Houston White is the serial entrepreneur behind the brands- Houston White Goods and Gathering Spaces, The Get Down Coffee Company, FRESH by Houston White, the Be The Change golf tournament, and Camdentown Flats. Houston successfully uses his influence and resources to bring people and cultures together. A true creative to his core, White has been able to capitalize on his abilities to foster meaningful connections to everyday people and C Suite executives to create more opportunities for young Black and Brown Professionals. This August, Houston celebrated another milestone in his entrepreneurial journey, the launch of FRESH by Houston White. This innovative hair, skin, and body care line encourages users to involve all the senses in their self-care routine.
Hosted at White’s FRESH Barbershop and The Get Down Coffee Co. in Camdentown, the launch of FRESH by Houston White gave an insight into the colorful mind and groovy spirit of who Houston White truly is. Houston sat with me at the Mara Restaurant and bar in Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis for an in-depth interview to discuss the launch of FRESH by Houston White, his upbringing, and his philosophies on life and entrepreneurship.
This interview has been edited for clarity and brevity.
Mississippi Roots, Minneapolis Raised
Stephanie Tharpe: You grew up in north Minneapolis. What was that upbringing like for you?
Houston White: The high school I attended had many middle-class Black families. It was like the Cosby Show, in a way. My biology teacher was a Black woman named Beverly Cotton; she walked home with me nearly every day or would at least see me while I was walking because she lived so close. I also had big homies who were hustlers. I loved to hang with them because I loved the hustle. Through those dualities, I saw the expansiveness of Black life. The hustler wasn’t bad. He just chose the wrong occupation. His desires to succeed were very much American, though.
In 1994 or 1995, Minneapolis was the murder capital of the United States. The city had the most murders per capita, which was a tough time for my mom and me. We built a new house, and when we moved in, we found two crack houses directly across the street—full New Jack City “Pookie” type trap houses. My mom worked alongside my friend Dan, who is an attorney. She stayed on them until she eventually got both the trap houses torn down. My upbringing was an amalgamation of church, middle-class Black life, and street hustling, all while living in a midwestern wildly racist place. I wouldn’t trade growing up in Minneapolis at that time because it truly made me who I am today.
Stephanie Tharpe: Being an entrepreneur is rooted and embedded in your soul. What about your upbringing cultivated that desire in you?
Houston White: My family is from Mississippi. Both of my grandmothers were entrepreneurs; one baked cakes, and the other made clothes. My dad and his brother were the first Black drywall contractors in Mississippi. In the eighties, they were bulldozing the woods and building suburbs. So, my dad and his brother’s drywall company was critical to that. I grew up on those trucks, and I saw all these people doing all of those things with success. When I was young, I remember my uncle saying to me, “Look, you’re smarter than us; we want your name to be on the front of the truck and take it to the next level.” From those moments, I fell in love with the idea of hustling. So, entrepreneurship is a part of who I am and who my family is.
Dope Outcomes Through Cultural Collision
In June 2022, Four Seasons Hotel opened its “Star of the North” property in Minneapolis. When it came down to weaving the essence of Minnapolise culture into a new property, they called Houston. He forged a relationship with the hotel before helping collaborate with recruitment efforts, community initiatives, hotel playlists, and more. A notable outcome has been the inclusion of Houston’s Coffee and Coffee Liquor into signature cocktails in the Socca Cafe. I spoke with the Director of Communications and Partnerships, Allie Stoneberg, about the hotel’s relationship with White.
Stephanie Tharpe: Why did Four Seasons Minneapolis decide to partner with Houston?
Allie Stoneberg: When dreaming about Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis, we recognized the incredible opportunity we have to bring people together. It’s something we continue to talk about, and more importantly, we strive to put these words into action. It all started with relationships – getting to know our colleagues, community members, residents, and guests. Houston has been a big part of this process. Well before we opened our doors, we discussed the strengths in our diverse backgrounds as well as all that we share: our values, our belief in the Twin Cities, and our commitment to be champions of positive change. Then, when we would tour the hotel together – in hard hats at the time – we imagined how the space would transform and how our community would transform as events like Cultural Collision came to life.
