From $5 Art Prints to Walmart Shelves: How Dana Bly Built Pardon My Fro Without Compromising Her Vision

What does it take to turn a creative idea into a retail brand that stands out on shelves? For Dana Bly, founder of Pardon My Fro, it started with artwork, a $5 print, and a belief that people should be able to show up exactly as they are.

Today, Pardon My Fro is a lifestyle and textured hair care brand recognized for its bold green packaging, illustrated characters, and unapologetic celebration of natural hair. The brand has grown from a small creative business into a retail brand carried by major retailers, including Walmart.

But Dana's journey wasn't a straight line from idea to retail success. It involved leaving corporate America, figuring out manufacturing with a limited budget, building an audience before Instagram became a major marketing platform, navigating an unexpected business partnership, and learning what it really takes to maintain a retail presence.

In this episode of Shelf Talks Podcast, I sat down with Dana to discuss how she built Pardon My Fro, how she landed her first major retail opportunity, and the lessons product-based founders can take away from her experience.

If you're building a product-based business and working toward getting your product into retail stores, there is plenty to learn from Dana's journey.

1. Your business idea doesn't have to look like the finished product on day one

Before Pardon My Fro became a lifestyle and hair care brand, Dana was working in corporate America in the financial industry. She knew she wanted to do something creative, but she hadn't quite figured out what that would look like.

The natural hair movement was gaining momentum, and Dana began exploring her creativity through artwork inspired by natural hair and Black culture.

One of her early inspirations was fashion blogger Christina Brown of LoveBrownSugar. Dana created artwork inspired by Christina's style and reached out to share it with her. Christina shared the artwork with her audience, helping Dana recognize that there might be something bigger behind her creative ideas.

Eventually, Dana decided to leave her corporate job and pursue her vision.

Her first products weren't hair care products, branded collections, or even a traditional product line. They were art prints.

She designed four or five illustrations, found a manufacturer to produce 12-by-18-inch prints, and began selling them for $5.

Those prints became the starting point for Pardon My Fro.

As customers began asking for other products, Dana expanded into T-shirts, home decor, and shower curtains. She recognized an opportunity to create a lifestyle brand that celebrated natural hair in a way she wasn't seeing in the marketplace.

The lesson for founders: You don't need to launch with an extensive product assortment. Start with something you can afford to produce, test whether customers want it, and let their response help guide your next move.

Sometimes the product that starts your business isn't the product that eventually defines it.

2. Build your brand around something that makes you different

The name Pardon My Fro was intentional.

Dana wanted a name that would make people stop and ask questions. But the meaning went deeper than simply referencing natural hair.

As Dana explained, Pardon My Fro isn't a question or an apology. It's a statement.

It's about accepting yourself as you are, whether your hair is straight, curly, kinky, or completely different from what someone expects.

That philosophy became the foundation of the brand.

When Dana eventually expanded into hair care, she knew the category was already crowded. Simply introducing another collection of creams, oils, and styling products wasn't enough.

She needed to give customers a reason to notice Pardon My Fro.

Her answer was to bring her artwork directly onto the packaging.

Dana personally designed the illustrated characters that appear across the brand's products. The bold green packaging and distinctive artwork created a visual identity that looked different from what shoppers were accustomed to seeing in the hair care aisle.

She also wanted the products to serve customers with textured hair who were looking for additional hydration, particularly those with tighter curl patterns.

The brand's identity wasn't something she wanted to compromise to fit into a traditional retail assortment.

When we discussed whether retailers had challenged her to conform to what was already on the shelf, Dana was clear: Pardon My Fro needed to remain Pardon My Fro.

The lesson for founders: Your packaging is more than a container. It's an opportunity to communicate your brand story, establish recognition, and give shoppers a reason to pick up your product.

Before you approach a retail buyer, ask yourself:

• What makes my product visually different from the competition?

• Can a shopper recognize my brand from a distance?

• Does my packaging communicate what my brand stands for?

• Am I creating something that fills a gap in the category?

Differentiation doesn't mean being different just for the sake of it. It means understanding what makes your brand valuable and making sure customers can recognize it.

3. Use a business model that matches your budget

One of the most interesting parts of Dana's story is how she managed to build her product assortment without having the financial resources of an established brand.

In the early days, dropshipping allowed her to introduce additional products without purchasing large quantities of inventory upfront.

She could take her artwork and apply it to different products, including apparel and home decor, without having to maintain a warehouse full of inventory.

For a founder working with a limited budget, this was a practical way to experiment with products and grow the business.

She used the model for years before transitioning into a partnership that provided additional financial and logistical support, including warehouse capabilities.

That transition opened the door to a much bigger operation.

Dana also acknowledged that there were things she learned along the way that she wished she had understood earlier, particularly manufacturing, warehousing, shipping, and logistics.

The lesson for founders: Your business model should support the stage of business you're in.

You don't necessarily need a warehouse, a large inventory investment, or a full operations team when you're just getting started. But as your business grows, you need to understand the infrastructure required to support that growth.

Think about:

• How much inventory can you realistically afford?

