Wave culture is a cornerstone of the culture of natural Black hair. A ‘wave check’, if you’re not already familiar, is basically what it says. It’s the act of publicly challenging someone wearing a durag to take it off in order to check and hype (or not) the success of the waves they’ve been cultivating underneath. The real objective here though is to see whether they are indeed wavy or deserve that L for having lackluster waves.

We thought it would be fun to adapt the concept of a wave check and share similar principles of wave culture to how it could apply to the building of a successful brand.

1. Start Small

Every wave starts as a ripple. The most important step in creating the next wave is to actually start where you are.

2. Be Consistent

Waves take time to cultivate and so does growing and evolving your brand to the next level. Be patient and keep going. The process is as important as the result

3. Presentation is Everything

The right choice of durag says so much before we even see the waves. How does your visual language speak for your brand before you ever say anything?

4. Know your Audience

Your brand sinks or swims by the support and hype it gets. Make sure you know who your community is and what they value.

5. Make a Splash

Continually innovate and explore creative ways to engage your audience through thoughtful, memorable content and experiences that can be shared.

Don't follow waves. Create them.

photo credit : @phlushots