INTERVIEW WITH MRS GWOT- Founder Of Nature Strands

Interview with Mrs. Faith Gwot – Founder of Nature Strands

Celebrating 10 Years of Building a Hair Care Culture

Q: How did you start the Nature Strands brand? What was your motivation?

Mrs Gwot:

Okay, so I'm a hairstylist. I have always loved making hair from way back as I can remember as a kid. But of course, I didn’t know that was the path I wanted to follow until I grew up and realized that it was a very passionate part of my life—something I would do even without making money from it. I genuinely enjoyed it.

The thought of a salon was the first thing that came to mind when I realized I wanted to pursue this passion as a business or a career path. And it came when I learned that purpose can be linked to what you love doing. That helped me evaluate my life and I found that hair was the most consistent thing I had been excited about for a very long time.

So I felt, okay, let me give it a try.

Now, how Nature Strands itself came to be was actually a combination of two heads. I have a partner who was also a hair enthusiast. She’s a medical doctor, so she doesn’t make hair—she’s not a stylist—but she loved the idea of hair and was very interested in learning how to care for her own hair.

We met in church and were friends, and she told us all she had been doing. At the same time, I had started taking care of my own hair and I had seen progress. So Nature Strands became a fusion of both of us saying, “We want to bring styling, but not just styling—hair care as well.”

The dream was to create a space that was very different from what was around us…

A space where women could take care of their hair and still look amazing.

That was what birthed Nature Strands.

Q: Is Nature Strands just for natural Afro hair, or even permed hair?

Mrs Gwot:

Okay, so let me shock you—when we began Nature Strands in 2015, my partner and I were both relaxed. So you can tell it wasn’t about just natural hair.

The idea was for women with Afro-textured hair to find a hub where they could take care of their hair and achieve the best possible health and length of their own hair type. Our community is mostly Afro-textured; we live in Africa, so that’s the hair type around us.

Nature Strands came in to emphasize the hair on your own head. Not attachments, not extensions, not weave-ons, not wigs.

Our core is to help you care for your own hair.

So yes, whatever style we do—even if we ever use extensions—the foundation is that we have preserved the integrity of your hair first.

Q: If you were to look back with the knowledge you have now, what would you have done differently?

Mrs Gwot:

I would have jumped into the business side earlier than I did. I was overly soaked in the day-to-day operations, and that slowed down how fast we could build on what the brand could be.

In the business sense, I mean creating ideas and being bold enough to pursue them. When you’re overwhelmed with daily work, you don’t have time for the next phase. So growth can be slower.

I would also have trusted God more—knowing that things were more possible than I thought. I should have taken bigger steps. But well, all things work together for good, and we’re here.

Q: What was your biggest turning point in the business?

Mrs Gwot:

Our move to Abuja.

It was a leap of faith. It was the toughest thing we had to do. It tested our belief, our faith, and our hope. But as tough as it was, it has turned out to be the biggest jump we’ve made.

It opened us up to more challenges, yes, but also a bigger room of possibilities. As soon as we made that leap, my mind really expanded beyond what it was.

So yes, Abuja was a major turning point for this business.

Q: What mistakes do new hair entrepreneurs commonly make, that you’ve learned to avoid?

Mrs Gwot:

Running your business without structure is the biggest mistake ever.

I learned that on the job. As a creative, especially when you enter hair from the stylist’s angle, you’re consumed by the excitement of creation. You’re not thinking of how it plays out in reality—money, staff, strategies, metrics, and all.

Many businesses in Nigeria lack structure. That’s one mistake I advise them to avoid.

If you’re going to work with staff, you better get structure right from the beginning.

Q: When you say “building structure,” what does it really mean?

Mrs Gwot:

For me, it means putting things where they should be—creating a system that can survive on its own.

A pattern people can follow, so that no matter the staff turnover, everyone knows what is expected. You’re not assuming they know. You’re not hoping things will magically get better.

Structure makes life easier and ensures continuity.

I want Nature Strands to outlive me. I want to be gray and look at what we built and see it still thriving.

Q: Do you have the blueprints written down for your staff, and do you track them?

Mrs Gwot:

I can't tell you we’re perfect because we’re learning every day. But we are miles away from where we started.

We evaluate constantly, make adjustments, and keep building checks and balances. It’s an ongoing process.

