Zoe Oli: The 11-Year Old CEO of Beautiful Curly Me, Pioneering Representation in Dolls

Hello everybody and welcome to In the Dawn World, a show spotlighting the passion and the people of the Dawn community With your host, georgia Taylor, former vice president and co-founder of Big Beautiful Dolls. Join her as she talks to fascinating doll artists, customizers, avid collectors, redesigners, authors and all the people in between, as they share their journeys, give us glimpses into their processes and will propel their passion and drive to help keep the doll world moving and shaking. Welcome to the show, hello everybody, and welcome to In the Dawn World. I am your host, georgia Taylor, and as always, I'm so excited to bring you such amazing guests and today is no exception. First, I just want to say I'm excited when I have young, new doll creators on the show because they bring such a different perspective on how they feel about representation. So today our guest is Zoe Oli. She is the CEO and founder of Beautiful Curly Me and I'm so excited she's doing such amazing stuff out there in the world. She has an amazing brand and her brand is on mission to instill and inspire confidence in young black and brown girls through a line of dolls with curls and braids, as well as amazing other products. So thank you so much, zoe, for being on In the Dawn World with me.

Thank you so much for having me. I'm super excited.

I'm super excited, too, to have you on the show, so I know a lot of people probably already know what you do and who you are, but for the other audiences and listeners out there who don't know, you can just share a little bit about who you are, where you come from and why you got started creating this line of beautiful dolls.

So hi everybody, my name is Zoe, I'm 11 years old and I am the CEO of my own company called Beautiful Curly Me. I'm Atlanta based, and Beautiful Curly Me is a brand on a mission to instill and inspire confidence in young black and brown girls through toys and empowering content. And when I was six years old, I did not like my hair and I wish to look straight like my classmates and I'm not alone. So six out of 10 girls do not like their natural hair, and girls confidence drops by 30% by age eight. So my mom got me a black doll to help and I loved her, but she did not have hair that looked like mine and I wanted dolls with curls and braids. So when my mom went back to the stores and came up short, I decided I wanted to make my own business and do something about this. So that is how Beautiful Curly Me was born. We have a line of beautiful black dolls like Bella here. Hi, bella, I have two books that I've written and empowering and inspiring puzzles. We're also a social impact brand, so for every doll that is bought on my website, I give one to a young girl need, because I do not want any other girl to feel the way I felt.

Well, I think that's you know. I've listened to your story and it's just, it's so inspiring to hear somebody that's so, so encouraging that you just took the step and said this is what I want to create. So how did that step come about for you? Because I mean thinking, okay, I want to create a doll is one thing. I've created dolls my own. I understand the process of that. Why did creating a doll, why did you feel creating the doll was so important for you, as opposed to just, you know, finding a doll and just figuring out how to make our hair curly? You said I don't want to do that. I just want to create a whole doll line that represented you know the way I look. How is that really important for you to do that?

Well, I could not find any dolls that had hair like mine and look like me, and I realized that there must be so many other Girls that look like me that have the same issue. So instead of just Giving up and just saying, oh well, it's okay, I wanted to create dollars that other girls can see themselves in and feel beautiful. And At first I mean, it wasn't easy. So my mom, I kept on bugging her, saying what are we gonna start my business? Mom, what happened to my business? And at first she didn't take me seriously. So it was a lot of bugging her and pestering and she saw that I was serious and that I wanted to do this. So when I was seven, four years ago, we got started.

Mm-hmm. And how did you, how did you guys get started? Did you contact the manufacturer? Did you? Were you in the stores, looking at other places to figure out like this is what I want the doll to look like. You know what, and what was the process for you? You say you were hands-on, so what does that mean?

so first we had to do a whole lot of research because my mom, prior to that, had no experience with dolls and. I had no experience other than playing with them, so we had to do a lot of research. I found a manufacturer and I worked hand-in-hand with the designer telling them oh, I want the dolls here to look like this. Oh, making sure that all the features really stood out and really agreed with my vision. So it was a lot of Back and forth, sketching out the design, then shown it to the manufacturer and then getting our samples and Just a whole process of just telling them what we like, what we didn't like and going back and forth with that. I think, it was super exciting for me To be able to be a CEO and be able to tell Someone what I wanted, and they got it for me At seven years old that was a lot, but that was really exciting.

That was the exciting part. It's like I can tell people what to do. You know that's really cool. So, in the process of you creating the doll, what did you find the most challenging or the most the hardest part of the of that whole process? What did you or did you not even look at it as being very difficult for you?

