Mary Ahrens: A Passionate Business Woman with a Big Heart and Wide Vision
The 10 Most Inspiring Business Women Making a Difference, 2021
(Link to Article) (Digital Magazine) Hair care is prominently sold at chain stores, beauty supply, and retail. These points of distribution have been business as usual for a long time, and; while this may still be true, hair care is ready for a different, innovative approach as well as upscale boutique product that have classic style, technology and innovation. Mary Ahrens, Founder and CEO of www.Hair4Good.com. Mary is a passionate female entrepreneur who believes the hair care industry is ready for a different approach. Hair4Good is an entrepreneurial, wholly female owned, entrepreneurial, philanthropic Hair Brush and accessory company that donates 50% of its profits to children’s charities. Mary is fond of saying, Our goal is to help make the world a better place by helping our children.
The world’s population has become increasingly more beauty-conscious, and today’s consumer is more likely to purchase age-defying and beauty-enhancing products. According to Mary, Hair4Good is small enough to keep a watchful eye on all facets of the business including product innovation and fashion trends. Everyone on the team is closely aligned to the organization’s mission and wants nothing more than to contribute. Mary asserts, My team is made up largely of colleagues with whom I have had many years of experience and friendship. These are kind and giving people.†Hair4Good’s new team members now include our new social media agency, SMG/Sociallutions Media Group, which is 100% entrenched in the company’s mission to help make the world a better place by helping Hair4Good and other philanthropic and non-profit companies become successful and at the same time, helping make the world a little better. Mary emphasizes, “Our group’s integrity is the foundation of our business platform, and I am proud to take this journey together.“
As far as innovation, Hair4Good’s products are made with unique materials and fashion forward designs. All of their hair brushes have proprietary technology that is currently patent pending.
Learning during Difficult Times Mary prefers to be happy and optimistic. She sees challenges as opportunities. Her family and she are so fortunate and blessed. Her mission is to continuously grow Hair4Good to a level where the company’s contribution makes a significant difference to the community of charities. Hair4Good launched the week “the world shut down for covid.” This totally unpredictable pandemic was an unexpected challenge to say the least. To those who were fortunate enough to persevere, the opportunity to focus on product development, logistics, and consumer demand was a gift. Mary and team feel that despite so many obstacles to success there were valuable lessons to be learned.
Female owned Hair Brush and Accessory Company Hair4Good is an entrepreneurial, women-owned, philanthropic, boutique brand that offers finishes and silhouettes that stand out compared to the national brands. The enterprise doesn’t have the overhead of big corporations, which enables them to come to market with superior products at a more than competitive price point. All profits that are not donated to charity are reinvested back in the company and Mary has chosen to forego personal compensation. Mary and Hair4Good’s philanthropic mission and contributions are extraordinary in this industry. As of this date Hair4Good is the only philanthropic female-owned hair brush and accessory company in the industry that we are aware of, but are hopeful that there will be more to come. According to Mary, the industry is dominated by conglomerates owned by investment groups which have purchased most of the existing large brands. She emphasizes, “We are bringing about change because our products and mission set us apart.“
Being a Leader Mary’s responsibilities are vast, from product design and development, to branding, social media, advertising, to P&L management, and legal. She oversees all aspects of the company. The team is very lean due to the company’s philanthropic mission which contributes to a highly efficient and productive team effort. She says “Quite frankly, having a hand in all of this can be exhausting, but it is a true labor of love.” Mary believes dreams do come true, but they require vision, enthusiasm, planning, dedication, and a little bit of luck. She says, “My greatest achievements are both personal and professional. I cherish my loving, caring, supportive family above all. Professionally, my greatest achievement is definitely the founding of Hair4Good.”
Success; Helping and Cherish Others Mary’s definition of success is to be happy optimistic, (happy and optimistic) in all aspects of life, personally and professionally, which includes being able to give back to society whenever possible. In early 2020, www.Hair4Good.com was born, Hair4Good was a vision of Mary’s. Mary’s long career in this industry she loves gives her the foundation to succeed in this stand out philanthropic business. The mission is to help children in need. The company donates 50% of its profits to children’s charities, which presently included: St Jude Children’s Hospital, make a Wish Foundation, Circle of Care, Autism Speaks, and Lifting up Westchester. On the road to become a Global Brand To get ahead in the market, Mary keeps an eye on the latest fashion trends, fashion shows, trade shows, and international trends in shopping as well as adding new industry contacts. One of the keys to success is the expansion of USA and global contacts. This has been critical to sourcing, marketing, and the distribution of Hair4Good’s products. Mary has found that her company’s philanthropic mission has instilled excitement and support rarely experienced in business. People love and appreciate the mission and are eager to be part of a team with such a worthy philosophy. Currently, Hair4Good is exclusively E commerce, but future plans include entry into brick and mortar selectively with retail partners who believe and support its philanthropic mission. Mary’s long-term goal is to significantly increase the company’s charitable contributions while her primary goal is to contribute to organizations that support children in need.