Stephanie Tharpe: Your influence is noticeable throughout Four Seasons Hotel Minneapolis. Can you talk about your process of cultivating an inclusive atmosphere for the world-renowned brand?
Houston White: Florian Riedel and his entire team are just remarkable people! They came to me and said they wanted the hotel to feel like Minneapolis. They didn’t want to just plop it down without any thought. So, I have to give them props for being open. After our first bottle of bourbon, we had a whole book of ideas; we couldn’t do them all but focused on what was most meaningful and what made sense.
I’m a businessman who wants to do meaningful business. Naturally, I wanted to see how I could integrate my coffee into different things at the hotel. I have two signature drinks on the menu, made with our coffee and our Brother Justus X Get Down Coffee Co. Liqueur.
Business With Impact
The year 2020 certainly left its mark on our nation, with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing the world to its knees and the civil unrest in response to the slaying of George Floyd. Racial tensions in the twin cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul were causing even more of a strain on the local economy. More than fifteen hundred businesses were damaged or burned in the crossfire, many of which were minority-owned. In response to these national events, Houston leaned on his intuitive business acumen and mission to build an intercultural world to birth brands that encourage cultural collaboration in abstract ways.
Stephanie Tharpe: The murder of George Floyd and the pandemic were pivotal moments in the history of this country. How did both of those moments affect your businesses? Did it inspire you to create new ventures?
Houston White: The Get Down Coffee Co. and FRESH Barbershop is a prime example. Brian Cornell, the CEO of Target, came to my barbershop for the first time on February 19, 2020. We were already in talks about a lot of stuff, but he came there partly because of Caroline Wanga, now Essence’s CEO and a dear friend of mine. She shared the passion and need to enrich Minneapolis with places that build Black culture to thrive and be represented.
Brian coming into my shop was a huge part of launching my connection with Target. Twenty days later, the world shut down due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. After the tragic event of George Floyd’s passing, my friend Dan Anderson, owner of Dogwood Coffee Company, came to me to figure out what they should do as a white company.
I told him not to make donations because I believe there are better ways to contribute. But whatever he did, it needed to be meaningful. Dan’s wife suggested that we start a coffee business together. They used their years of knowledge to help with our sourcing, while I used my expertise in cultural collision efforts to curate a brand that would truly make an impact. As a result, the Get Down Coffee Co. was born on Black Friday of 2020, with tons of online orders that day. We received so much love and support.
Welcome To Camdentown
Named after a renowned cultural breeding ground in London, Houston sought to recreate this authenticity in his image. The North Minneapolis neighborhood is home to Get Down Coffee Co. and Camdentown Flats, an evolving living concept by Houston to retain young professional talent in Minneapolis. His relationships with companies like Ikea, United Properties, and Best Buy created the possibility for Camdentown Flats to be move-in ready! Each five-hundred-square-foot unit is outfitted with furniture by Ikea and state-of-the-art audio-visual systems and appliances by Best Buy.
The exacerbation of gentrification has been a looming fear for Black and Brown communities across America. Houston is combating that by reinvesting in his community. Not to segregate but to bring people of varying socioeconomic backgrounds together to foster a thriving community. With these efforts in mind, White has created a modern living community revolving around music, culture, and vibes.
Stephanie Tharpe: Why did you dig your teeth into real estate?
Houston White: I used to build luxury houses 15 years ago. We created a $40 million home-building business. Everything I learned about construction was from my dad, uncle, and family. I started building houses, and it just got bigger and bigger! Then I realized there was no market for people who vibe like me. If you were young, affluent, Black, and wanted to buy a dope crib, you couldn’t afford the most elite architects. You could only pick what was available. Then we came along and democratized that whole thing. We were infusing art, creativity, and culture into houses. I have always loved architecture and construction. It’s part of me.
Stephanie Tharpe: Let’s talk about Camdentown. Why did you establish the neighborhood?
Houston White: Like Jay Z once said, ” I do it for my culture.” So many young Black and Brown folks leave Minneapolis even if they love their jobs because they can’t find their tribe. A 2016 study focused on why Minneapolis couldn’t retain young Black professionals. My wife and I almost left the area as well. That’s why we started Camdentown. We needed a place that infuses our culture, and why not start with my barbershop as the center of it? People came through from DC and said, “Yo, this is a vibe!” That’s how I met Ron and one of the reasons he stayed in Minneapolis.
