This Mother and Daughter Team Have Made Quite a "Snap" in the Multi-Billion Dollar Hair Accessory Industry

Rozalynn Goodwin and her 10-year old daughter, Gabrielle, are the founders of a company called GaBBYBows that has won international attention for creating the first of its kind, double faced, double snap barrette hair accessory! Rozalynn says it all began with a simple Twitter rant, her pastor’s gentle nudging and a “broken record in pig tails” that kept losing her bows during recess.
“I literally prayed, Ok, God. If there is something here, you are going to have to show it to me,” she added. But inventing the Double-Face Double-Snap Barrette was not what she had in mind when she logged on to Twitter that day to blow off some steam.

Solving a common problem

At the time, Gabby was only 5-years old and as parents can easily relate to, was persistent in asking, over and over again, when she’d be able to get her new bows. Bows that stayed in her hair and ones she didn’t lose.

And like many parents often do, Rozalynn gave in to her daughter. She approached the problem as a science project where she and Gabby would examine bows together and take notes on their similarities and differences.

That science project turned into drawn up plans of the solution to their problem. Next came colors and names and shortly after a prototype was born.

The whirlwind

Still, Rozalynn wasn’t planning on being an entrepreneur. She originally wanted to just sell the design.

She landed a focus group with a major company, but in the end they passed on GaBBY Bows.

After their decline, Rozalynn still insisted on their product saying, “I can’t show my daughter that anything is impossible. Can you help me make just one bow?”

Persistence pays off

The next thing she knew, GaBBY Bows had exploded, filling online orders in 50 states and eight countries in just three years of operations. The bows are also sold in 50 Once Upon a Child stores in 16 states across the US.

Their company was one of 15 national finalists for the 2015 US Small Business Administration InnovateHER Competition, a 2016 SCORE and Sam’s Club American Small Business Champion, and the national 2016 SCORE Diverse Business of the Year. Gabby was also a 2017 national finalist for Black Enterprise Teenpreneur of the Year.

Rozalynn and Gabby’s story has been featured in Kiplinger, Washington Post, Chicago Tribute, Essence and the US Chamber of Commerce Free Enterprise Magazine. They have also been featured on The Real, the Tom Joyner Morning Show and the TODAY Show.

For more details and/or to purchase their patented products, visit www.gabbybows.com or follow them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/therealgabbybows

Watch their adorable video below: