Meet the Stay-at-Home Mom Behind this Popular Hair Care Brand
Busy bringing up three kids under the age of five, Liraz Blank wasn’t the obvious pick to lead a wildly successful beauty brand. But a good idea and a determined mom go a long way, and today Liraz is co-founder of Madison Braids, an e-commerce startup with an exploding international following. How does a stay-at-home mom become the businesswoman behind America’s best-rated source for synthetic hair braids, extensions, and hair care?
Simple: she looked at the sticking points in her life, and instead of giving up she solved those problems for hundreds of thousands of women.
Liraz Blank loved experimenting with hairstyles, but she had next to no time to pursue her passion. With three young kids at home, Liraz had her hands full—which meant spending an hour in front of the mirror was an impossible dream. Like so many women in today’s fast-paced reality, she found herself juggling countless responsibilities and putting her personal needs last.
Unwilling to resign herself to a lifetime of messy buns, Liraz hunted for a beauty hack that would help her stay on top of her busy schedule while feeling confident and happy with her appearance. A search for easy-to-use hair accessories turned up headband braids, pre-braided pieces that wrap around the head to create the illusion of an intricate braid in the wearer’s own hair.
Stylish and low-maintenance, headband braids seemed like the answer to Liraz's prayers. She could slip one on in seconds, then tackle her tasks while sporting the kind of confidence-boosting hairstyle that normally takes hours of work or professional styling.
There was only one problem: all the braids she found were too cheap or too expensive. Poorly produced synthetic braids looked plasticky and fake, pinched her head, and fell apart after just a few wears. High-end human hair options held up better, but their price point kept them out of reach for the everywoman.
When the coronavirus pandemic shut down salons and intensified workloads for millions of women, Madison Braids stepped up to the challenge and introduced throngs of new customers to the joys of ready-braided hair. Liraz took the chance to give back to her community, donating medical-grade face masks to hospitals, nursing homes, and other vulnerable groups during a pandemic-induced mask shortage.
What’s the secret to her success? There are a few explanations for the rise of Madison Braids. The brand has built a reputation for excellent customer service, advising shoppers on the color most likely to match their hair and facilitating easy exchanges when mix-ups happen. Their products stand out for quality, affordability, and ease of use. An active social media presence creates a sense of community and keeps fans in the know about new products and deals.
Discovering a gap in the market, Liraz set out to create a product that would meet her needs and the needs of busy women around the globe. With support from her entrepreneur husband Maxx, Liraz Blank founded Madison Braids, an online beauty brand selling high-quality synthetic braids at affordable prices. Unlike her competitor’s products, Liraz’s braids are durable, comfortable, adjustable, and handmade. Each piece is expertly color-blended, combining hairs of subtly different shades to more closely resemble human hair.
Customers come from all over the world, but they have one thing in common: they want to look and feel beautiful, but they don’t have the time or the skill to braid their own hair. The female-founded, family-run business took off, gaining fans and expanding from three braid styles to more than twenty and adding clip-in hair extensions, styling tools, and a line of hair care products to its offerings.
Most importantly, Madison Braids works because it’s real. The hair may be synthetic, but the driving force behind the brand is as authentic as it gets: one busy woman helping thousands of others. A chance for ordinary people to feel good about themselves. Beauty on your terms.
It takes one to know one, and Liraz knows the everywoman. Her braids fill real needs for real women, and her presence continues to propel her brand to bigger and better things.