Krystal Chigbu & Stallion Hair

Gorgeous hair is the best revenge

Published in

The 2017 Black Creators and Tastemakers

6 min readFeb 17, 2017

Earlier this week I attended a Black History Month event at Dropbox’s Downtown Austin office. I was excited for it because one of the featured speakers was Maggie Anderson, the author of Our Black Year. The book discusses her family’s struggle to buy from only black businesses for a year straight.

One part of her speech that really caught my attention was when she mentioned the number of beauty supply stores and hair care lines our people support even though they are not owned by people who look like us. The money we spend does not go back to support our community. At this moment, I immediately thought of Krystal and Stallion Hair.

Krystal realized that there is a lack of hair extension lines that were of quality and overall affordable. She also realized that the amount of money our people spend on our hair is way too high to not go back and support us. I’m proud of Krystal for creating a business that so many men women will be able to benefit from for years to come.

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First & Last Name

Krystal Chigbu

Why did you decide to start Stallion Hair?

Stallion Hair became available to the public on September 13, 2014. However, that is not when I technically began my venture as the process started way before.

I had the idea of starting an affordable, luxury hair extension line when I was a first year law student. I was in the process of becoming more fiscally responsible, yet torn because I didn’t want to have to compromise on my quality and luxury items, especially my hair. After doing some research, I realized that I couldn’t find many brands that had amazing quality hair extensions that were still relatively affordable. I sat back and thought to myself, “there’s a gap in the market so fill it.”

Stallion Hair™ is not just a hair brand, it is an empowerment movement for women. I wanted to establish a culture, a community and a mindset where women understand and can feel that they can be great! We want to create a platform that encourages self-love, dream chasing, courage, faith, confidence and everything good. Stallions support one another, Stallions understand the importance of their flaws, Stallions empower, Stallions are forces to be reckoned with. Stallions aren’t born, they are created! It’s a movement.

What does Stallion Hair mean to you?

Stallion Hair means everything to me. It means strength, wisdom, perseverance, femininity, intelligence, empowerment, happiness, light, spirituality, joy, joy, joy and more joy. It has given me the opportunity to live out my innate passion and purpose on this earth, which is to empower women to become their best self, in a simultaneously lucrative way.

What have you had to overcome in order to achieve success?

I’ve had to overcome self-doubt, doubt from critics, time management, and a lot of mistakes, but I wouldn’t trade those hurdles for anything. Through each and every set back that I’ve overcome, I in turn learned so much. The most important lesson that I’ve learned from the experiences and circumstances is “this too shall pass.” No hardship lasts forever, and no matter how hard it rains, the sun must always shine again! You’ve just got to weather the storm the best way you can.

What does it mean to be a black business owner?

Being a female and black business owner means victory. It means that I have used all the bricks that society has thrown at me to not only build a foundation, but to build an empire. I am victorious and I will forever be. With this in mind, it allows me to know that there is nothing that may come my way that can shake me. To be a black business owner means I am unshakable.

What advice do you have for people who are ready to follow their dreams but are hesitating?

1) Start now! Start with what you have and do what you can. No one really knows exactly what they’re doing all the time, but they learn. You do not need all of the answers to start. I always remind myself that every professional was once an amateur at some point, and even the most intelligent, renowned, esteemed people that we know didn’t always know what they know now. Just like them, you will learn as long as you put in the effort.

2) Truly understand why you want to start a venture. There will be times when “life” knocks you down and you will feel like you want to quit, but when you remember why you started, and if it is genuine, you will keep going!

3) Believe in yourself. You are a champion. Believe that there is something inside of YOU that can overcome any obstacle! To me, that’s the definition of a Stallion.

4) There will always be people who will never see the beauty of your idea, but remember that they don’t matter. Do not let the naysayers bog you down. Do not let the “no’s” discourage you as all you need is one “yes.” Keep going until you get your yes!

5) So what if you fail? Try again! I bet you won’t make the same mistakes again. Remember that in the end, you wouldn’t have failed, you would have learned. Take that first step. Make the first call. Write and send in that pitch. Try, try, try and try again!

6) There are 24 hours in a day. If you truly put your best foot forward and truly try and seize the day, you will see that time is actually on your side.

7) Be honest with yourself. Are you trying your hardest? If not, try harder. If so, keep going as your time to succeed will come.

8) Rome wasn’t built in a day, but I’m sure that bricks were being laid each day! Work and work hard.

9) See yourself already at the finish line. Speak your success into existence.

10) Last but not least, give everything to God. Nothing is too hard for Him. 2017 is OUR year!

Bragging Rights

I am a 26-year-old Nigerian-American lawyer who was put on this earth to enhance humanity. I want women to know and believe that they can be everything; that they can be beautiful, brilliant and business-minded all while still truly soaking up all that life has to offer.

I have expanded my hair extension line into apparel for men and women. I have also started speaking to and mentoring girls in local high schools in Nigeria about self-confidence, self-esteem, business, and more. It has been the most fulfilling journey I have ever embarked on. Lastly, I am currently in the works of forming a nonprofit organization. While I can’t reveal all of the details, know it will change lives. Even with that goal, always remember life doesn’t have to be perfect to be wonderful!

Want to contact Krystal for more information?

Visit Stallion Hair’s website at stallionhair.com. Follow them on Instagram via @beauty_by_stallion, Snapchat via @Stallion_hair and Twitter via @hellostallion.

If you want to reach out directly, email Krystal at kichigbu@gmail.com and at Stallion Hair at info@stallionhair.com