The National Black Business Pitch: How Mentorship Transformed Khadijah Robinson’s Business Journey

Intro: Broadcasting live from the Business RadioX studios, it’s time for Women in Motion. Brought to you by WBEC-West. Join forces. Succeed together. Now, here’s your host.

Lee Kantor: Lee Kantor here. Another episode of Women in Motion. And this is going to be a good one. But before we get started, it’s important to recognize our sponsor, WBEC-West. Without them, we couldn’t be sharing these important stories. And today’s episode is in the series that we’re doing with the National Black Business Pitch, and we have the third place winner and her mentor. We have Khadijah Robinson and her mentor, Lynn Reddick. Khadija is with AQUA Waterproof Headwear, and Lynn is with the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco. Welcome.

Lynn Reddick: Thank you.

Lee Kantor: Now, Khadijah, I am so excited to learn what you’re up to. Third place winner is pretty impressive, and we’d like to learn more about the AQUA Waterproof Headwear business that you are running.

Khadijah Robinson: Yeah, thank you. So, yeah, I invented waterproof turbans and headwraps. My name is Khadijah Robinson and I am the CEO and inventor of AQUA Waterproof Headwear. It is a line of stylish waterproof turbans and headwraps designed to protect our hair in style. So, I’m so excited.

Lee Kantor: Well, so tell us about the backstory. How did this problem occur to you and the solution that you developed?

Khadijah Robinson: Okay. Well, every great idea starts with a problem that you’re trying to solve, right? I was on vacation, and I wanted to look cute, but I also did not want my hair to get wet. I had extensions at the time, and I didn’t want my real hair to get wet and separate from the extensions, and I end up looking crazy. But my only option at the time was to put on a baseball hat because, you know, swim caps are tight and uncomfortable, and I still wanted to look cute. So, I was like, “Well, I have a baseball cap. Let me put it on.”

I put it on, went snorkeling. My hair, of course, ended up getting wet, and I spent hours redoing my hair when I got back to the room. And I said to myself, “There has to be a better way to do this. Something that’s stylish that I can, you know, wear and look cute and still protect my hair.” I got home, brainstormed and had the lightbulb moment and said, “Waterproof turbans and headwraps.” I did my research, it didn’t exist, and I just hit the ground running, trying to figure out how to invent it and bring it into real life.

Lee Kantor: So, how did you kind of start iterating when something doesn’t exist like this? Did you start with just a regular turban and then just said, “Okay, let me make it waterproof?” Like, what was the order of things?

Khadijah Robinson: Well, actually, I started off, it wasn’t a turban at all. It was like this… I got my sewing machine out. I don’t sew, but my mom had one, went to her house. I was like, “Let me just try to put something together.” So, I made this scarf-looking thing that kind of looked like a turban, but not really. And I was just trying to get the idea out there. Did a whole bunch of iterations with that, and I said, “Listen, I am not a seamstress. Let me stop acting like I can do this.” So, ironically, I ran into a seamstress who made my prom dress, like, in high school, and I saw her at an event randomly, and I was like, “Oh, my gosh, [Lily], I need your help. I’m inventing this turban, and it needs to be waterproof, and I have no idea what I’m doing, and I need your help.” And she was like, “Absolutely, I will help you. I will do the concept for you, and we’ll figure it out.”

And she is my angel to this day because I sat down with her, she did the concept, we did a couple of iterations, the whole… You know, it had to be waterproof. So, I had to make sure that the design actually did what it was supposed to do. And she did a draft pattern for me, and she even went to my first manufacturer with me and, you know, talked to them in technical terms to make sure that, you know, he was able to recreate what we needed them to recreate. And the rest is history.

The really hard part was actually trying to find the fabric. The fabric didn’t exist. There was nothing out there that was waterproof, stretchy, soft, breathable, all the things. And that’s actually the magic of our turbines is the fabric and the design. So once [Lily] helped me go to different fabric events and figure out how to talk to manufacturers to actually create this waterproof fabric, from there, we worked on the design, and then we went to the manufacturer, and I started the patent process.

