# 10 Updates: One Year Into Our Two-Year Turnaround | CurlMix

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- Published at: 2026-09-22 19:59:48 UTC
- Updated at: 2026-09-23 21:59:34 UTC

## Author
Kimberly Lewis

## Subject
CurlMix

## Content
10 Updates: One Year Into Our Two-Year TurnaroundHey CurlMix Investors,It’s time for an update.About a year ago, I shared that CurlMix was entering what I believed would be a two-year turnaround. We had some difficult decisions to make about our cost structure, manufacturing, inventory, debt and what the next chapter of this company should look like.We are now roughly one year into that two-year process, and while there is still significant work ahead, I feel much clearer about the company we are building on the other side.Here are 10 updates on where we are today:1. We are officially caught up on customer orders. 🎉This was one of the biggest operational priorities of the year. After navigating inventory shortages, manufacturing changes and shipping delays, we have cleared our backlog. Going forward, our goal is simple: sell what we have and ship it quickly.2. We have 10 of our top 40 SKUs back in stock.We intentionally reduced our assortment from nearly 200 SKUs to approximately 40 core products. Rather than trying to bring everything back at once, we are rebuilding inventory in stages. Ten are currently in stock, and we're working toward placing the next manufacturing order for another 10.3. CurlMix has a new manufacturing home.We moved out of our 34,000-square-foot factory this summer and transitioned production to a Black woman-owned manufacturing partner here in Chicago.Owning our own factory taught us an enormous amount, but this new model allows CurlMix to operate with a much leaner cost structure and focus our resources on product, inventory, marketing and our customers.We are still working to sell a few remaining pieces of large manufacturing equipment from our former facility.4. We launched our Deep Density Peptide Tonic and customers keep selling it out.One of the things I’m most excited about is returning our attention to innovation.Our new tonic was created to address edges, shedding and breakage, and the early response has been incredibly encouraging. We’ve sold out multiple times as we've introduced it in limited quantities.This gives us confidence in the opportunity to build the next generation of CurlMix products around highly effective, problem-solving formulas.5. We have renegotiated terms with many of our creditors.Debt reduction remains an important part of the turnaround.Over the past year, we've worked with many of our creditors to restructure payment terms in ways that better align with the company's current cash flow.Under our current plan, our target is to eliminate all short-term company debt by December 2028.That doesn't happen overnight, but we now have a much clearer path for getting there.6. We are intentionally rebuilding CurlMix smaller before we build it bigger.For much of our history, growth meant more: more employees, more SKUs, more space and more infrastructure.This chapter is different.We have dramatically reduced our overhead, simplified the business and narrowed our product assortment. My focus right now isn't chasing growth at any cost. It's building a company that can generate sustainable cash flow and withstand difficult seasons.7. We are halfway through the turnaround, not finished with it.I want to be very clear about this.There is still work to do. We need to rebuild inventory across the rest of our core assortment. We need to continue reducing debt. And we need to prove that this leaner version of CurlMix can consistently generate healthy cash flow.But the problems we're solving today are different from the problems we were solving a year ago.That's progress.8. I'm planning to run CurlMix for a long time.I've now spent more than a decade building this company, and I'm increasingly thinking about CurlMix in decades rather than quarters.I can see myself leading and building CurlMix for another 10–20 years.At this time, I have no plans to sell the company. Instead, I want to build a durable, profitable, community-owned beauty company that can create value for its shareholders over a very long period of time.I believe I owe this to my community. 🥰9. One of my long-term goals is to create a path toward dividends.When thousands of our customers invested in CurlMix, my dream wasn't simply that the company would eventually be acquired.I want ownership to mean something.One of the financial milestones I'm working toward over the next five years is getting CurlMix into a position where the Board could consider returning capital to shareholders through dividends.There are no guarantees, we have to earn our way there through profitability, cash reserves and continued debt reduction, but it is an important long-term objective for me.10. The next chapter is about durability.We've experienced extraordinary highs and some very difficult lows over the last decade.The company I'm trying to build now is informed by both.Smaller overhead. Fewer SKUs. Stronger products. Better inventory discipline. Less debt. Sustainable profitability. And eventually, the ability to reward the thousands of people who chose to own this company alongside me.We aren't at the finish line.But a year into this turnaround, I can finally see the shape of the company we're rebuilding.And I'm still here.Thank you for continuing to believe in CurlMix, hold us accountable and give us the opportunity to build the next chapter.— KimP.S. Want to support the rebuild?One of the best ways to support CurlMix right now is also the easiest: buy productOur Starter Kit is in stock and ready to ship. It's designed for anyone who wants to experience CurlMix without having to figure out where to start and unlike some of our offers during the turnaround, this is not a pre-order.If you've been waiting for the right time to restock, try CurlMix again, or introduce someone new to the brand, we'd love your support.Our Five-Year Outlook2026 — STABILIZECompleted our factory exit, transitioned to a Black woman-owned manufacturing partner, caught up on outstanding orders, reduced our assortment from nearly 200 to 40 core SKUs, renegotiated creditor terms, reduced overhead and successfully launched our Deep Density Peptide Tonic. We’re now rebuilding inventory, with 10 of our top 40 SKUs back in stock and the next 10 underway.2027 — RESTOREComplete our two-year turnaround, restore our core 40 SKUs and eliminate our remaining short-term debt. Continue growing our cash reserves and investing in new product innovation.2028 — STRENGTHENBegin aggressively servicing our long-term debt while maintaining healthy inventory and cash reserves. Focus on consistent profitability and disciplined, sustainable growth.2029 — REWARDContinue reducing long-term debt and strengthening our balance sheet. Begin preparing CurlMix financially for the possibility of shareholder distributions.2030 — COMPOUNDOperate CurlMix from a position of strength, with a focused product portfolio, healthy cash reserves and sustainable profitability. If our financial position supports it and the Board determines it is appropriate, begin returning capital to our shareholders through dividends.