Kenneth Scales, CEO of Bowtie Billionaire Brand, always asks the question, “Got beard? We got the oils.” Scales, a positive and intellectual man, is also self-motivated. A visionary who loves God, and draws strength from his family, Scales identifies himself as “CalYorkaSota”: born in California by way of New York but now calls Minnesota his hub home. r
Rolling out met up with Scales at the laid-back Asian-fusion eatery, Ginger Hop Restaurant, on Minneapolis’ Northeast side where we talked about achievements, life, and his beard oil — Bowtie Billionaire Brand. Check out the rest of Scales’ Bowtie Billionaire Brand.
How would you define your Bowtie Billionaire brand.
The Bowtie Billionaire is a brand that stands for fashion, economics, empowerment, and social responsibility.
What was the inspiration for your brand?
The biggest inspiration of the existence of the brand was typing “beards” in Google and not seeing men of color in advertisements, etc. I wanted to create a brand that was inclusive and that it highlighted the essence of culture, style, and empowerment of men of color. I wasn’t going to sit back and wait on someone else to do it… I also was thinking about many ways BTB can be a light of hope in the community to promote entrepreneurship.
As a successful Black man in business, what is your greatest or proudest achievement?
As a successful Black man in business, I would say my greatest, proudest achievement would have to be bringing dynamic products to a market and customer base who otherwise would be left out.
What are three success habits you implement into your daily routine to maintain your success, sanity and peace of mind?
Three success habits I implement into my daily routine would be prayer, exercising, and giving myself time to reflect and meditate on things that I want in the future.
When it comes to beard grooming, name five grooming tips for a great looking beard.
1. Be patient with the growth of your beard. Rome wasn’t built overnight. Fight through the urge to cut it off.
2. Wash your face and beard regularly; make sure you keep your pours open. This is great for growth.
3. Use a beard or a hair moisturizer daily after every shower. Just like our hair needs to stay moisturized, so does our beard.
4. Maintain your beard’s appearance and get it trimmed around the edges; this creates a fresh clean look.
5. It is just as essential to comb or brush your beard to help distribute oils to your skin.
*Bonus collect your compliments and don’t forget to say thank you.
What are the essential products needed to apply the grooming tips above?
1. Billion Beard Oil
2. Billion Beard/Hair Conditioner
3. Billi-Comb/Billi-Brush
Do you have a go-to barber who manages your beard?
Yes, I do. Although I have a network of barbershops that I am partnered with, I have a long-standing relationship with H White’s Men’s Room.
When was your earliest remembrance of deciding to grow a beard?
I remember I was 19 or 20. I [was] telling my barber at the time that I wanted to grow a beard. He laughed and said that I had to be a certain age to grow one. So, to prove myself right, I skipped a month of appointments to see what would happen. That was the kick off of my beard movement.
What was the reason for growing it?
Around 25-26 years old, I wanted to reinvent my look from the good kid, clean cut image to something outside of the box for me. So, I grew my beard out longer and switched my style up to more of what I like to call “billionaire sexy,”
I notice you wear bowties. Is that a part of your style?
Bowties are very much a part of my style. I remember going out on the town and one of my friends used to always wear them. The rest of the group used to all laugh and say it wasn’t gonna be us. Then as I started to mature more, I realized that bowties were very classy and that not everyone can pull it off. So, along with the reinvention of myself, I challenged myself to step my game up. … Brand Bowties represents… style, class, [and] empowerment.
How would you describe the Kenneth Scales swag? What are your five must have accessories?
I would describe my style as classic meets modern that births billionaire sexy.
[Five accessories]: nice watch; great neck wear like bowtie, ascots, ties; very nice pair of brown dress shoes; lapel pin, and most important your sock game has to be on point.
What attracts women to beards?
Women love the masculinity of beards. It must be well-groomed, moisturized, smell good, be soft to the touch and your style [should] complement your beard.
