The Curly Cape, LLC, is the only company that creates patented and trademarked products used to protect skin and clothes by absorbing water and liquid based beauty products used for the hair or face.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Living in the New York Metropolitan area allows for anyone to enjoy themselves and have a good time any time of the week. However, prior to COVID, if any of my friends were to visit for the weekend we would do the following things: First things first, I would expect my friends to arrive Thursday afternoon. Later that evening, we would travel to Lower Manhattan to Negril. Negril is known for their great drinks, tasty Caribbean food and great music. The best thing about this place is that it is a two in one venue! Once we are finished with our food, we could head down stairs to the lounge area where we could vibe to the reggae beats. Friday has so many possibilities! I would suggest that we travel to Harlem for Happy Hour drinks at Corner Social. This place plays the best 90s RnB for the grown and sexy crowd. We would spend a few hours there then head to B2 Harlem. B2 Harlem is known for their southern cuisine and live music. Then, I couldn’t have them come to New York City and not shop! So, Saturday would be our designated shopping day. There are so many options from Columbus Circle to Hudson Yards to Harold’s Square to 5th Avenue; but, however the wind blows we could shop until we dropped at any these places then take selfies in Times Square. After all that shopping, I’m sure we would work up an appetite. So, I would recommend that we end the night at Sweet Chick, known for serving up what they call the “New American Comfort” food. Last but not least, I would recommend Amy Ruth’s in Harlem for brunch on Sunday. I can’t say enough about this place but if you want great breakfast/brunch, go here! Honorable Mentions – Even though the following places did not make the “places to go” list, I would also recommend: – The Blue Note: live music venue – The Groove: live music venue – Beauty and Essex: speakeasy type venue that leads to a beautiful restaurant and bar – Roof Top at Exchange Place: great happy hour place that has awesome views of the city – Loopy Doopy: roof top bar with great music and great drinks

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?
There are so many people that deserve credit for helping me during this entrepreneurship journey. So, I would like to use this Shoutout opportunity to recognize the following people: – My loving family for instilling in me that I can do all things that I set my mind to. – My closest friends for being my guinea pigs, cheerleaders, first customers and for always providing great advice and suggestions. – My Digital Strategist, Kala Riggins, for assisting me with the tools to create better branding material. – Lastly, the Marketing/PR consultants at The B Firm for seeking marketing and promotional opportunities for my product. I am so thankful for their effort, support and love towards me during this time. I couldn’t be where I am without all of them collectively.

Website: https://thecurlycape.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thecurlycape/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheCurlyCape
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCS0vPhBCEJ1qF7Paegu-s9w?view_as=subscriber

Image Credits
First Photo (one of myself) – Kirra Cheers Group Shot Photo (product shot) – Isa Aydin Cape Photos – Kala Riggins