via Flickr
Like many Black mothers, Rozalynn Goodwin grew steadily impatient - not with the carefree joy of her daughter Gabrielle, but with how all of her meticulously placed hair accessories could never stay fastened for long.
The frustrating incident turned into the business lesson of a lifetime.
The Goodwin mother-daughter duo developed a solution to vanishing hair bows by creating, then patenting the FIRST double-face, double-snap barrettes also known as GaBBY Bows!
But as it turned out, inventing the anti-slip clip was only the beginning...
Five years later, this tween entrepreneur continues to brand the accessory line selling in 50 states, 10 countries, and 74 Target stores, using a personal story that’s ultra-relatable to the customer demographic GaBBY Bows serves best - little Black girls.
Best of all, Gabby and Rozalynn are helping girls and their moms start their own businesses through their Mommy and Me Entrepreneurship Academy and micro franchising opportunities.
Of course, young Black girls are loving how this company explicitly addresses their hair care needs, but the Goodwins’ business model passes on valuable lessons in creativity, innovation, and ownership across generations.
Gabby shared a similar perspective with Black Enterprise, saying “this dream coming true helps girls know that whatever they put their minds and hard work to, they can achieve.” That’s the kind of foundation we know unshakeable confidence will soar from.