Bozoma Saint John Is About to Revolutionize the Hair Extension Industry

Bozoma Saint John needs no introduction, but her incredible accomplishments deserve to be rattled off. The seasoned executive has held the highest marketing positions at the most influential companies—including PepsiCo, Apple, Uber, Endeavor, and Netflix—making an indelible impact on each brand. 

As her career has soared, Saint John’s business savvy has been recognized by the most prestigious publications and institutions around the world. In 2021, she secured the #1 spot on Forbes’ World’s Most Influential CMOs list. That same year, Harvard Business School published a case study about Saint John’s achievements titled “Bozoma Saint John: Leading with Authenticity and Urgency.” In 2022, she was inducted into the American Marketing Association Marketing Hall of Fame, one of the grandest recognitions for those in her industry.

Two years ago, at the height of her corporate career, Saint John decided to take a sabbatical and focus on other soul-stirring projects. She finished writing a memoir, The Urgent Life: My Story of Love, Loss, and Survival, and began working on her latest endeavor, Eve by Boz. The latter—an extension and hair care brand—results from her lifelong affinity for switching up her look and the glaring gaps in the existing market she noticed. Ahead, Saint John opens up her connection to her hair, the journey she’s been on as a beauty founder, and what makes Eve by Boz unique. 

Can you share some insight into your hair journey?

“My family moved around a lot during my childhood. We landed in Colorado Springs when I was 12, and there weren’t a lot of places to get your hair done. Although my mother was a fashion designer by trade, she was also our hairdresser. For her, the expression of our hair was really important. It would have been easy to assimilate and water down our culture to fit in, but my Ghanaian parents were not about that. My Blackness and total acceptance of myself were birthed at home. I wore long braids, cornrows, afro puffs, etc as a child. In our household, our hair, makeup, nails, and fashion were celebrated.”

Did your relationship with your hair change as you entered the corporate world? 

“When I started getting into these corporate spaces, I started feeling the pressure. I was made to feel like I needed to tone it down—that I shouldn’t wear braids or colored hair. I also received advice that I shouldn’t wear red lipstick or red nail polish. When you hear messages like that, it seeps inside, and for me, it quieted my entire personality. It was that kind of feedback that drove me totally off the ledge, though. I gave up. I just decided not to pull my hair back anymore and to wear my red nails and leopard shirts because it feels good. If I wasn’t going to get promoted, so be it. Doing that allowed me to tap into the fullness of myself and my creativity, and suddenly, people wanted to know what I thought was cool or interesting.”

Was there an “aha” moment that made you want to launch Eve by Boz? 

“When I started my sabbatical in February 2022 to finish writing my memoir, I thought I would get another CMO job elsewhere. I contemplated the beauty industry because I had never done that before. However, I also started making wigs during that time. I never found hair with a texture, density, or lace I really liked. Plus, when you order custom extensions or wigs, it takes eight to 10 weeks to get to you, and I’m impatient. One day, my friend was in Guangzhou, China, which is like the capital of hair. He offered to bring me back bundles, and while he was in the factory, he gave the phone to someone who worked there, and we started speaking the language of hair to each other. My friend later told me, ‘You know way too much not to be doing something with hair.’ That was music to my ears, and I bought a ticket to Guangzhou.”

What did you learn while in Guangzhou?

“When I went to Guangzhou last July, the largest hair show in the world happened to be going on. At this event, hair manufacturers from the Asia-Pacific market gather to wholesale their wigs, bundles, closures, frontals, etc. I went there for 12 hours a day for four days and made so many friends. I asked one vendor, “Why is the lace always white?’ They said, ‘Because nobody asked us for anything else.’ While there, I saw it was possible to achieve different lace colors and textures. That’s what really opened this door for me and made me want to create something intentional for us.”

What products are you launching with?

“We have wigs and closures in three lace colors (Chestnut, Hazelwood, and Mahogany) and bundles. Our hair is named intentionally because I feel the current options on the market are named inappropriately. 80% of the consumers are Black or women of color, so why are brands using terms like ‘Burmese Curly’ or ‘Yaki Straight.’ As a marketer, I want to do my best to change the industry, so I named my hair after people who embody these textures. We have five textures to start with, and our coily hair, for example, is called Folake’s Coily Curls.”

Eve by Boz also includes a hair care line. Why was it important to launch maintenance and styling products as well?

“When I started this journey, I thought I would launch wigs and extensions. Then, I realized I needed hair care for the hair. I worked with a Black chemist, Gerri Watson, to create the hair care line and own the formulas. I wanted to create products that increase the longevity of the hair and use ingredients from the African continent. We use shea butter, palm kernel, moringa, rosehip, and baobab. Of all the products, I have two crown jewels, the Hair Perfume Oil and Goddess Paste.”

Are there other impactful touches you’ve made to ensure Eve by Boz offers an elevated experience?

“I wanted the purchasing journey to feel luxurious. Our photos feature beautiful models, and when you hover over a product, you’ll see a video highlighting how the hair moves. On top of that, our hair is packaged in a bonnet. Ghana Textiles, the country’s oldest textile company, made the bonnet fabric.”

In addition to launching a beauty brand, you’re joining the cast of Real Housewives of Beverly Hills this season. Will we see some behind-the-scenes footage of your journey with Eve by Boz on the show?

“Since I’m new, I have to establish myself first. The majority of this season will focus on getting to know me personally. I’m pretty open about my life on social media, but I realized while filming that I don’t talk much about my current day-to-day. People know my career and past but don’t know me as a woman. So, I spent this season carving out space for this version of myself. You’ll catch sprinkles of my transition into entrepreneurship, though.”

What impact do you hope Eve by Boz makes on the industry?

“I didn’t take a dollar from anyone to build this brand. I put my money into this business and every bit of stock I got from the companies I’ve worked at because I believe in Eve by Boz. So, yes, I want this business to be successful, but more than that, I want people to recognize our buying power matters. I’m going to show the world that it’s possible to build an empire with Black women at the center.”