In the realm of beauty and wellness, Autumn Weimann is carving out a space that transcends mere product sales. As the founder of Bangin Hair, her recent diagnosis of endometriosis has catalyzed a profound shift in perspective, propelling her towards a mission of advocacy and support. Endometriosis, a condition often veiled in silence and misunderstanding, has become a driving force behind Autumn’s commitment to amplifying awareness and funding research, one sale at a time.
Autumn’s personal journey with endometriosis underscores the intersection between health, entrepreneurship, and empathy. Through Bangin Hair, she’s transformed a business venture into a platform for change, where 5% of sales are channeled directly into endometriosis initiatives. This fusion of purpose and commerce speaks to Autumn’s unwavering determination to foster a community where individuals grappling with this condition find solace and solidarity.
In this interview, we delve into Autumn’s motivations, challenges, and aspirations, exploring how her roles as an entrepreneur, advocate, and aspiring natural health doctor intertwine. Her journey unfolds against a backdrop of resilience and authenticity, offering insights not only into the beauty industry but also into the transformative power of empathy and advocacy in the face of adversity.
- What motivated you to share your experience with endometriosis publicly, and how has the response been so far?
Despite enduring chronic symptoms and numerous medical examinations, it took over 16 years for me to receive a diagnosis of endometriosis. During that time, there was a noticeable lack of awareness about endometriosis, even on social media. Existing articles on the subject were scarce, and none offered a public, unfiltered portrayal of endometriosis.
My motivation to publicly share my journey stemmed from a deep desire to raise awareness and address the lack of information within the industry and the medical community. The response to my public disclosure has been incredibly heartening. My DMs have been flooded with woman from 14 to 40 who have experienced this their whole life, reaching out to express their gratitude for shedding light on this often misunderstood condition.
2. How do you balance your roles as an entrepreneur, advocate, and now as natural health doctor? What does a typical day look like for you?
As a certified natural health professional working towards becoming a naturopathic doctor in 2025, managing multiple roles requires a health routine and plenty of self-care. Juggling responsibilities, including overseeing an eight-figure wholesale apparel business, makes planning a must.
My typical day involves early morning trips to Los Angeles, tending to the wholesale business, heading back home to work on Bangin Hair, and then fitting in my fitness routine. Evenings are a chance for me to catch up on naturopathic studies and complete assignments before winding down with some meditation and educational readings. I’m a big believer that mental health is just as important as physical health, so I like to nurture my brain regularly, whether it’s through writing, meditating, or journaling.
The key to balance lies in effective planning, setting boundaries, including knowing when to say no, and making decisions that honour both my professional and personal well-being.
3. What do you see as the biggest misconceptions about endometriosis, and how do you hope to dispel them through your advocacy work?
A significant misconception about endometriosis is the reliance on birth control as a solution. Contrary to popular belief, birth control does not address the root causes of endometriosis and can have long-term side effects. Through advocacy, I aim to shift the focus towards natural healing, emphasizing the role of nutrition and holistic well-being in managing health issues. By sharing my journey, I aspire to empower you to make informed choices about your health.
4. What inspired you to create Bangin Hair LLC, and how does it stand out as athe ONLY clean, real ingredient non-toxic hair growth brand in the US?
Creating Bangin Hair LLC was a journey fueled by my lifelong passion for hair products. From my first entrepreneurial journey at 18, selling feather hair extensions that resulted in buying my first car with the cash I earned, hair has always been my passion. However, my personal struggle with growing my hair led me to rely on extensions.
In the tumultuous year of 2020, amidst a world shutdown due to COVID-19, the inspiration struck to birth Bangin Hair. The lockdowns prompted a deep dive into the ingredients we unknowingly consume. Nights turned into an extensive study session, pouring over FDA books from decades past, unravelling the mysteries behind the ingredients we often can’t even pronounce.
Before this revelation, I never paid much attention to the back of food or vitamin products, unaware of the impact of these substances on our bodies. During the lockdowns, I decided to remove my hair extensions after ten years of wearing them. I then started crafting my own vitamins, minerals, and serums while embracing a concept I coined – ‘hair training.’
“Hair training” is like preparing for a marathon. It involves hydrating, applying masks to your scalp, and making these practices part of your daily self-care routine. The results? My hair grew rapidly within three months, rendering extensions unnecessary for the first time ever!
