While being a college student is hard enough, adding entrepreneur to that is something else. Through hard work, patience and help from her family and friends, one student is determined to take on the beauty industry one hair flip at a time.
Tori Duncan, general studies sophomore, is the CEO of InFin & Company, an online boutique specializing in extensions, wigs, false eyelashes and apparel.
InFin & Co. strives on producing high-quality products guaranteed to last.
All of the company’s hair products are made from virgin Brazilian and Peruvian hair. Each selection of hair undergoes a quality assurance process that ensures up to a year’s worth of use, with the promise to be tangle-free given proper maintenance.
The quality assurance process consists of Duncan and her vendor testing each product to make sure they feel, smell and look excellent. If any product doesn’t pass the test, it won’t be shipped out.
Duncan said she personally tests out up to ten products a month to certify that all of InFin & Co’s products are of high quality.
In addition to hair products, Duncan offers her own hair services. Estimated duration of each service, as well as pricing, can be found on InFin & Co.’s website. A variety of services such as wig and hair extension installations and basic sew-ins can be booked online.
Duncan has been running InFin & Co. since 2013. Initially, the company focused solely on hair products. However, Duncan was eager to expand her business by incorporating apparel and adding brand ambassadors to her team.
Chineme Ogbuefi, InFin & Co.’s brand ambassador director, is responsible for recruiting other ambassadors and keeping up with their progress. Ogbuefi said she notifies brand ambassadors of upcoming events, monitors their social media outreach and ensures each ambassador receives their PR packages in a timely matter.
Ogbuefi said she loves working for InFin & Co. because she is getting experience in the social media industry and overall enjoys working with Duncan.
“(Duncan) is an amazing person and she’s really passionate about what she does,” Ogbuefi said.
InFin & Co. currently has ten brand ambassadors. Social media following and follower engagement are reviewed by Ogbuefi before adding on an ambassador.
Jenea Dorsey, brand ambassador and makeup artist, has been working with the company for over two years.
Dorsey said the biggest responsibility that comes with being a brand ambassador is being able to promote the company at all times.
“People are always asking me where I get my hair from so it’s very important I always look my best,” Dorsey said.
Dorsey said she was a loyal customer first before becoming an ambassador.
“I was already in love with the company itself so becoming a brand ambassador was no problem,” Dorsey said.
Even though Duncan launched her business a few years ago, she isn’t new to the entrepreneurial lifestyle.
From a young age, Duncan was introduced to the entrepreneurial environment as both of her parents were entrepreneurs themselves. She was taught to have a hard-working and driven mindset.
“They instilled in me that I need to make a name for myself, not for a corporation,” Duncan said.
Duncan was inspired to pursue a career in the hair industry because of her mother’s battle with cervical cancer. Duncan said cancer awareness is her goal, as well as hair replacement systems and selling high quality hair for a reasonable price.
Within the year, Duncan hopes to launch a pop-up shop in Austin. She plans to renovate and decorate a large metal storage container and sell hair, lashes and apparel. She will begin with a small shop in Austin, but expects to take it all over the world.
InFin & Co. has a YouTube channel to show current and potential customers product reviews, tutorials on hair installation and commercials that showcase future products.
Duncan started a YouTube channel to teach her customers how to perform the same services she does on them. She wants to upload videos and live streams to provide her customers with useful knowledge that is often overcharged in the beauty industry.
InFin & Co. has come a long way since its initial launch in 2013. With a lot of patience, determination and motivation, Duncan has grown InFin & Co. from the ground up. The CEO encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to do their research, take the time and to have faith in their work.
“It may not happen overnight; if you do try to make something like this happen overnight it’ll reflect in your company,” Duncan said.
Although running a business comes with its set of challenges, Duncan said the passion she has for the company encourages her to rise above adversity.
Duncan said one of the ways she deals with obstacles is through her strong support system.
“My family, friends and boyfriend are really supportive,” Duncan said. “I probably wouldn’t be here without them.”
InFin & Co. is a business dedicated to providing quality products at a reasonable price. To learn more about InFin & Co. visit the online store and check out its social media platforms: @infinandco on Instagram and Twitter.