It was 2010 when Carlos Flores and Mark Krieg founded NYC Curls.

Two years later, the duo rolled out their first products—cleanser, conditioner and gel for curly hair—and they have been profitable ever since.

Having gained EU certification in 2015 and adding liter size containers in 2016, NYC Curls can now be found online through Amazon and at select salons in the US, as well as online in the UK, the Netherlands, and its newest market: Australia.

Still the only employees on the payroll, Flores and Kreig shared their story for this month’s Indie Inc profile:

Before NYC Curls we were:  doing our day jobs! Carlos is a hairstylist at the Collective Plus Salon in SoHo NYC. He has worked solely on naturally curly hair for the past 20 years. Mark is a supply and demand planner for a major book publisher.

We decided to create our own line because: The brand that Carlos was previously associated with was going in a different direction. He wanted a line for his clients that was focused on the classic trio of naturally curly hair care: a sulfate free cleanser, a silicone free multi use conditioner, and a versatile styling gel.

The smartest thing we did in our first year of business was: sell and advertise on Amazon. The majority of our sales and profit are now from Amazon. It is a great platform for an indie brand.The biggest mistake we made so far was: It has become clear that we chose the wrong fulfillment partner. We are planning to move from that company later this year.

Peter Resnick, owner of CleanWell (our June Indie Inc profile), wants to know how has rising consumer interest in eco-friendly products affected your business:  Not sure. We have noticed that the regulations especially in the EU continue to become stricter so it is something we have to monitor.

So far, 2018 has been: Our best year yet! Our online sales keep growing from year to year. We picked up a number of new curl friendly salons across the country this year along with our first retailer in Australia. 

Interested in having your company profiled in our Indie Inc section? Send us an email ([email protected]) or reach out on social media!