Dragons Den fires up global ambitions for ‘mumpreneur’
Midland businesswoman sets sights high for beauty range
ABIRMINGHAM mother who wept as she fought for her dream on TV’s Dragons’ Den is going global after winning a £50,000 investment.
Kameese Davis was the feel-good success story of a recent episode as she walked away with the cash from entrepreneur Sara Davies in return for 40 per cent of her business, Nylah’s Naturals.
The 38-year-old launched the vegan beauty products company for people with Afro and curly textured hair as a way of helping her daughter – who lent her name to the business – cope with eczema more than a decade ago.
Viewers saw an emotional pitch from Ms Davis, who told how she juggled working part-time while raising her two children alone and devoting time to her company.
“It was a concoction of emotions,” she said. “It was relief, exhilaration, and validation.
“Having somebody like Sara – who is at the top of her game as a female entrepreneur – I was really honoured. It was the validation that I welcomed and somebody like her saw that in me.
“I felt excited because it meant I could finally start to implement the ideas I have for the business.
“I have so many ideas and you have to be creative. The future is positive, I am really excited.
“We are working on new products, looking at marketing strategy, having conversations with more retailers. We are looking to be one of the major players in the UK, and then we’re hoping Europe and then eventually globally.”
The business began after Ms Davis began looking into how to help her daughter’s eczema in 2010.
She said: “I started to research natural alternatives. Although I found plant-based products that included ingredients that wouldn’t aggravate her skin, it was about finding the right type.
“While it was relatively easy to find stuff for her skin it was hard to find something for her hair.
“Many of the natural products at the time had been formulated for straighter hair types and not necessarily to meet the needs of Afro hair which is kinky and coarse.”
A year later, while still working as a careers adviser in schools, she decided the best remedy would be to start her own business.
Ms Davis, from Sandwell, said: “Initially it was going to be making a few products for my daughter and then it kept developing. It was passion more of the time. I think if I considered fear it wouldn’t have happened,” Kameese said.
“I devoted all my attention to product development and I never considered
marketing. When when I got my first shipment, the reality of what I had taken on kicked on. I literally had £500 because I had invested everything to get the products here.
“At that point, I thought maybe this was a big deal for me but I had come so far that I had to try to get it out there.
“I would contact influencers and
asked them to try my products - just grew from there.”
But despite her growing success, she was unable to place her products in major stores.
“A week prior to the pandemic, I received an email from Superdrug saying they were moving forward to start the set up to get the products – but the pandemic hit and they closed stores,” Kameese said. “That was unfortunate and disappointing – but more people were shopping online.
“It meant more people could find brands to deliver to them, we were able to find more customers that way so that was really good.”
TV Dragon Sara Davies told Kameese on the show: “You’ve got some real drive and determination and it’s not an area of the market I’m familiar with – but I believe in you.”
“In my eyes you’ve done the really difficult bit, and so I’m willing to make you an offer because I would really like to back another “mumpreneur” really going places.”
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