In 1997, a revolution began at a kitchen table in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, which set the stage for the future of curly haircare.
Miko and Titi Branch had always been entrepreneurial. The sisters, both hairstylists, met a community need for high-quality services. But their clientele still grappled with a larger issue: the dearth of haircare products for nourishing tighter curl patterns.
Taking a turn
After becoming a mother, Miko struggled to find time to style her hair every day, so she embraced its natural, curly state. Titi followed suit.
The market’s lack of quick and easy haircare options for curly-haired women frustrated the Branches. Inspired by their “do-it-yourself and fiercely independent” grandmother, Jessie Mae Branch, the sisters began experimenting with hair product concoctions. They tested several mixtures and recipes before Titi landed on the perfect formula—a blend of avocado, macadamia and sweet almond oils mixed with shea butter—in 2004. The award-winning product, dubbed Curly Pudding, spawned a haircare empire with dozens of products for naturally curly hair. It also sparked a cultural movement.
“My exposure to great role models like my grandmother molded me into the leader I am today,” Miko said, calling Jessie Mae “a fearless female CEO who made critical decisions that positively impacted our entire family.” Their grandmother’s influence was so powerful, in fact, that the sisters named the company after her.
Today, nearly nine years after Titi’s passing, Miko has made Miss Jessie’s into “the universal source for all things curly.”
“I’ve always secretly had dreams of grandeur,” Branch said. “But I never knew that Miss Jessie’s the company, the brand and the movement would be as big as it is.”
“Seeing our products on the shelves at Target. That just did it for me.”
—Miko Branch, Co-founder and CEO of Miss Jessie’s, on one of her company’s proudest moments
The value of community
As Miss Jessie’s expanded and garnered the attention of other large retail partners like Walmart, Walgreens and CVS, it became clear that the company would need more support.
“Because my sister and I built the business ourselves and were first to market, our approach to business was built on an element of secrecy,” Branch said. “Although my instinct was to keep everything to myself, I knew in order for Miss Jessie’s to reach the next level, I needed a strong team of business advisers working alongside of me.”
Branch found that team at JPMorgan Chase. With the support of the Commercial Banking team, Branch digitized and streamlined payments and receivables, enhanced fraud protection and secured a line of credit that will fuel Miss Jessie’s growth for years to come.
“JPMorgan Chase has been a wonderful banking partner, but beyond that, they've created a community and an environment for me to meet other people who are having similar experiences,” Branch said. “I really feel like this is particularly important for first-generation business owners like myself.”
Continuing a legacy
Branch continues to run the business with an eye toward the next generation of founders.
“We're leading by example for our family, particularly my son, who was raised when we were first mixing Curly Pudding and doing hair in our house,” she said. “I would love for him to follow in our footsteps and do something for himself, should he choose to.”
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