Autumn Yarbrough is carrying her family’s legacy. Yarbrough and her Nu Standard brand had one of the more popular booths at this year’s Bronner Bros International Beauty Show. She is a third-generation hair and beauty industry entrepreneur. Her grandfather founded Pro-Line Inc., and the Jheri curl, while her mother created the Just for Me relaxer system.
At the show, Yarbrough spoke to rolling out about generational wealth and healthy hair care.
What has the Bronner Bros. International Beauty Show been like this year?
It’s an honor to be here. I’m excited to be a part of the homecoming in Atlanta.
I had a chance to see Bernard Bronner, and it was funny because I’m three generations in the business. He actually remembers my grandfather Comer Cottrell. Comer Cottrell is a pioneer in this business; he was the person that created that curly kit. He was amazing because he provided access to our community for these products that most of us couldn’t afford back in the ’70s. It was so critical that he did that, and it helped pioneer more businesses to do the same. That’s what’s exciting.
My mother, who works with my grandfather, her father was the creator of Just For Me. Now, I’m here doing it my way, setting a new standard in the industry, and decided to be here at the Bronner Bros. Show, because I wanted to show my heroes, which are the professional community. The professional community is amazing [in] helping us have a healthy hair journey. Our brand, Hydrasilk, which is a non-system treatment we’re providing here, providing incredible education, so we can make sure we keep our crowns healthy and strong. And that’s what we do.
What do you think is the beauty of continuing your family’s legacy and the Bronner family’s as well?
It’s very important when you have these generational families that are able to continue because it’s more so about the community, and bringing those recycled dollars back into the Black community, beauty, all of those things, but what’s critical when you’re doing generational business, you must take it another step forward and break barriers. So what we do now is we are Black-owned, made-for-all, breaking the next barrier. By breaking the barriers in the professional community, where there are no longer lines, the Black community can show the rest of the world what they’re able to do, not just for our community, which is important, but for everyone.
Who is the “professional” you keep mentioning?
The professional is that they have the expertise and experience of understanding the physiology of hair. It’s very important to harness that, and have products that are made to provide that performance for them and their businesses. [Being a] professional is very important … I’m a consumer; I’m not a professional. But when I was going through my own hair loss challenges, there was no way I could do it by myself, no matter how bad I wanted to do. It’s impossible. I’ve yet to meet anybody who overcame their challenges without anyone, and the best person is a professional. But it’s critical for us to make innovative products, tools for the professional that allows them to continue to have the integrity needed to keeping our hair in our head and healthy.
What was your reaction to the ruling forcing the Texas high school student to cut his hair? Wasn’t it against the CROWN Act law?
It’s heartbreaking we’re not allowed to celebrate our crowns. And there’s rigid rules, because there is a lack of understanding of where we come from, in our culture, and sometimes I think it’s what divides us. And it doesn’t allow us to have a community, but if we have more of these Black businesses that are involved, even in the community for Black professionals understanding legislation and voting rights, this can change.
It all starts with the power of voting. And making sure we have access to voting rights. Texas is an area where we have challenges of access to voting rights, and we have fought so hard to continue to do. So it’s all about getting out, and making sure people vote. You can register online to vote. That is the most important thing.”