Q: In the hair care line, how do you decide which products or services to expand or discontinue?

Mrs Gwot:

For services, we put everything side by side with our vision. We’ve stopped some hairstyles entirely because they don’t portray what we stand for.

For products, honestly, it’s trial and error. What works for you might not work for me. But we stay connected to knowledge. We study ingredients. We are very intentional about what goes on our clients’ hair.

We now even produce products based on knowledge and science—formulated organically to protect women’s hair.

We choose products because we know they are good for our clients. That is the final decision point.

Q: When you moved to Abuja, did you already have clients there, or did you grow your customers from scratch?

Mrs. Gwot:

Let me start with the latter part of the question. When we were moving to Abuja, we already had a good number of clients from Jos who had relocated ahead of us. Some would even call and say, “Why are you people not in Abuja yet?”—so yes, we had a client base.

But when we moved, it was a whole new territory. You cannot depend on those who promised to come, because people may call today and not show up tomorrow.

What helped NatureStrands—right from inception—has been word of mouth. We honestly haven’t perfected our online presence; that’s something we’re still working on. But people referring us to other people has grown the business organically. Thousands of customers have come to us through one satisfied person telling another. That has been our number one strategy.

We focus heavily on improving customer experience. If you enjoy your time with us, you’ll tell someone—and that’s been our greatest strength.

Q: Have you ever run sponsored adverts online?

Mrs. Gwot:

Yes, we’ve tried once or twice, but I can't say we got good results. I also feel we haven’t gotten the right people to handle that for us. Both times we tried, the feedback wasn’t encouraging, so it felt like a waste of money.

It works for many businesses, and maybe someday we’ll find the right person to help us do it properly, but for now, sponsored ads haven’t really been our strategy.

Q: So word of mouth is still your major customer growth strategy?

Mrs. Gwot:

Yes, it is. Now we’re more active on social media, doing more publicity than before—even though we’re not running paid ads. But in terms of conversion, word of mouth still brings the highest results.

Q: Do you have a customer feedback system? How do you ensure customers are actually enjoying the service?

Mrs. Gwot:

Yes, we intensified our feedback and review system between last year and this year. We make sure to request Google reviews, and our booking app automatically sends feedback prompts.

The truth is, many Nigerians aren’t used to giving feedback—even when the system is there. But we’ve still seen improvement.

On all our desks, you’ll find a QR code for reviews and numbers to call. Immediately after your service, you get a message asking you to rate or review us.

Our stylists also encourage clients to drop reviews. We receive both the good and the bad, and every piece helps us improve.

Q: Is the feedback collected via Google Forms or another system?

Mrs. Gwot:

Sometimes we use Google Forms for general assessments, depending on what we want to review. But the constant one is the automatic “How was your service?” prompt that goes directly to the customer after their appointment.

Q: How do you build trust with customers in such a sensitive industry?

Mrs. Gwot:

Knowledge.

You have to know what you’re doing for a client to trust you.

My makeup teacher used to say, “If you know what you’re doing, your client can let you use her leg to fix her face.”

It’s funny, but the point is: once a customer senses that you know your craft, trust follows naturally.

We ensure our staff know what they’re handling—scientifically and practically. If you walk into NatureStrands and assume your hair cannot grow, I should be able to explain why you feel that way, show you the facts, show you examples, and then guide you step-by-step to better results.

That consultative approach builds trust.

Communicate. Explain. Let them see that you know what you’re doing.

Q: At what point did you bring in staff?

Mrs. Gwot:

We started in September 2015. For the first 2–3 months, I worked alone.

By November, our first staff—Esther—joined us and learned on the job.

Early 2016, apprentices came in. After three months, they requested to work with us, and they became the next two people.

We grew gradually, adding hands only when demand increased.

Q: How did you decide when to grow the team?

Mrs. Gwot:

It was purely based on demand. As more clients started coming in, we realized we needed more hands. We didn’t start by employing 10 people—we grew with the business.

Q: What do you think about collaborations in business?

Mrs. Gwot:

Collaborations are good—if you choose the right partners.

There needs to be a symbiotic relationship and shared values. You may not be in the same industry, but your ideologies and principles around value should align.

Q: Have you done any collaborations?

