Meet Angela Wells: Vegan Entrepreneur

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

Hi Angela, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
In the beginning, I had just gotten a promotion at work that required me to relocate from Grand Rapids, Michigan to Atlanta, Georgia. I was also working on the side as a wellness advocate for Doterra essential oils. After my now husband took a job in Colorado, I was suddenly a single mom, in a brand new city, with a new high pressure insurance marketing job, and trying to pursue my own aspiration of establishing a clothing line for babies. That clothing line unfortunately never saw the light of day because the graphic designer, clothing manufacturer, AND marketing firm I hired all took my money and ran. I actually ended up having to go to Tennessee just to sue one of them, and I won, but I was still so defeated. And on top of all of that, my hair was falling out! I’m sure it was due to a combination of stress and all the damaging styles I was doing and chemicals I had used, but I knew I had to do something about it fast. We’re now moving into my second year in Atlanta and I was already using oils, specifically essential oils, to replace some pharmaceutical drugs (like if I had a headache, my son had an ear ache, or I had a stomachache) so I knew there had to be something for hair loss and damage. In reading a few books I would see the same 9 essential oils that kept coming up for hair loss and damage. So I formulated my special all in 1 oil and over the course of that year I saw my hair come back to life! It gave me so much confidence and I was able to settle down into this new city, work on myself and on building a life for my son Demetri, my job got easier, I got engaged, and I knew this hair gold was something I needed to share with the world. One of my favorite reviews on my Facebook page is when a woman said FINALLY, a product that does what it says it’s going to do. Simple, but that premise was the reason I started the company, providing something that just works. The thing that made me just go for it, what made me ready to put action behind this creation was that all it was going to take was me. I stopped putting my dream, my vision in someone else’s hands. I could do the website, I could manufacturer the product, and I could market it by going to events where I could also sell my Hair Gold. I didn’t have to hire anyone like with the clothing line, it was all in my hands. I felt that like a calling and I just did it. 

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Serein Naturals is rooted in my love and success with essential oils and finding the best ways to harness their power in hair and skincare products. My products are designed to hydrate and moisturize from crown to toe; if a formula calls for water, I use organic rose water instead because it hydrates better and is gentler on the skin. The ingredients that large corporations advertise, but have at the bottom of their ingredients list, mine are at the top. I’m most proud of offering quality vegan, eco-friendly products at affordable prices with great customer service. If I use plastic packaging in shipping, it’s saved and reused from any package my family gets that comes in with plastic (and as I expand I’ll ask the neighbors to save theirs too). I’ve also moved to glass bottles and bottles with a glass refill option to encourage reuse of plastic instead of throwing it away. This wasn’t easy because glass is more expensive; from the container cost, increased shipping cost based on weight, and the lengthy time redesigning labels – it was more time and money to move to this business model, but it was worth it because I can be proud of the products I provide knowing I’m reducing my carbon footprint and intentionally showing gratitude to mother nature who is at the center of my business.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend was in town visiting Denver I would start by taking them to Hillstone in Cherry Creek. They have delicious vegan sushi and fun cocktails. Then we’d head to Nooch Vegan Market to stock up on goodies for our airBNB and make sure we grab some Pescky Kitchen vegan wings! We’d then drive to Glenwood Springs for a beautiful hike to Hanging Lake and then relax at the hot springs nearby. I would hope a pop up shop was happening so we could purchase some goodies from local small businesses and I may enjoy dinner at El Five for the excellent view of Denver Downtown.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I want to shoutout the Sistahbiz Global Network. Sistahbiz is a business haven for Black women entrepreneurs that I’ve been a part of for a couple years now. It has completely accelerated my business; Sistahbiz helped me learn how to scale Serein Naturals and provides a network of entrepreneurs I can call my dear friends. The network also helped me win my first grant through webinar training and proofing, get my financials in order, assist with systems development, social media, accounting, and so much more. I am happily indebted to Sistahbiz Global Network and it is led by the most amazing woman, Makisha Boothe.

Website: www.sereinnaturals.com
Instagram: www.instagram.com/sereinnaturals
Twitter: www.twitter.com/sereinnaturals
Facebook: www.facebook.com/sereinnaturals
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCnIKdODo8cJLFZxhlwc11jw