When you hear of InvestFest and see the number of male speakers, the last thing you would think is that one of their biggest sponsors would be a feminine hygiene brand, but for Jhalesa Seymour, Founder of Salt.xo, she never backs down from being amongst the big dogs.
“Speaking in front of 30,000 people felt exhilarating and purposeful,” said Seymour. “Speaking in front of 30,000 people felt exhilarating and purposeful.”
Salt.xo is a Black-owned company that was launched in 2018 by Seymour, who at the time only had $67 to her name. As a new graduate with a bachelor’s in education, she was offered a $ 30,000-a-year teaching salary. Torn between what to do, she bet on herself, and 8 years later her business now runs out of a 30,000 sq. ft industrial headquarters in Florida and sells more than 90,000 products a month.
A huge part of their success is branding. Her brand has gone viral across many social media platforms. It’s known for its creative slogans, creative and funny marketing videos, and partnerships with popular podcasts.
“One of the biggest highlights was Salt.xo branding every single bathroom at InvestFest, which created an immersive brand experience beyond our booth.”
Recently, the brand has generated more than $1.4 million in sales in a single hour during one TikTok Live. Seymour has grown the brand to a multimillion-dollar company, doing it without venture capital or traditional celebrity backing.
When it came to branding at InvestFest, her efforts were no different. It was the most talked about and posted at the conference this year.
“I believe our booth stood out and garnered so much attention because of the incredible energy our team brought,” said Seymour. “From the overall branding and custom songs to the way we celebrated every order with ‘We have a new Salt Bae’ or ‘We have a new Salt Soulja,’ there was a real sense of community and excitement around the brand.”
In addition to the colorful and creative booth, they also had a mascot named Ms. Pearl, who became a memorable part of the experience. A few notable people who visited the Salt.XO booth included Joi Lin, Hungry Homegirl, Sevyn Nichelle, Swayy, CEO Matty Jay, John Morgan, Sevynthestylist, Joi-Lin Hunt, Ace Metaphor (Tonight’s Conversation), QueenzFlip, Natasha Graziano, Trinidad James, Nehemiah Davis, Trill AC, Sway the Pro, Da Brat, and Jesseca “Judy” Harris-Dupart.
Salt.XO has had notable celebrity clients as loyal customers, but Seymour explains that she’s passionate about helping everyone regardless of their social status or tax bracket.
“I feel like I could never find the products I need to get that fresh feeling, so I created it,” she said. “I want all women to feel their best, and that starts with being healthy in all areas of your body.”