Lee Kantor: Now did you ever, like, do like focus groups or how did you know that… like, I know this was solving your problem, but how did you know there was a market for it?

Khadijah Robinson: Absolutely. Okay. So, I totally skipped that part, right? Once I had the idea, believe it or not, I got all… Like, every family member and friend that I knew, I had them all sign NDAs and presented my idea to them. At the time, I had an actual simple concept that I could show, get their feedback on, ask them how much they’d spend on it, if this is something that they would want, and everybody thought it was the most genius idea ever. So, I had like three focus groups. And then, I also stood in front of hair stores in Philly and kind of like told people, you know, like just got a feel for what I… without telling everybody exactly what I was doing, got an idea of if this was something that was needed. And once I gathered all that data and that information, I took it back and I said, “This is something that the world needs.” So, I went full steam ahead with going forward with trying to figure out how to make it.

Lee Kantor: So, when you said, “Okay, this is a real problem that the market needs, and I have a great creative solution,” did you like go to try to raise money or did you have money? Like, how did you kind of get it off the ground? Because something like this seems like it would be kind of a heavy lift to get this off the ground.

Khadijah Robinson: Well, thank God I had a job. So, I didn’t have a bunch of friends and family to go to for help with financing it. And honestly, this was really expensive. Initially, I spent $40,000 of my own money to get this going, and I had my full-time job. But the smart thing that I did as well is once the first production run was almost complete, I decided to do an Indiegogo campaign. And instead of like doing the traditional crowdfunding, I used the Indiegogo as a pre-sale. So, put videos on there, did Facebook ads and Instagram ads, raised about $8,000 in a month on Indiegogo, and I used that money to help pay the balance of the production run. And then, it was on from there.

Lee Kantor: Now, what kind of drew you to the National Black Business Pitch kind of contest? Was that something you had? How did that get on your radar?

Khadijah Robinson: Interesting. So, I need funds, right? The small business owner in order to grow and scale, I’m at the point where I need a lot of money in order to get to the point in my business where I can actually go into mass retail. So, I’ve been applying for grants and all kinds of funding opportunities. I was doing a search on Instagram, and the National Black Business Pitch competition came up, and I was like, “Oh my goodness! This is perfect. I had never done a pitch competition before.” So I said, “You know what? Why not? Let me apply.” I applied early. I put my all in the application and my videos and I just wanted to, you know, hope for the best. And I was extremely… I couldn’t believe it when I got the notice that I had been selected to actually do the pitch, one of the 30 businesses. I was like, “This is crazy.” And yeah, I was… and it was just on from there.

Lee Kantor: So, what was it like to go through that? Because, you know, the first group of people were kind of friends and family, right? You kind of knew a lot of these people, but now you’re going to kind of strangers, and they’re judging your thing and giving you input. Was that uncomfortable? Did you feel like, you know, you grew from that experience?

Khadijah Robinson: Well, thankfully, I had been… You know, I launched in 2019. So, thankfully, you know, I knew that people liked the product. At least customers did. Now, as far as strangers that I have to pitch for funding, absolutely terrifying. Absolutely terrifying. But Lynn was… When I say amazing, absolutely amazing. The key to it is Lynn. Literally, even sometimes, we would stay on longer on the coaching calls longer, she did not hesitate, did not make me get off the phone early, did not stop me. And she just poured into me and gave me the best advice ever. And I listened. So, that was the key.

Even to this day, like I still have… I didn’t take down a bunch of my background. Only some of it’s gone because I did a pitch. I did another pop-up. So, I took some things. But I keep this stuff up all the time now on phone calls, on meetings, on everything, because it was just genius to just say, “Why don’t I have my turbines in the background?” And just the practicing of it all. So, I thank Lynn for everything. And I’ve actually since then – and thank you, Lynn to your amazing coaching – I, to this day still, listen, I want another pitch competition. Yes, with Black Girl Ventures and I came in second place, so, in Philadelphia. And I was just… I’m like… Listen, everything you taught me, everything Lynn has taught me, I have continued to implement. And it’s been working greatly.

