As popularity of facial hair grows, this local man’s product emerging
Donald Williams turned his hobby of creating facial hair-grooming products into a legitimate business and customers’ feedback has been nothing but positive.
Upstart entrepreneur emphasizes importance of grooming as his one-time hobby turns into potential lucrative career
Let’s face it: The popularity of facial hair is at an all-time high.
While there may not be hard and fast statistics to back up this claim, take a look around the next time you’re in a decent-sized crowd.
Beards, mustaches and goatees are everywhere, which is good news for Grown Man Beard creator Donald Williams, whose line of four facial-hair grooming products has come along at just the right time.
While the Detroit resident and United States Navy veteran has dabbled in developing face and facial-hair enhancing oils for a number of years, it wasn’t until he took a leave from his job with Delta Airlines during the heart of the COVID-19 pandemic that he decided to turn a hobby into a legitimate business.
“There comes a point in life when people like myself have to quit finding excuses for not turning their ideas into action and just do it,” said Williams. “I reached that point a little over two years ago when I decided to start selling my product instead of just using them myself and letting my friends try them,” explained Williams.
Grown Man Beard’s product line consists of four offerings: beard oil, beard wash, beard conditioner and beard butter.
The oil can be used daily, said Williams, who does just that. The others should be utilized when necessary, he said.
“An important thing to know about Grown Man Beard is that it’s not just for big, full beards and it’s not just for men of a certain race,” Williams said. “It’s for everybody with facial hair. It can help men with just a mustache or a goatee — and the essential oils are good for the skin underneath the facial hair, not just the hair.
“I think this is always going to be a niche because, for one thing, beards aren’t going away anytime soon. Not long ago, it was frowned upon to go to a job interview with a beard. But if the beard is well-groomed and it helps build a person’s confidence, it’s a positive feature.”
Admittedly not a frequent user of social media before launching his business, Williams has honed his marketing talents in conjunction with Grown Man Beard’s growth.
“I was never on any of that,” he said, smiling. “Now I’m on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube — I even do TikTok videos. I completed all the legal steps myself to make this an official business. I’m a do-it-yourself kind of person. When my parents’ dryer broke down a few months ago, I watched a few YouTube videos and fixed it for them so they didn’t have to hire a repairman.”
Williams said the feedback he’s received from customers has been off-the-charts positive.
“People love it,” he said, adding that he’s had conversations with national retailers who have shown interest in carrying his products. “This is like a lifestyle for me. It’s not just a beard thing. If you’re going to grow a beard, keep it nice.
“I’m always learning and researching, striving to improve my products.”
Williams said he would love to develop a relationship with an organization that thrives in the facial-hair industry so he can consult people on their facial-hair grooming habits.
“I’d love to give advice to men — especially young men — on not just keeping their beard up, but their appearance in general,” he said. “You look good, you feel good.”
To check out and/or order Grown Men Beard’s products, visit the company’s website here.