I think that I mean the whole process was challenging, I think, getting started because there was we didn't really know anybody at the beginning who need, who could give us advice about it. So it's a lot of trying and actually Our first iteration of dolls that we started getting dolls that were defective, so they some of their Body parts were like smashed in and that was really scary and See good dolls and then see dolls that were not good. So it was a lot of trial and error and I think just Now having a community of people so we're part of different industry based organizations like women and toys so having that Resource, having resources and having people that can tell us and give us advice, was really kind of the hardest part. And then we launched right before COVID. So when COVID hit, that was really hard because at first I Was doing a lot of shows, so you went to a lot of vendor markets and that was exciting for me to get on my shell and actually talk to customers and see girls Running up to the dolls and saying, oh, she looks like me. So I had to take a huge break from that when we started doing everything online. So I wasn't able to really connect with my customers a lot, but I tried to do lives and other things that really helped me.

I think that's really good what you said, that the fact of connecting with your customers, I think for you is really, is really important because of the fact that you are a young CEO of your company and you want to inspire people. So I mean, I understand you can still do that via live, but I I do know that having them be able to talk to you in person is something that's much more impactful. I believe, yes, now what they were there, people that you inspired you Along the way along this journey. I should say you know, or did you have people who inspired you before you decided I wanted to start a doll company?

Wow, I think there are a lot of people that inspire me every single day. My mom, for one. She was so strong and I am just so happy that she took a chance on me and started helping out with the business, because I couldn't have done it without her. My grandma is another person that inspires me. She writes books like me. She's very inspiring. Michelle Obama, Oprah Winfrey, Serena Williams I think there are a lot of just powerful black women that I see every day that really inspire me, show me what is possible and help me to be able to keep on going.

To keep on going, and I think that's so important to have people that you can look up to, to know that you know and to know their stories. That's why I think you sharing what it is that you do is so important, because people need to know the stories behind these products right, and behind these dolls. It's not just I want to do a doll. It's like I want to do a doll because it represents who I am and I wanted to be able to help other young women feel proud and beautiful the way that they are, the way they come into the world. You know, yeah.

Yes, exactly that is so important for me. I mean, I'm all about inspiring young girls feel confident in themselves, to love who they are, and so being able to share my story and saying, oh no, it's not just because I wanted to make money. It's because I found a need and I wanted to solve that.

Yeah, yeah, so powerful it really is. So I know that you're expanding on your brand. So what else do you? Oh, first of all, how many dolls do you have? And what did you expand on?

Probably we have three dolls. So different shades, different skin tones. That was very important because the black skin tone. There are so many shades.

Yes.

I wanted to make sure we're representing everybody. I also have puzzles, like I mentioned, so just finding different ways to connect with girls and spread my message of confidence. Books are another way, so I write books. I have three books currently. So I'm just finding different ways to inspire, to connect with girls and to hopefully make them know that they are beautiful and they matter.

Yeah Well, I mean, you definitely do an amazing job in that. I love the way that you speak. I love the way that you represent yourself, you know, not just in the business, but also, you know, just as a young woman. I think that's really, really powerful. You know, I'm a boy mom. I don't have two boys, you know. So I didn't have the opportunity to have a little girl. But I will tell you, being a mom, I know your mom must be so proud of everything that you're doing. I do remember one interview. She said that you inspire her too, and I can understand why. But again, you're still a very young person. And how do you find time for you to be that young person in everything that you do, because running a business is very challenging even for the old people like me. And how do you find the time to just be an 11 year old?

Well, definitely. My mom makes sure, and I make sure, that I am an 11 year old, so I play tennis, I run track, I do theater, I play the piano. So I think it's all about going with the flow and prioritizing different things. At certain times, like last year, I gave a TEDx talk. And at that time I had to take a break from some theater rehearsals and some tennis and piano lessons to be able to focus and memorize it. But every day my mom and I make sure that I have fun, that I be a kid, that I hang out with my friends. But it's definitely about prioritizing and just going with the flow.

Yeah, that's very cool. I was going to get to that TED talk in a minute, but since you mentioned it, I would love to you to share about how did that come about for you, and did you choose the topic that you were going to talk about? Or was it something that you discussed with your mom, or did they say, hey, you should talk about this? How did that come about for you?

