Jen Atkin

This woman sold her haircare brand to P&G for $300 million.

Jen Atkin moved to LA at 19 with $300 and zero connections.

She started at the front desk of a salon.

Six months later?

She was on tour with Madonna, doing hair for the dancers.

From there, it exploded.

She became the go-to for the Kardashians, Chrissy Teigen, J.Lo, and the Hadid sisters.

But Atkin didn’t just want fame, she wanted influence.

So in 2014, she launched Mane Addicts, a digital hair bible and community for stylists.

Think tutorials, products, backstage access.

And eventually, Mane University, a global education platform.

Then Jen launched OUAI (pronounced “way”).

A haircare line.

Modern. Effortless. Fast styling. Multi-use products.

And she let her community drive the product roadmap.

They loved the scent? She launched OUAI de Parfums.

They wanted body care? Done.

Hair supplements? Added.

She even helped bring Dyson’s Supersonic dryer to market.

But getting there was brutal.

She pitched 10+ haircare companies for a partnership.

They told her she wasn’t famous enough.

That she should wait.

Kris told her: “If someone says no, you’re talking to the wrong person.”

So she instead raised money through friends and clients.

Anyone who believed.

The New York Times called her “the most influential hairstylist in the world.”

And in 2022, Procter & Gamble acquired OUAI in a deal worth $300M.

Jen’s secret? She asks “awkward” questions and doesn’t fake confidence.