Please note, this transcript has been copy pasted without the lovely touch of a human editor. Please expect some typos!

Yeah, so hi, I am Dianna Cohen, I am the founder and CEO of Crown Affair, which is a hair care line focused on medical care for healthier hair. I've lived in New York for 11 years, which is where we're chatting and chatting right now. I've worked in Consumer for the last eight.

It's been quite a journey as this world of e commerce and consumer businesses has evolved quite a bit. And I yeah, I mean, I'm such a consumer nerd and I am truly a hair care nerd up of all. And Crown Affair was really born from my passion of just taking care of my hair and my daily rituals and the way that you have a skincare friend who knows all of the little details. I've always been that friend with hair. So that's really how this journey started.

I love that, and when we were talking about rituals a moment ago, before we before we pressed play on this recording, and I was thinking to myself, brushing my hair is actually a ritual that I really love, too. I read that that you also had that. And it's something that I think is like so important that you take note of those tiny rituals that maybe hadn't considered before. But when I was thinking about rituals before and when I was reading about your brand, I was like, yeah, I actually really enjoy my moments of hair brushing as well. It's so important, but I'd never thought about it before.

It is truly one of my favorite parts of the day. I mean, I especially Now spending so much time at home, all of the moments and structures that I have that support my well-being, brushing my hair every night, being one of them, even just the whole ritual of how I take care of myself. Shower is like a 30 minute situation with lymphatic drainage and how I oil my hair. But even in the morning, just like I write journal, I do my morning pages every morning from the artist's way. I have to stretch and roll. And I think just being so aware of the things that make you feel whole is really important. And this is one that I was just organically sharing for so long. So it's cool to like bring it into the world and see people respond to it and I think really reorient themselves around how they care for themselves. And I've been so lucky to work with a range of consumer brands over the last almost a decade that have really introduced, I think, an audience to new ways to think about the way they through the world. So I love doing this every day. It's like truly the greatest gift I get to do it.

Oh, I love that. I can totally hear it in your in your enthusiasm. I want to go back to the very beginning. I know you have a really interesting background. And like you said, you've worked for so many amazing consumer brands. So can we get back to the kind of like starting way back when where you were working, what you were doing, what was happening in your life that was kind of leading up to this year?

Yeah. So we can take it one step back, which is where I'm from and where I grew up. Yeah, definitely. So I grew up in a really small town in South Florida called Lighthouse Point. It's like an hour north of Miami, you know, very suburban upbringing.

I played sports. I was a total tomboy for a long time. And sometime around eighth grade, I got like very into art history and was a big Templer kid and was definitely the kid in high school who was ripping off fashion magazines and so passionate about beauty and design. And I knew that I wanted to go to New York. I had no Idea what I would do. I just knew that I wanted to be around creative people putting things into the world that could inspire someone like me sitting in my bedroom so far away from where the magic was being created. I came to New York and was really lucky. I do. I had the opportunity to intern at a range of places in fashion. I always joke like you watch The Devil Wears Prada and you're like, I just wanna work for an the condo. But, you know, the years that I was I was in university,

Like the world changed quite a bit. I mean, the Internet was obviously a thing for a very long time. But I think the implications of how the Internet was changing our behavior, especially from a publishing perspective, was very clear and well, I'm so grateful to have worked like every attorney for two semesters during like Oscar seasons and understanding the PR and celebrity dressing and really like working with so many incredible legacy brands to understand what made them such a great foundation. But I also knew that when the time came to actually look for job opportunities, that I just really loved working at smaller places and startups that had a direct impact. And not that I had the language for them, but I had email just called, emailed this woman who had this beauty website that I was obsessed with. It had like maybe her views on it at the time. And it was Emily Weiss when she first started into the classand I became an Intern for her. And this is what it was very much a one room office, that it was purely editorial free, glossy ads, but, you know, moderated the comments section, uploaded things to our social.

All those interviews were like a total education in storytelling. I think Emily really pioneered that connection to real women. Sure, a lot of the women profiled were fabulous and inspiring, but we live in a world now where you can see what Reese Witherspoon is making for breakfast on Instagram. Back then, the only access to women like her was through filtered lenses, like People magazine. It was amazing to see that they were using something as simple as an $8 rosewater from Whole Foods. The comment section was gold, and it marked a shift in consumers taking power and connecting with each other, rather than just being influenced by people in boardrooms. Over the last decade, consumers have gained more influence, and that shift allowed people like me to create things without ever sitting in those boardrooms. All of this came from my personal journey and conversations with others.

Then I was lucky to meet Eric Katz, the co-founder of Seed, who is the greatest marketer I've worked with. She taught me about grassroots marketing, principles that I still use today. We had a holiday launch recently, and it was so exciting to apply what she taught me. She’s been a mentor throughout my career. After that, I was fortunate to launch Marmol as a consultant five years ago, helping to rebrand and reposition it as a luxury shoe company after its sale to Jimmy Choo. Working with such an iconic brand was an education in itself.

Every experience matters, and it’s clear now as I reflect on partnerships I’ve built over time. For example, my time at Away led to a partnership with Meanwell at Crown Affair. Every opportunity makes an impact, even if it’s not immediately clear. After leaving Away, I started an agency called Levitate, where I worked on brand strategy, launching projects for clients like Harry’s and Flamingo. It was such a fun time, with a mix of remote and in-office work, which I loved.

Then, I launched Crown Affair, completely unaware I’d be in the middle of a global pandemic. But resilience and passion keep me going, and I’m so grateful I get to do this with my team every day. It's truly a joy.

So exciting. When you said you did the two hundred interviews, you went through that process in a really big way. My two questions are when you were seeing, like, the kinds of things that they were looking for, what were those kinds of things that they were saying that they were looking for, whether they did or not invest in you? What were the kind of things they're interested in? And, B, did you have to kind of pivot or change your pitch as you went through that process, getting back to the tail end of two hundred?