So I was given the opportunity to give a TEDx talk last year, november 4th. That was really exciting for me. I was 10 years old at the time and I knew that the topic of the event was SOAR. It was actually the very first TEDx Atlanta Women event, so it was about how women really soar. So I wanted to make sure that I talked about my story and I was there to share my mission and provided some tips and tricks and things for young girls to take away and help them be more confident in themselves. I am currently the youngest black girl to ever give a TEDx talk, so it was a lot of pressure, definitely, but I think just remembering my mission and remembering everything that I've been able to do and everything that was going to come out of this talk definitely kept me going. So I got to write this speech, figure out what I was going to write about, write this speech. Then I had to memorize it fully. So every day, car rides, at school, I was constantly saying it. I mean to the point where even my mom knew my talk because I sat around her so many times. So it was a long process and there was a lot of things to do in a short amount of time, but I am very excited about how it turned out.

Yes, it was beautiful. It really was beautiful. I watched it. I thought it was just so powerful and just so great to see you there. One of the things I think that you said that was really important was that the fact that you know it was overwhelming, and I'm sure at some point you felt a little nervous, but you remembered the mission of why you were doing it. Yes, and I think that gets you through so many challenges that you probably ran across, because the bottom line is the mission and the representation that these dollars were created for. So I think once you know your mission, you know again it's not just all about you.

Yes. So I think that every single challenge that I've come by, every single time I feel down in the dumps or I feel like I don't want to keep going. I think about my mission, I think about the girls that I'm helping and inspiring, and that just keeps me going.

Yeah, and I think, like you said, because you still also think about you being an 11 year old and I don't take that lightly, you know, because you do, even though you have a mission it is a challenge and it's a lot to ask for from yourself as well, you know, being a CEO of a company that's expanding and growing and a lot of people look up to you, and so you have a lot of that on your shoulders too. But the fact that you are still, that you understand I still have to remain who I am Right and know who you are as a person, I think says a lot about the way your mother raised you as well, and that's a beautiful thing. What is the most like, I guess heartwarming, I guess feedback that you receive from young girls who connect with you when they see you and your dolls.

I mean every single young girl I meet they always tell me oh, she's so beautiful. And even actually last Friday I did a talk. So after my TEDx I continued my speaking journey. So I love speaking to young and old, different audiences. So I was invited to come out and speak at a school. I was invited to read my book to some of the little kids and actually talk to some of the older kids, and all the kids were like oh, this is so beautiful, I love your doll. And I help them say affirmation. So say things like I'm beautiful, I'm confident. And I think they really believe in themselves. After that, I think every young girl that was to me and says, oh, you're beautiful, oh I love this. This really resonated with me. One little girl. I showed her my TEDx talk at an event and I asked her if she enjoyed it. She was like, yes, this was very powerful and she gave me a hug and I think, just as I mentioned, things like these, moments like these just keep me going and hold a special place in my heart.

Oh, that's so sweet, zoe. That is so beautiful, so powerful. You know, when we did our big, beautiful dolls the first plus size fashion doll and I think those things are important because the reason that we did that was the same reason that you do what you do, because not everybody looks the same. Some people are plus size, some people are not, some people are darker, some people are lighter, hair is shorter, hair is curlier, hair is longer. So having representation, I think, is just always so important, especially in the world of dolls, because dolls open up such great imagination, you know, for young girls and boys to play with and to come into their own and find out who they are. So I just say kudos so much to you for seeing that and understanding that and knowing that that should be a part of your life and a part of your mission, you know, because I think I think it's really, really powerful what you're doing out there with these dolls.

Thank you so much. I truly agree. I mean helping young girls and young kids come into their own, discover their passions. I'm actually launching a new line of plush dolls.

Oh nice.

For the holidays oh that's so cool I love that. So they have different passions. One of them loves art and also loves reading, one loves science, and so just showing girls the possibilities and showing them that they can be anything that they want to be, and showing them that representation is so powerful.

Yes, yes, very. You're definitely going to be forced to be reckoned with because, first of all, they're not very many African Americans. You know, I've been in the doll world for many years now and they're not very many African Americans that own their own doll company. You're, in a month or a handful of amazing people who have established companies that create their own dolls and manufacture their own dolls the way that you want them to be done. I really appreciate that and I, you know, just welcome you into the doll world and into the dark community for doing that, because because it, you know, it also helps to you know, it also gives opportunities to other people to, at some point, your business will grow to a point where you're really going to be able to employ way more people and, to, you know, help other people move on in their own missions and their own desires, and you know their own designs. So I'm excited about that. So you were saying you're going into plush dolls. So let me ask you I know you did an initiative, a program called gift to doll program. I believe that's what it's called.

So it is actually our giving back.

So we give this all the time.