I knew women needed to see these results for themselves. So, I delved into creating Bangin Hair. Rooted in my wholesale background, I began conducting interviews with manufacturers, leaning on US-based production models that I was already familiar with. I then spent hours researching competitor markets and scrutinizing labels in markets and vitamin shops. Realizing how many hair products contained incomprehensible ingredients incited frustration, especially when more prominent brands were getting accused of using colour dyes that cause cancer.
I was resolute in establishing Bangin Hair as the sole real, clean ingredient, non-toxic hair growth brand, placing a premium on healthy hair and your overall well-being. It’s committed to ensuring every woman knows about and has access to a hair care solution that celebrates authenticity, safety, and genuine results.
5. Being a woman and Latina entrepreneur, what advice do you have for other aspiring individuals from underrepresented backgrounds looking to break into the beauty and wellness industry?
Breaking into the beauty and wellness industry as a Latina entrepreneur has its challenges, but the beauty that comes with embracing your unique journey! I encourage you to showcase your authenticity and heritage in a landscape dominated by celebrity-endorsed products.
Drawing strength from the entrepreneurial spirit instilled by my immigrant grandparents, I hope to remind aspiring entrepreneurs that if they can build success from nothing, so can you. Embrace your unique strengths, stay true to your fabulous self, and let your determination light the path to your dreams in the beauty and wellness industry.
![From Music to Perfume: How did your background as a music teacher influence your transition into perfumery, and how do you incorporate your musical sensibilities into creating fragrances? I’ve always thought in terms of metaphors, and music has many that can be related to perfumery! Beyond just thinking in terms of top, middle and base notes [soprano/alto/tenor in choir], I approach each fragrant idea as a composition. When documenting my ideas, song structures often come to mind. As the scent brief is visited, I meditate on what the fragrance should convey - do I want to create an accord or a “chord” of fragrance note combinations? Do I want an a capella soloist (a particular ingredient to stand out more than others?) Many of my thoughts regarding song composition transfers to my scent formulation process, with me treating each note as an intentional soliloquy at some point.
Brand Origin: What inspired you to start Pink MahogHany in 2005, and how has your vision for the brand evolved since its inception?
An avid lover of all things pleasantly scented (with slight modesty), looking back in retrospect, it’s no huge surprise that I’ve created an indie perfume house with just an idea to provide unique options for those who may be sensitive to unnecessary pungency. Initially, I just wanted to evaluate various blends to note their aroma profiles when “played” together…it wasn’t until I had friends and family asking if I knew of brands that catered to those who may be on the more olfactory sensitive side, that I really began to take my research more seriously. In the almost 20 years that Pink MahogHany has been in existence, our micro visions for the brand have evolved to larger territory. Where Pink MahogHany used to only be a personal brand, we are now also a bespoke formulation service provider to other indie brands seeking unique fragrance offerings for their products. These products range from (but are not limited to) perfumes, candles, body butters and lip balms. Ingredient Transparency: You emphasize transparency and the use of desirable ingredients in your products. How do you select your ingredients, and what challenges have you faced in maintaining this standard?
Being an indie brand often comes with a set of assumptions and misconceptions - one of them being more negative than positive as it relates to ingredients used. There is a lot of “fluff” in the industry with labeling falsification. Because fragrance formulas are a trade secret, not every molecular breakdown of a material has to be noted on the ingredient label (it would be incredibly long), but we at Pink MahogHany™️ adhere strongly to the IFRA [International Fragrance Regulatory Association] regulations that state for common and potential allergens to be listed on our ingredient label. We’ve taken this a step further to also include these ingredients listed on our website to promote further transparency, all while protecting our intellectual property. Unfortunately, we’ve had companies to unethically sell lesser expensive “dupes” of our artisan perfumes, so as a way to create a better authenticity stamp, we make it our duty to be honest about our claims. If our perfume says “Rose Bulgaria”, it is in fact just that and not a component of rose being passed off as the source material. Collaborations and Custom Scents: Can you share more about your work with private label clients? What excites you most about creating custom scent solutions for other indie brands? I could easily sum this up in one word and say “Funding.” True, there is money out there, but I’m always thinking outside the box. Having a program that has an “Each One Fund One” mentality doesn’t exist (that I’ve been made aware of). Bootstrapping can be quite the challenge, even when you’ve reached the 6-figure mark annually. Competition to be seen and set apart is extremely high, so having quality packaging and branding is a must. There are lots of factors to consider, though when desiring to make upgrades. If there were a unique, tier-geared funding operation available, it would help perfume brands offset packaging and bulk material costs in the beginning stages.