• What manufacturing model makes sense for your current sales volume?

• How will you fulfill orders?

• What operational support will you need as demand increases?

Building a brand is exciting, but building the infrastructure behind it is what helps you sustain growth.

4. Sometimes the opportunity comes from an unexpected connection

One of the biggest turning points in Dana's business came through an unexpected email.

In 2019, a woman named Carmela repeatedly reached out after discovering one of Pardon My Fro's shower curtains. She loved the brand and wanted to learn more about Dana and her business.

At first, Dana ignored the messages. She wasn't sure what to make of the outreach or whether the opportunity was legitimate.

Eventually, she responded.

Carmela introduced herself and explained that she worked with Horizon Beauty, a company that partnered with beauty brands.

After learning more about Dana's business, she began exploring what a partnership could look like.

Initially, the two pursued an opportunity with HSN. Although the first submission wasn't accepted, Carmela didn't give up.

When circumstances changed in 2020, HSN revisited the opportunity.

Dana eventually appeared on HSN through a virtual presentation during the pandemic. She and her team developed pillows and blankets featuring her artwork, and she presented the collection from her home in Charlotte.

The sales exceeded expectations.

Dana shared that the initial goal was approximately $14,000 to $15,000 in seven minutes. Instead, she generated $68,000 in seven minutes.

That performance helped establish a relationship with HSN that continued for years.

Looking back, Dana recognizes how easily that opportunity could have been missed if she hadn't responded to Carmela's emails.

The lesson for founders: Be open to conversations and opportunities, but do your homework.

Not every unsolicited email will lead somewhere meaningful, and founders should always evaluate potential partnerships carefully. But don't automatically dismiss a connection simply because it arrives in an unexpected way.

Sometimes the person who believes in your brand can help you access opportunities you didn't know existed.

5. Your packaging can open the door before your product is even finished

Dana's transition into hair care is a particularly valuable lesson for founders thinking about how to approach retail.

After partnering with Carmela, the two began discussing how to expand Pardon My Fro.

Dana had always been connected to the natural hair community, but she hadn't originally envisioned creating a hair care line.

Carmela challenged her to think about how her artwork could become an extension of the hair care products.

Instead of entering the category with conventional packaging, Dana developed a visual concept that would make the products recognizable.

The team worked through approximately 25 packaging iterations before arriving at a design Dana felt represented the brand.

They also started with six core products, including creams, an oil, edge control, and mousse.

But something unexpected happened.

In early 2021, Carmela had an opportunity to introduce the packaging concept to Walmart through its emerging brand Start program.

At that point, Pardon My Fro didn't even have finished products.

There were no formulas or samples. The team was presenting the packaging concept.

Walmart liked what it saw and wanted the products.

The opportunity moved quickly. Dana and her team had to work through product formulation, packaging components, and the requirements needed to meet the retailer's launch timeline.

Dana ultimately launched Pardon My Fro hair care in approximately 1,500 to 2,000 Walmart stores.

The lesson for founders: Your product presentation matters.

Retail buyers are evaluating more than whether a product works. They are also considering how it will fit into the category, how it will appeal to shoppers, and what makes it different from the products already available.

Your packaging should help communicate that story.

However, packaging alone isn't enough. The product experience, formulation, pricing, positioning, and ability to meet retailer requirements all matter.

6. Getting into retail is the beginning, not the finish line

Landing Walmart was an incredible milestone, but Dana quickly learned that getting the product onto shelves was only one part of the job.

The team needed a plan to drive awareness and sales.

They brought in additional digital marketing support, developed promotional campaigns, worked with influencers, created social media content, and organized in-store events.

Dana even created content featuring her parents and daughter visiting Walmart to see the products on the shelf.

But as the business progressed, she learned that retail performance required continuous attention.

Some products performed better than expected. Others didn't meet expectations.

And sometimes a product that performed well on Amazon didn't perform as well at Walmart.

This is an important distinction for founders.

Success on one sales channel doesn't automatically guarantee success in another. Different retailers have different customers, shopping behaviors, category dynamics, and expectations.

Dana also learned that retail placements aren't permanent.

Retailers conduct line reviews, evaluate product performance, and make decisions about which products will remain on the shelf.

During these reviews, founders need to be prepared to explain their brand, understand how their products are performing, and demonstrate why the assortment deserves to remain.

The lesson for founders: Don't approach retail as a one-time sale. Approach it as an ongoing business relationship.

You need to understand your performance, monitor customer feedback, support your products, and prepare for conversations with your buyers.

Getting the purchase order is a milestone. Maintaining the business is the work.

7. Don't rush to add more products. Pay attention to what customers are telling you.

One of my favorite takeaways from Dana's conversation was her reminder that founders shouldn't automatically assume a larger product assortment means a stronger business.

When Pardon My Fro launched its hair care line, the team had to learn how customers were responding to the products.

One of the challenges involved a hair milk product. Customers were confused about how it fit into the assortment and how to use it alongside the other creams.

The team realized that having a great product wasn't enough. They needed to educate customers.