So we give a doll for every doll that is purchased. So I get to go into different communities, different shelters like the Atlaya and Shodan shelter run a mission and give those girls a doll and sometimes don't read to the little kids. So I think that it's so important that every girl in the world has a doll that they can see themselves in and feel beautiful, so not only people whose parents can afford it or have asset access to it. It's important for all girls to have one. So that is definitely very important to me. I mean, I've always given back, even when I was three years old with my mom handing out sandwiches to people on the street. So I think that that is so important to me and I'm really glad that I have found a way to be able to incorporate that into my company.

That's great. Yes, is that going to be with the plus, the plus styles as well, or?

just the story. Every dog, every dog.

Okay, beautiful, oh my goodness. Okay, wow, that's really really powerful that you're doing that. So what advice would you give? You know an aspiring entrepreneur, especially a young entrepreneur. You know when they decide, oh, I want to start a business because you know the process now and you know what it takes. I mean, first of all, not just finding a manufacturer, but monetarily. I mean I don't know if we can have that type of conversation, but you know, having the kind of money that you need to create the things that you want can be very challenging. So what kind of advice would you give to other aspiring entrepreneurs who want to make a positive difference in the world?

Just get started. I know, spend a lot of time for fascinating and thinking, oh, this is not the right time, I may not have enough funds, but just get started. I like to say don't wait for the perfect way to just surf. I mean, I've never surfed, but I think it's important to remember because there's never going to be a right time if you're waiting for that time. So just get started and, as a young entrepreneur, remember that there are always people out there who are willing to support you, willing to help you, that there are always organizations different industry organizations that have resources and mentors that can help you and have been through the same things that you're going through. And then, just, anytime you have challenges, anytime there are hard times, remember your mission, remember what you stand for and it will keep you going.

Yeah, I love that. What did you say about the surfing? Say that again.

I love that. Don't wait for the perfect wave, just surf.

And it's true, don't just don't wait. You know you have to, because it's never going to be the perfect time. You know the perfect time is when you just do it right. It's just when you just do it. I think that's powerful. I think once you get older sometimes because you've been through a lot you have these ideas that you can't do certain things because you've seen certain things happening. You just get stuck into that motive. Oh well, you know that happened then, instead of just saying I'm just going to keep moving. So I think when you're younger, you have a better opportunity, right, because they haven't really happened to you yet.

Yes, definitely utilize your youngness. I think as you grow older you have different worries, you have different problems and things that can hold you back as an adult. So when you're young and you have parents and you have people that support you and will fund and help you with your ideas, just go for it.

Yeah, that's so true, wow. Well, I mean I'm going to say I absolutely love this interview and I probably could talk to you for about 20, you know at least 20 more hours, but I do know you have school and you have other things that you have to get to. But you know, I really do want to thank you for being in the doll world.

You know I talked to a lot of.

Oh, you're so welcome and I'm so glad you guys found the time, because I know you're so busy out there just doing amazing things. And before we go, where can people find your amazing beautiful dolls and find out more about you and what you're doing in the future?

So you can visit our website, beautifulcurlymecom. You can follow us on Instagram, facebook, big talk, pinterest, twitter, at beautifulandthreads, at beautifulcurlyme, and then, yeah, you can stay connected those ways. We're also in if you're looking to purchase a doll or book. We're also in some Macy's locations in New York and Atlanta and California. Oh nice, so yes, and I want to say thank you so much, ms Georgia, for inviting me. I had a great time.

Well, thank you so much. I had a wonderful time with you too, zoe. I really appreciate you taking the time to come on in the doll world with me. I hope you have a wonderful day and I'm sure we'll be talking again once your business gets bigger. I'd love to have you back on the show, probably next year, just to see where you're at, you know, just to see what you're doing out there in the world, because you're going to be making some amazing things happen and inspiring some, you know, not just young women, but everybody out there, because they see your growth and they know the type of person that you are, and you're very focused and you have a mission to help people be represented and who they are through dolls. So we really appreciate that. Thank you so much. Thank you for being on In the Doll World. I'll talk to you guys later. Bye, hello everybody. Thank you so much for listening to In the Doll World. I hope you enjoyed the show. Please don't forget to share the podcast with other doll enthusiasts such as yourself. They can find us at Facebook, instagram and Twitter at In the Doll World. The show can also be downloaded on all apps with podcasts or streamed To see videos of our interviews. Please visit our In the Doll World YouTube channel. And don't forget, in the Doll World is also on Alexa. Just ask Alexa to open Doll World. Did you know that you can now leave a voicemail or give us a review? We would love to hear from you or suggest a guest for the show. You can do all that by visiting wwwInTheDollWorldcom and, until next week, add a little play into your life by collecting a doll, sharing a doll or giving a doll a home. And again, thank you for listening to In the Doll World.