Beards are one of the best accessories a man can have.
But making sure your beard stays tight requires a lot of upkeep. That’s where Calvin Quallis wants men everywhere to know: He’s got your back.
The former barber found that his clients were having trouble caring for their beards, so he decided to do something about it.
In 2015, Quallis founded Scotch Porter, a company whose mission is “to provide healthy and effective products that help men to feel confident and look their best as they set out to explore the world and build their dreams.”
And if his early success is any indication, that mission has been accomplished.
In just a short period of time since its launch, Scotch Porter has revitalized the beards of men across the globe. And the brand is continuing to grow, largely because the brand has found its niche audience: Men who want to take their facial hair “to the next level.”
Get to know Scotch Porter through its founder, Calvin Quallis.
What inspired you to launch your business?
I’ve known, for a very long time, that I wasn’t quite cut out to be a 9-5er. The thought of spending the rest of my working life in an office space-type work environment and confined to a cubicle seemed like a death sentence. My brain and spirit dwindled a bit each day. But while sitting at my desk one afternoon, I literally said to myself aloud, “Dude, this can’t be it. Life doesn’t go on forever, and you don’t get a second chance at this.” I understood that there were great financial risks if I quit my job and the business failed. However, what I feared the most was taking too little risk and settling for comfortable and ordinary, and all the regrets that come with it. Also, if I didn’t walk, it meant that I would be undervaluing myself and that instead of being great, I would have become okay with just being good. I couldn’t live with that decision; so the very next day, I sat down with my boss and discussed my plan to resign.
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What makes your brand/product unique?
Scotch Porter is more than just a men’s grooming brand. We’re not just selling what’s in a bottle; we are creating a lifestyle. This is visible through our social media messaging, our brand ambassadors, and our editorial journal that discusses lifestyle elements, such as fashion, music, culture and the overall experience that we offer our customers. We also understand and have a deep connection with our customers. We understand why they strive to appear put together. It all comes from wanting to feel good. Looking good feels good, and feeling good gives you the confidence needed to go out there and crush it. Finally, and equally important, our products are truly effective and do exactly what we promise they’ll do. Our customers expect world class, effective products, and that’s what we deliver.
Why should everyone #buyblack this holiday season?
Buying black helps to bring economic revitalization to our community if, as black business owners, we reinvest some of that money back into our communities in the form of shopping at other black businesses or investing in those that have a real interest in helping to solve the problems that plague our communities.
How do you pay it forward within your community?
My future commitment and obligation will be to share the access, knowledge and resources that I’ve acquired along my journey to those in my community. This way of thinking, for every successful black or brown person, is now more important than ever before.
What is your business mantra?
My goal is to continue to develop truly effective products that are safe and non-toxic, products that help men to look and feel their best.
Kimberly Wilson is a writer and social media director at theGrio. Follow her on Twitter.