CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carli Abram was a chemical engineer working for billion-dollar brands who was able to fight to get her product into bigger stores despite the COVID-19 pandemic.
She created her own haircare line called Pollynation Apothecary, making the products in a University of North Carolina at Charlotte campus lab. She got her start locally at a regional farmers' market and gained a loyal following.
Her business kept growing but then COVID-19 hit.
"When the pandemic happened, all my in-person and farmers markets really disappeared, so I pivoted," Abram said.
She asked herself: How do I get into big retail stores? After a lot of brainstorming with friends and mentors, her business savvy started to develop.
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She was able to land her products in the health and wellness supermarket Earth Fare and the ultimate big-box retailer Walmart.com. Abrahms was delighted to see her products flying off shelves.
"It's exciting," Abram shared. "It's what I've been putting in the work to do, been challenging as a small business owner and a woman."
Her products are sold in all North Carolina and South Carolina Earth Fare stores, and she's hoping for a big expansion soon.