PHARMACISTS TURNED ENTREPRENEURS DESIGN ALL-NATURAL BEARD CARE BRAND FOR MEN OF COLOR
FAMU and UF Grads Launch Everyday Fresh Club Line of Products
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., (June 28, 2022) – A discussion between bearded men took root and grew a self-care brand serving unmet needs for men of color.
Pharmacists Dr. Derick McElveen Jr. and Dr. Theron Douglas created Everyday Fresh Club, a line of all-natural products specifically designed to address the deficiencies in hair, skin, and bald care products for men of color worldwide.
McElveen, a graduate of Florida A&M University and Douglas, a University of Florida alum, met while working on the same floor of a military hospital for a week in 2017. The two shared their experiences attending pharmacy school at an HBCU and PWI , as well as grooming hacks that best suited their jobs’ strict clean-shaven demands.
Noting a lack of #blackowned beard care brands, the pharmacists used their expertise to develop a line of grooming, shaving and hygiene essentials. Everyday Fresh Club products are specially formulated to have substantial shelf life without the use of harmful chemicals and preservatives.
Shop Everyday Fresh Club products now at EveryDayFresh.Club.
Watch their story and see the products here:
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Background: Since 2017, McElveen and Douglas' began working on Everyday Fresh Club products until the COVID-19 pandemic catapulted them into entrepreneurship in 2020. Their discussion on aesthetics morphed into a conversation on mental health and wellness amid racial unrest and their immediate call to action as front-line workers during the global crisis. They were all hands on deck to save others, but they also realized the need to take care of themselves.
McElveen says, “It’s a fast-paced environment with hours around the clock, and a mistake could kill someone. To have that emotional toll and keep moving, it’s a lot of pressure. Taking the time every day to prepare yourself, quiet your mind, and set your intentions despite what the day might bring– that is what inspired the brand. ”
With a focused intention on self care, the trained pharmacists used their shared knowledge of pharmaceutical compounding to create Everyday Fresh Club products. This line of grooming, shaving and hygiene essentials is specially formulated to have substantial shelf life without the use of harmful chemicals and preservatives.
McElveen and Douglas pitched their products at TechStars StartUp Weekend competition, hosted by Elevated Ventures, and University of North Florida’s Center for Entrepreneurial Growth. They won third place, earning resources for business development, sales modeling and consulting.
For these essential workers who continue to serve as pharmacists everyday, the goal is to accentuate self care as our most essential need.
“If you start with yourself, it translates into everything you touch throughout the day, palpable in every interaction. If you prepare yourself to be your best, you just may accomplish it.” McElveen says.
For interviews, please contact Publicist Carla Mechele at 904.402.4206.