Industry Challenges: What are some of the biggest challenges you've faced as an independent fragrance house, and how have you overcome them to grow your brand? As the brand continues on the path of organic growth, I would like to expand our reach into schools, offering perfumery as an arts elective for middle and high school. I’d love to partner with botanists, farmers and horticulturists directly to grow and source raw materials for the students to work with in the creation of tinctures. My passion is getting back to nature as best as possible, as nature was my first “scent experience” as a child. We would also love to witness our fragrance creations being used to scent model homes, our focus diffuser blends being used in automobile dealerships as well as partner with Air Bnb and boutique hotels that specialize in highlighting minority, indie brands. Personal Journey: How has your personal experience, particularly as a divorced mother and someone who has experienced the loss of a child, shaped your approach to life and your work in perfumery?
Because I homeschool my twin sons, we are together a lot more than most, so one thing we all do is have moments of sharing where a neutral “floor” is laid to converse about anything. Though they are quite communicative by nature, I realize that sometimes I can be in work mode so much that it spills over into what should be our quality time. My sons see the authentic me and learn how to communicate through seeing authenticity. I’ve learned not to feel as if I have to be the epitome of perfection but allow them to see my imperfections vulnerably but with discernment. Having had two traumatic experiences pretty close together has taught me how to truly slow down and enjoy the simplicities of life - igniting a spiritual aspect that I’ve always carried but never fully explored…until Kenji’s sudden passing (2018.) Grief has a way of catapulting us into a quest for more meaningfulness in both life and business. After Kenji’s passing and my processing through the initial stages of grief, I was able to incorporate our spiritual bond into Pink MahogHany by way of essential oil diffuser blends for both focus and sleep and most recently aromatic perfume elixirs. It’s been quite the process channeling the void of his physical presence, but I also have peace knowing he can be honored in a great way through scent. I noticed once I began to be more open and receptive to spiritual signs, synchs and “winks”, more ideas began to flow. It’s been this way since his transition. Emotional Expression: Fragrance is often tied to memories and emotions. How does your personal life influence the fragrances you create, and do you have a particular scent that holds special meaning to you? My creative process is much more alchemic now, and I include Kenji by talking out loud to him, believe it or not. I’m a firm believer that when our loved ones transition from the physical plane, they are still present - just in another form. I choose to keep his memory alive by not pretending he never existed (even if for a brief period of time). I am working (slowly) on a book and accompanying fragrance, but I know it will require me to revisit some memories I’m not quite ready for, so until then, his big brothers will launch their debut fragrance, The Peaceful Tiger (they chose the name.) I’ve learned that even in what we consider “small things”, our transitioned loved ones want to be recognized and acknowledged. When the twins and I designed their fragrance label (with a designer out of the country that didn’t know anything about me personally), we had issues with the graphic - so much so that the designer asked if they could rework the design. When they sent the proof for approval, the Tiger was not only younger but sleeping, with an uncanny, angelic resemblance to baby Kenji! Becoming more aware and being more sensitive to my intention for launching a fragrance has definitely made room for more divine situations like these to occur. Healing Through Scent: In what ways has creating fragrances been a form of healing or expression for you, especially after the loss of your son, Kenji Mwamba? I know my sons may not necessarily want to be perfumers, but they definitely have an entrepreneurial heart. My desire is that whatever they decide to pursue (acting, script-writing, music or architecture), they know that anything is possible with the right amount of determination, grit, belief and immersion. One reason I chose to homeschool is so they could enjoy learning without restraint and have ample time to devote to their own separate passions and it still be fun. They know Pink MahogHany is theirs if they want it (many, many years from now - lol), and we are already discussing business structures for whatever they choose their role to be once I retire. Work-Life Balance: How do you find balance between your professional responsibilities and personal well-being, and what self-care practices do you prioritize? I’m not just a perfumer; I’m also a consumer, and self-care is huge for me. I often take salt baths to reset my energy and clear my mind after being around large groups of people or free a long day. I’m a habitual perfume sampler, and I have so many to choose from to wear as my “nightcap.” Even if just for 10-15 minutes, I cherish each moment I’m able to have some “me-time.” When time and co-parenting schedules permit, I’m definitely on a flight somewhere to indulge in some delicious food and mouth-watering mocktails!](https://www.womenontopp.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/IMG_3812-1200x720.jpeg)
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