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DreadFullHippie’s Success Was Fueled by TikTok and the Pandemic

Published

14 years ago

June 10, 2012

Ellie McGee used to envy her friend’s box braids when they flowed in the water as they pretended to be mermaids.

In 2016, McGee was 17 years old and suffering from low self-esteem due to her thin, brittle hair that refused to grow, and she describes as “dead.” She took the last bit of money she had, all $47 of it, and pursued her dream of having dreadlocks.

Yet Ellie took things a step further: she discovered a method of braiding synthetic dreadlocks into people’s existing hair. As McGee experimented with this hairstyle on herself, people began to notice and ask for their own sets of synthetic dreadlocks. She posted her product on Facebook and then opened a small Etsy shop.

This coincided with the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, and as people went into lockdown, orders started to pour in on a global scale. With her new husband, Dallas, Ellie spent the first year of their marriage working tirelessly to bring in their target audience and get out of $60,000 in debt. Working out of a 420-square-foot studio apartment, sales boomed as the pandemic bolstered DreadfullHippie to new heights.

Dallas and Ellie upgraded to a 1500-square-foot warehouse, which is currently too small for their needs.

As they embark on a massive expansion, this innovative couple is presently purchasing a 6000 square foot warehouse. They have 175,000 TikTok followers and will soon be opening their first storefront in Utah to serve eager customers on a personal basis.

They promise this physical location will be a “rad creative space” for everyone who enters to enjoy fully.

Like any good business figures, the McGees are keeping their biggest projects under wraps.

There is no doubt their following product will be equally exciting and exceed customer expectations. After all, DreadfulHippie isn’t just looking to build a brand; they want to build a community and a memorable experience.