Photo by Shalicia Johnson
When Chloe Homan decided to quit her job and turn her side hustle, Frizz and Frillzz, into a career, she found support from her husband, Ryan. Three years later, the two have built her website and social media channels about curly hair into a lucrative business with such partners as Ulta Beauty and L’Oreal, and they’ve founded Curlfriend Collective, a new line of silk hair accessories.
In that time, they’ve amassed more than 450,000 followers across various social media platforms. But it wasn’t until recently that the Homans realized they needed a financial advisor that could look at their long-term picture. They share how holistic financial planning with Joanna Burish allows them to focus on their priorities: building their business and also giving back.
Tell us about your two companies.
Chloe: Frizz and Frillzz is where I focus on curly-haired content, tutorials, tips and tricks, and a lot of video-based content. With Curlfriend Collective, I wanted to create products that really speak to that community and are also beautiful and really good quality for thick, curly hair. We currently offer silk scrunchies and silk scarves. We will continue to drop new items this year.
When did you realize Frizz and Frillzz could be a full-time business?
Chloe: I wanted to get back to my creative roots, even if it was a side hustle. Then, I realized I could make extra money. About six months in, I said, I’m going to make this a business. A year in, I quit my corporate job.
Ryan, when did you know to quit your corporate job?
Ryan: I had been very hands-off because I wanted it to be Chloe’s business. Then we sat down with our accountant, and I really understood what her time is worth. So, how do we give her more time? If I quit my job, the flexibility is immediately there.
Chloe: And, we were in a financial place where we felt comfortable enough. As an entrepreneur, you do have high and low months. We knew, based on our trajectory, that we could forgo his income and still be OK.
How did you two establish a great working relationship?
Chloe: I have the overall vision of where I want to take the business and handle the creative. And then he takes my vision there.
Ryan: I do the operations side. I also try to pick holes. Sometimes it makes us butt heads, but you need to talk through ideas to figure out if they’re viable.
When you look at financial planning, how have the conversations we’ve had been different than what you’ve had with past advisors?
Chloe: We were driving the conversations [before]. Whereas you are now leading the charge, and we work together to make sure we’re heading in the direction we want to go. You’re helping us in more ways than we thought financial planning could be. When we have a sale, our phones chime, and we “woot woot” to each other …. holistically!
Ryan: Before, we were reactive. Now we’re looking at it as, what other buckets do we want to fill, how those affect taxes and other aspects we had not considered.
We talk a lot about giving back, and that there are creative options, such as gifting stocks versus cash — that are beneficial to you and the nonprofits. What are some causes you want to empower?
Chloe: Women in business. I would like to help mentor women who have big ideas and give grants toward those missions, even on a small basis.
Ryan: My brother is a firefighter in Madison, and we’ve learned through you that there’s a smarter way we can give and the tax advantages, so we’re giving and getting the most value for the donation.
Find Chloe on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube (@frizzandfrillzz) and at curlfriendcollective.com.
Contact Joanna Burish directly at 608-658-3482 or [email protected]
Northwestern Mutual is the marketing name for The Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Company (NM) (life and disability Insurance, annuities, and
life insurance with long-term care benefits) and its subsidiaries, including Northwestern Mutual Investment Services, LLC (NMIS) (investment brokerage services), a registered investment adviser, broker dealer, and member of FINRA and SIPC. NM and its subsidiaries are in Milwaukee, WI. Joanna Burish is an Insurance Agent of NM. The testimonial presented may not be representative of the experience of other clients and are not a guarantee of future performance or success.