They began explaining which products were intended for daily hydration, which were better suited for defining curls, and how the different products worked together.

They also invested in influencer campaigns, store events, and educational content.

Dana emphasized the importance of listening to customer feedback rather than constantly introducing new products simply to expand the collection.

She also shared an important observation about SKU performance: one product can make a meaningful difference to the overall business.

A brand doesn't need to launch an endless assortment to build a successful retail business.

The lesson for founders: Before developing your next product, look at the products you already have.

Ask:

• Which SKUs are performing best?

• What are customers saying in reviews?

• Are customers confused about how to use the products?

• Are there opportunities to improve education and product discovery?

• Are you developing new products because customers need them or simply because you want a larger collection?

Customer feedback is valuable information. Use it to make smarter decisions about product development, marketing, and assortment strategy.

8. Stay true to your brand, even when you're sitting in a room with bigger brands

As Pardon My Fro expanded into retail, Dana found herself in rooms with established brands, experienced industry leaders, and retailers.

She admitted that there were times when she questioned whether she belonged.

But she also recognized that every founder brings a different story and perspective to the table.

Dana didn't come from the traditional hair care industry. She came from an artistic background and entered entrepreneurship through creativity, design, and a desire to celebrate natural hair.

That perspective became one of the brand's greatest differentiators.

She also made it clear that maintaining the brand's identity was non-negotiable.

She didn't want Pardon My Fro to be watered down or changed to fit someone else's expectations.

Her team understood that the brand needed to remain authentic to the community it represented.

The lesson for founders: You don't have to build your brand to look like everyone else's.

Understand your positioning, know your customer, and be confident explaining why your brand belongs in the category.

Retail buyers see countless products. Your job is to communicate why yours deserves a place on the shelf.

9. Learn to appreciate the journey, including the setbacks

Perhaps the most meaningful part of Dana's story wasn't the HSN sales milestone or the Walmart launch.

It was her reflection on how quickly the journey passes.

She started Pardon My Fro in a small room, creating artwork and shipping prints herself. Today, she has a team, manufacturing relationships, warehouse support, and a brand that has reached customers through major retailers.

But she admitted that she spent so much time focused on building the business that she didn't always slow down enough to enjoy what she had accomplished.

Her advice to emerging founders was simple: slow down and enjoy the journey.

She also spoke candidly about the realities of retail. Products get discontinued, sales don't always meet expectations, and even good news can be accompanied by unexpected challenges.

At one point in our conversation, she discussed receiving difficult news from a retailer on the very same day we were recording.

But her perspective was that setbacks are part of the process. You have to keep moving, keep learning, and keep pushing.

As Dana reminded us, you have to remember where you started.

The lesson for founders: Don't become so focused on the next milestone that you forget to recognize how far you've come.

Building a product-based business takes persistence. There will be wins, disappointments, unexpected opportunities, and plenty of lessons along the way.

Take the time to appreciate the progress.

What Product-Based Founders Can Learn From Dana Bly

Dana's journey with Pardon My Fro offers several important reminders for founders preparing to grow their brands in retail:

1. Start where you are. Your first product doesn't have to be your forever product. Use what you have and build from there.

2. Know what makes your brand different. Your positioning and packaging should give shoppers a reason to notice you.

3. Build within your budget. Choose a business model that supports your current stage and allows you to grow responsibly.

4. Stay open to unexpected opportunities. Relationships and conversations can open doors you didn't know existed.

5. Prepare for the operational side of growth. Manufacturing, logistics, inventory, and fulfillment become increasingly important as your business scales.

6. Understand retail performance. Getting on the shelf is only the beginning. You have to earn your place through ongoing performance.

7. Listen to your customers. Feedback can help you improve your products, education, and assortment.

8. Don't compromise your brand identity. Your differences can be your competitive advantage.

9. Celebrate the milestones. Building a business is a journey, not just a series of goals to check off.

Want to Get Your Product Into Retail?

If you're a product-based founder working toward your first retail placement or trying to grow your existing retail business, remember that there isn't just one path to getting there.

Dana's journey started with $5 art prints and evolved into a brand that caught the attention of major retailers.

Her story is a reminder that creativity, differentiation, persistence, customer understanding, and the right relationships can all play a role in building a retail-ready brand.

But once you get there, the real work begins.

Listen to the full conversation with Dana Bly on Shelf Talks Podcast to hear more about her journey, the unexpected partnership that changed her business, her experience launching at Walmart, and what she has learned about navigating retail.

About Dana Bly

Dana Bly is the founder of Pardon My Fro, a lifestyle and textured hair care brand celebrating natural hair, creativity, and unapologetic self-expression. What began with illustrated artwork and affordable art prints has grown into a multi-category brand with products available through major retail channels.

About Shelf Talks Podcast

Shelf Talks Podcast, hosted by Roberta Townes, features conversations with female founders and retail experts sharing the real stories, strategies, and lessons behind building product-based businesses and bringing brands to retail shelves. Whether you're preparing for your first retail pitch or looking to grow your brand's distribution, Shelf Talks is your resource for retail education, founder insights, and inspiration.