Launching a brand, especially in the ever-evolving world of haircare, requires deep engagement with the community and a focus on product innovation. A year ago, the focus in investor discussions was all about customization and growth at any cost—buzzwords that were popular at the time. But there's been a shift. Today, building a brand is more about creating products that genuinely improve lives, not just hopping on trends like customization.

At the core of Crown Affair's vision is ensuring every product is a hero product. Unlike many in the beauty industry, who rely on standard contract manufacturers, we innovate. Instead of just slapping a celebrity's name on a product or tweaking a fragrance, we focus on launching products that are truly unique and transformative for customers. For instance, we don’t just want to create another shampoo. We aim for a product that feels different, works better, and is deeply aligned with our ethos.

One important part of the investor pitch process is shifting the narrative around haircare. Historically, it’s been about styling, color, and a pursuit of perfection. But for us, it’s about self-care rituals and making time for yourself. This approach is resonating now more than ever, especially in the wake of the pandemic when many realized the importance of taking care of themselves—whether that’s through a weekly hair mask or just creating moments of peace in their day. This isn’t just about clean, effective products; it’s about building a community that understands the importance of well-being and self-care.

Another key focus is transparency. The ingredients we avoid are as important as the ones we use, and customers are starting to question what’s really in their haircare products. While terms like "retinol" and "hyaluronic acid" are now standard in skincare, people often don’t realize what’s in their haircare products and the effects those ingredients may have.

As part of our grassroots marketing approach, it's crucial to treat customers as people. Customers want to be part of the journey, and the community you build in year one can carry you through the long term. By involving people early on and showing them the process—whether that’s through a quick coffee meeting, an early sale, or just a friendly chat—they become invested in your success. These relationships are foundational and can lead to customers who stick with you for years, not just the launch phase.

Lastly, it’s about being open and not waiting until everything is perfect to share your work with the world. People want to support what they feel a part of, and by letting them in on the process, you can build a loyal community that roots for you in the long run.

It's beyond just your site, which is a podcasting conversation for another time in terms of retail strategy and growth. But it's so important that you're able to connect with your person from day one. When you launch something in the world, they should feel excited about it and want to share it with you on your direct channel.

There are so many elements to launching, like seeding to community, influencers, and influential people. This way, they can post about you on launch day. It's really important to ensure your message is clear, and you're offering something different. I mean, none of us knew a pandemic was coming, but our entire pillar was already rooted in the ethos of the brand—taking time for yourself out of care, rather than frustration. All our collateral, which we printed months before, focused on taking time and finding your ritual. Then, suddenly, people had time, so it resonated well.

That ended up working in our favor, but now, as I said, early on, you can't just say it's direct and accessible; you need innovation. Getting the word out to your community is huge. PR is essential, and having a thoughtful strategy is key. Traditional PR has evolved exponentially. Depending on your product market fit, Instagram, social platforms, or other media can play a significant role. I know brands killing it on TikTok, but for us, our product and market fit cater to a diverse range of customers—young Gen Z women and even a 70-year-old winemaker in Napa who bought our product for her daughters.

Word of mouth is crucial in beauty. We saw excitement three months in when people were talking about their results and sharing with family and friends. That’s when things spiked. Launching a product involves thinking holistically—your message, how you tell the story, and ensuring every element is aligned.

Building relationships with people—whether journalists or customers—is everything. It's no longer about random pitches; it's about listening to what they like and building genuine connections. That’s how you build a great brand over time. I didn't have many PR connections before, but now I work with a PR team at Dispatch, and it's such an honest, ego-free partnership. Weekly PR calls can sometimes feel like a lot of pressure, but when it’s a true partnership, it changes the dynamic.

For us, it was about pitching our story authentically. I'm not from a traditional beauty background, and that authenticity really helped us stand out, as we weren’t the same old celebrity-driven beauty line. Seeing the press and the support on launch day was exciting because it was a reflection of people connecting with the vision.

As for the future, it's a month-by-month journey. I postponed my wedding this year, and it's the same with the business. We have a clear one-year, three-year, and five-year roadmap for Crown Affair, but the world is changing, and so is the playbook for brands. We're navigating in real-time, staying nimble, and focusing on building lasting relationships with our customers.

Expanding our product line and international shipping is on the horizon, which is exciting. We're already in Hong Kong and have partners in Canada, but more growth is coming. For women who have a big idea and want to launch, my advice is simple: just start. Whether it's a Google Doc or a few samples, just take the leap. It's scary, but you must put yourself out there, take feedback, and see where it takes you. And write everything down—there’s a Joan Didion quote that says, "I don’t know what I think until I write it down," and that’s been a game-changer for me.

Writing has been cathartic, and it’s wild how much of what I wrote down in my journals earlier this year has already come true. If you have a dream and are scared to start, writing it down is a great first step.

Now, onto the six quick questions:

1. What’s your why? My why is making people feel differently about themselves. Whether through Crown Affair or in my personal life, I love creating things that change the way people view the world.

2. What’s been the number one marketing moment that made your business pop? It’s hard to pick one, but influencer community has been key. When someone with a real audience posts about our product, we can see the orders come in. For example, a New York Magazine feature called our product the "Haim sister of hair towels," and we sold 100 towels from that article alone.

3. Where do you hang out to get smarter? I listen to a lot of podcasts. My favorite is Poetry Unbound by theologian Pádraig Ó Tuama. It’s two poems a week that are unpacked in a way that changes your perspective. I also love Adam Grant and Seth Godin’s work on marketing and team culture.

4. How do you win the day? I win the day by writing morning pages—it’s a grounding ritual for me.