Mrs. Gwot:

Yes, a few—mostly seasonal ones, not necessarily within my field.

Q: What operational challenge took the longest to fix?

Mrs. Gwot:

Helping staff learn, relearn, and keep learning.

Our challenge isn’t because people aren’t smart—it’s culture and conditioning. Many people aren’t excited about learning. You have to “wind” them into wanting knowledge.

Training and retraining is constant. Sometimes, when they finally get good, they leave—and you start over. It happens in many industries.

Structure has helped to reduce this. But training remains the longest-standing challenge.

Q: At what point did products become part of the business?

Mrs. Gwot:

We had oils and hair waters from inception, but we expanded into things like leave-in conditioners around our seventh year. Paying more attention to operations slowed that development, but we eventually found balance.

Q: Are your products sold only in your clinic?

Mrs. Gwot:

We sell majorly here, but some salons buy to resell. We also ship to clients who request them.

They’re available on Bumpa, and a few salons stock the range.

Q: What keeps you motivated after 10 years?

Mrs. Gwot:

Vision.

There are still grounds to cover.

Without vision, you can't go far—because life is happening. Some seasons drain you completely. I’ve had moments where I felt blank and needed to retreat and hear God again.

God is my first motivator.

Then, good friends and a supportive spouse.

They remind you of your “why” when you get tired.

Entrepreneurship is a work of faith. Nothing is guaranteed. Those you surround yourself with matter.

Q: What advice do you have for married women juggling work, business, and children?

Mrs. Gwot:

Everything is important—your marriage, your children, and your work. There are seasons when one aspect demands more, but you do your best to create balance.

For me:

Weekdays are for work.

Evenings are for my children.

Weekends are strictly for family—I do not compromise that.

I shut down work, focus on the kids, and give them my full attention.

Balance is intentional.

Q: How did you choose a partner who supported your vision?

Mrs. Gwot:

Honestly, I didn’t consciously evaluate that at the time.

But my husband wasn’t lazy—he loved innovation, was industrious, and supported everything I tried. Even before marriage, when I sold shawarma or traveled to buy goods, he would support me financially and encourage me.

So his support was natural. It wasn’t something I had to guess.

Q: Where do you see NatureStrands in the next 10 years—your 20th anniversary? What would you want it to look like?

Mrs. Gwot:

Ten years from now, I see education cutting across every stylist in my state, the neighbouring states, and—if possible—the entire Nigeria. We would have done a lot of work in terms of exposure and education.

Our academy aims to become a grounded school for hair science and education—something I never had access to while growing as a stylist in Nigeria. I want people here to have proper knowledge about hair, accessible within our country and beyond.

This is truly the dream: a well-grounded academy tailored specifically for hair. You go to university, but these things are not taught there. Many of us had to study something completely different, graduate, and then return to find our real passion—only to discover that there is no structured school for it here. Everything I’ve learned has been from abroad or online.

So I asked myself, why don’t we have this here?

And now, I want us to build it.

That’s the school part of the next 10 years.

Because the academy targets young women, my hope is that basic haircare knowledge becomes standard in every salon. Every salon owner should know these things. For you to even run a salon, there should be a baseline understanding of hair and scalp health. This will prevent the widespread hair loss we are seeing today.

I want a future where women can sit comfortably in any salon chair, confident that their hair will not be damaged. For me, it’s not about competition—it’s about vision and legacy. Let’s build a thriving community of stylists who truly know how to handle hair. Hair is health. It is identity. It is everything for a woman. And we must preserve the African dream of hair: that every woman walks away with more hair, not less.

Beyond education, I see NatureStrands expanding into multiple locations. By God’s grace, we’re already starting in 2026 with Benue and Kaduna. And I want that to spread.

I also see collaborations with top industry leaders—people of like minds—coming together to push this vision. The dream is bigger than me. It’s not about who does it better. It’s about growing the profession. Those of us who have trained and learned should join hands to elevate the field.

I honour this profession deeply. There is nothing degrading about being a stylist, despite the conditioning in our society. In my field, I consider myself as intelligent and skilled as any doctor—and I want every woman who chooses this path to feel the same. Let the honour, integrity, and respect for this profession return.

So, in the next 10 years, I see NatureStrands standing out—through education, expansion, collaboration, and entering new spaces to spread this awareness. That is what I envision.