Lee Kantor: Now, Lynn, how did this mentoring opportunity get on your radar? I think you’re… Are you muted? You might be muted.

Lynn Reddick: I’m here now.

Lee Kantor: All right.

Lynn Reddick: I’m here now. Yes. As far as participating as a corporate member of WBEC-West, I was presented the opportunity to participate in the National Black Pitch Program as a mentor, and I just jumped at the chance. WBEC-West is the best as far as connecting women-owned businesses with their corporate members. And I just love participating in their programs. And providing technical assistance is a passion of mine and something that I’ve been doing for over 20 years now. And I was fortunate to be paired with Khadija and her wonderful company.

Lee Kantor: Now, Lynn, do you have any advice for other corporates when it comes to mentoring entrepreneurs like this? You know, probably during your day job, you know, you’re not around this stage emerging business like this. Is there any advice you can share to your other corporates why it’s important to be doing this kind of work?

Lynn Reddick: Yes, absolutely. Anytime you can support a business as far as helping them grow, helping them succeed in going forward and winning that next contract, you know, being successful in pitch contests, then that just benefits everyone because as corporate members, we’re looking for those great, diverse suppliers that can participate in our procurement efforts and make the best efforts and compete with the other suppliers that are invited to participate. And the more that we can share our knowledge in terms of what… you know, of what we see as in terms of a successful pitch, you know, a successful way in terms of presenting themselves to really make the cut as far as being one of those suppliers that are invited to participate in procurements, the best there is.

So, I mean, as Khadijiah had said, you know, we had… I don’t know how many, 4 or 5 different sessions, maybe half hour, maybe they would go over, but we, you know, worked on mutual times. We talked about what each of us was going to prepare for for our next session. They were very, very productive. And I mean, you know, you can spare 30-40 minutes out of your day? Yes, you can. And you know, I just highly recommend it for all corporate members to be able to really impart their wisdom and, you know, what’s meaningful to them when they hear pitches from suppliers.

Lee Kantor: Now, Lynn, do you have any advice for these emerging entrepreneurs how best to take advantage of these type of opportunities to be a good mentee, to really be coachable and take all this information to heart? Because it is a great opportunity. The prize money is nice, but these relationships are the things that are going to pay dividends over the long haul.

Lynn Reddick: No, no. Yeah, absolutely. It’s really participating in programs. And so WBEC-West is a great organization, you know, to talk about where they advocate for, they certify women-owned businesses. They provide these opportunities to meet with corporate members through meetings, whether they’re in person or whether they’re virtual. It’s those types of organizations that suppliers should seek out. It gives them not only opportunity to meet with corporate members or opportunities to engage with other, you know, women-owned businesses. I mean, they’ve gone through maybe similar things, depending on, you know, how many years in business they’ve been in. It’s just a great opportunity to learn.

And you know, yes, you know, you may have to invest some time in a few meetings here and there but, really, the benefits of going to those meetings, the people that you meet, the corporate members that, you know, that can either guide you or give you advice is… I mean, it’s… I don’t… immeasurable as far as you’re doing, As Khadijah has said, you know, not only has she, you know, continued to do some pitch competitions. Here, she came in third for the National Black Business Pitch and she’s gone to another… you know, went to another pitch contest and has done even better. So, you know, her being able to pitch to other corporate members is only something that, you know, she’s going to be top of mind to many corporates if something comes up and they’re like, “Wait a minute. I remember Khadijiah,” or may remember AQUA Waterproof Headwear and you know, that really resonates with corporate members.

Lee Kantor: Now, Khadijiah, do you have any advice for other aspiring entrepreneurs when they’re putting together kind of a pitch like you had to do? Is there any do’s and don’ts that you can share in order to, you know, become a winner like you have?