What I’m trying to do is restorative justice. It’s having a connection to the elite but always ten toes down. We must use our success to help build the places that made us. Camdentown was always the goal and the vision.
Stephanie Tharpe: Will Camdentown be expanding anytime soon?
Houston White: We’re just getting started. We’re about to build another building with an Asian and Black American fusion restaurant called Bruce Leroy’s Pizzeria. There will also be a speakeasy alleyway element that will be really fly. We have a lot of things in the works.
FRESH by Houston White
In 2007, Houston founded FRESH, a barbershop in Camdentown. This barbershop is the cornerstone of Houston’s businesses, including FRESH by Houston White. This new product line addresses three main areas: face, hair, and everywhere. The products pair seamlessly with each other to create a holistic self-care experience. Seamus Culligan, Creative Director for Avenue C and FRESH by Houston White, sat for this portion of the interview to speak more about product development.
Stephanie Tharpe: The Packaging of the products is quite innovative. Each bottle has a different frequency printed on the opposite side of the net quantity. Can you explain why you made this design choice?
Houston White: My favorite song in the world is Blue in Green by Miles Davis. I play that song when I’m stressed, happy, on my birthday, and it sets the mood. So, when we were talking about building this brand, music was a big part of it. Each vibrational tone has medicinal and healing qualities, and the goal was to make this brand as sensory and as immersive as possible when you’re at home. With FRESH by Houston White, we wanted to make a deeper connection between people and the product.
Stephanie Tharpe: Seamus, You stated that it took you and Houston a while to develop the fragrance for the products. Can you elaborate on how the FRESH by Houston White products got their signature scents?
Seamus Culligan: The signature fragrance for FRESH by Houston White was inspired by the Egyptian musk oil perfumes Houston sold in high school. We started with Egyptian Musk as the base and layered cocoa, rose, and apricot notes. Every time you walk into the shop, The Get Down incents are burning. Fragrance is very much a part of the barbershop experience. We wanted to replicate that experience with the FRESH by Houston White products.
Stephanie Tharpe: Not only are the visual and audio components unique, but you were very intentional with the formulas. What went into that process?
Houston White: I started making hair and skin care products in 2008, starting with pomade. When I opened the barber shop, I wanted to give the ultimate experience to my clients. To line the hair correctly, we would use pomade and a hot towel to mimic the texture of day-old hair. Our tips went off of the charts because the service was so calming.
The pomade I was initially using was discontinued. I tried to look for another product of the same quality but couldn’t find one, and that’s when I learned how to make my own. I Googled and researched until I formulated my original recipe. My wife would use my pomade and get many compliments on her hair. People would ask her what product she used. Suddenly, we had so many women using the pomade. Even people of other races wanted to know if it was something they could use for themselves! That was the impetus behind how we formulated FRESH by Houston White. We reverse-engineered a bunch of those original recipes and then started to add things that were true to what we are doing now.
Stephanie Tharpe: What makes FRESH by Houston White Pomades appealing is their hyper-focus on addressing different hair types and textures. Was that intentional?
Houston White: That’s why there are three pomades. Anyone can say, “This pomade works for all hair types,” but it doesn’t. Some might not want an oil-based product because they will be somewhere where they can’t wash their hair for a week to three weeks. For that scenario, you would need a water-based product.
Stephanie Tharpe: Can you speak more about your partnership with Target?
Houston White: I’m always talking about the people behind the bullseye. I grew up with Target. I remember going for the first time in 1985. My aunt took me. I walked in thinking, this is different, but this is a cool place. It’s a cool place. I remember all of their designer collaborations, and I would have never imagined that I would be working with them. They make me feel valued, seen, and heard. They allow me to play in a way that is fun and unique for me. They invested in a relationship with me on a personal level. Brian Cornell wrote the foreword to my book CultureMaking. Jill and I have dinner parties all the time, and we cook together. It’s not just a vendor-to-corporate relationship. It’s a person-to-person relationship, then moves into corporate. It’s truly remarkable the relationship we have been able to cultivate.