Khadijah Robinson: Yes. If you are lucky enough to have a mentor and a coach, listen to them. Listen to them. Listen to them. Be a sponge. Be teachable. Again, I’ve learned when you’re pitching, having your product available, seen, shown, even if it services, something that says your name and what you do in the background is very, very helpful. I did get compliments on that. And I thank you, Lynn, for even taking me there and to help me do that. Also, practice. Practice, practice, practice. The day of, like when I first did my pitch, I had practiced so much that I was on. Then, of course, you kind of like… After you win, you’re just like, “Oh, it’s over. Let me do it.” But my advice is keep practicing your pitch every day just so that you don’t forget it, so that when it’s time for you to pitch, it just comes so easily to you that you can that, you know, it comes across naturally and it really resonates with the judges. So, definitely practice. Definitely, definitely listen to your mentor. And definitely have your products or services in the background. And just know your business. Like know what you’re talking about and be able to answer questions. Know your numbers. Know your business in and out.

Lee Kantor: Now, Khadijiah, what part of the National Black Business Pitch competition kind of is staying with you as most valuable or impactful as you move forward?

Khadijah Robinson: Well, I will say this and, again, this is a testament to Lynn. Even if I didn’t win third place, the training that I got on developing a pitch and actually being able to successfully execute it was so, so, so valuable. And I can’t put it into words because like I said, I have literally used everything I learned from Lynn as I keep going into pitch different competitions. And again, the one that I just did was my second one, and I was like, I can’t even believe I got second place. But it’s because of the confidence in understanding of pitching that I didn’t learn because like with this competition, there was no pitch deck. I didn’t have anything in front of me. All I had was what I know and what I was able to memorize and express in words, just only words. So, I will always, forever take that with me.

Lee Kantor: So, what do you need more of? How can we help you now?

Khadijah Robinson: Money? No. Other than that, honestly, just ability to access people. Like Lynn said, if there are other companies out here who are interested in doing business with AQUA Waterproof Headwear or have different resources available, even as far as just, you know, a database of how to get into retail, you know, small retailers who are interested in doing business with smallbrands, the boutiques, you know, just to help me prepare to get into the mass retail space. But right now, it’s just the resources and access to opportunities that is going to help me immensely get to where I need to go. And I thank you all for that. Because actually, WBEC does a great job with that all around. So, honestly, just ability to help and provide resources and opportunities is very much appreciated. So, thank you.

Lee Kantor: And then, you’re on your way to become a certified woman-owned business?

Khadijah Robinson: I am. I am. And I just submitted everything for East Coast, so I am waiting for that. I just got MBE certification. So, that’s a big thing that I’m proud of. And I was just on a TV show called Buy It Now. It’s on Amazon Prime. So, if you can watch that, that’d be amazing because, Lynn, you’d be proud of me. You’d be proud of me for that. I’m not going to spill it. I’m not going to spill it. But episode ten of Buy It Now on Amazon Prime, you’re going to be proud of me.

Lee Kantor: And then, if somebody wants to learn more about AQUA Waterproof Headwear, is there a website? Is there a best way to connect with you and the product and the team?

Khadijah Robinson: Yes, my website is aquaheadwear.com. Just aquaheadwear.com. A-Q-U-A, Headwear, H-E-A-D-W-E-A-R dot com. And email me at hello@aquaheadwear.com.

Lee Kantor: And then, I’m sure on all the socials, they can find you there.

Khadijah Robinson: All the socials @aquaheadwear. So easy. A-Q-U-A-H-E-A-D-W-E-A-R on everything -TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, everywhere.

Lee Kantor: Well, congratulations on all the momentum. You’re doing such important work and we appreciate you.

Khadijah Robinson: Thank you. Thank you so much for the opportunity to talk to you today.

Lee Kantor: And Lynn, thank you for all you do to help the community get to new levels. Thank you.

Lynn Reddick: No, it’s my pleasure.

Lee Kantor: All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Women in Motion.