Stephanie Tharpe: What was challenging about creating FRESH by Houston White?
Houston White: The difficult task was making something my late wife would bless and be proud to use.
Free Game
In this portion of the interview, I pick Houston’s brain as we deep dive into his creative process and philosophy on cultivating a thriving business portfolio. Consider this free game.
Stephanie Tharpe: You excel at cultivating a multifaceted business portfolio that authentically represents your identity. You can interconnect your ventures seamlessly while keeping their individuality as brands. What’s your secret to this delicate balance?
The balance is all about the recipe. Once you figure it out and crack that code, you can tip the scales in your favor. For me, the code is making sure that I am actually passionate about what I’m doing. I don’t do anything for money; that’s my rule. Yes, I want to make a lot of money, but I don’t use that as my motivator. We went through every emotion while getting FRESH by Houston White launched, and our passion got us over those hard days. Overall, I love the journey. When a product launches, it is an amazing feeling. I’m always thinking, what are we building next? Because the fun is getting deep in there and figuring things out.
I love discovering the blue ocean. (The blue ocean – refers to an entrepreneurial strategy that is an analogy to describe the broader and deeper potential to be found in unexplored market spaces.) For me, the blue ocean is not chasing trends or segregating and embracing differences as a strength builder. I’m finding products that people are lacking, putting some emotion into them, and creating opportunities to connect with the consumer in a way that many brands can’t.
Stephanie Tharpe: Are you ever afraid to fail?
Houston White: Success is a succession of failures. Failure allows you to win! I’m not afraid of failure at all. I’ve failed and succeeded and will continue to do so.
Stephanie Tharpe: You can masterfully execute a plan with rewarding results. What did you do to develop this skill?
Houston White: I used to train dogs with some top professionals. Everything that we do when training is compartmentalized. If you want to teach a dog to stay, you can’t just put them there and think they will listen. You have to compel them and break things down in incremental steps. Once the dog is good at the steps, you can put them all together. I realized that this works in business, too.
I never think about the mountain. I only think about the brick that’s a part of the mountain because it’s too much and overwhelming. I always look at the thing in front of me and the rest; I don’t stress over it. It doesn’t bother me, and I don’t care. I know I can execute well, but I also only have people around me that I can absolutely trust and will perform at the same level.
Stephanie Tharpe: What advice would you give to somebody looking to build a team to take them to a higher frequency in their life?
Houston White: Find your favorite coffee shop and invite them all individually for coffee. You shouldn’t have anybody you wouldn’t go camping with on your team. Sometimes, people get confused; you might want to work with someone because they are successful, but you might not gel. That won’t create good outcomes. I want to work with people who are driven. It doesn’t matter if they’re not successful yet. I mean, Morgan Freeman didn’t have his first significant role until he was like 48. Connect with the people you want to work with and add value in some way.
Having humility and adding value until an opportunity presents itself are vital to success. Most successful people want to work with those who can solve problems for them, however big or small. For instance, my little homie Khalil has been with me since he was fifteen. He does a lot of behind-the-scenes stuff for me. As long as he stays around me like Memphis Bleek was to Jay Z, he is good for life. Most importantly, you have to have multiple people you’re bouncing ideas off of who are either as smart as you or smarter. That’s what I have.
Stephanie Tharpe: What significance does your barbershop hold to you and your team?
Houston White: There’s something about being in the barbershop. I have some of my most significant meetings there. It’s a place where we ideate all day and every day. My Chief legal counsel, Tim Sullivan, is in the shop three days a week. He’s a lawyer but was there the other day sweeping floors. The barbershop represents connection. Connection is my theme, always.
We are just doing business with this historical backdrop. That’s why FRESH is such an essential brand to me. Barbering is how I got started. When I was fourteen or fifteen, I was making legal money cutting hair; I got really good at it. That was my entry point into being a true entrepreneur. Out of that place, I got my first mortgage. I learned so much from just being a barber and being in that environment.
As I scaled and became really successful at building houses, the thing that was missing was the essence of the shop. In 2008, the lesson I learned was to stay tethered to the essence of the shop, no matter where you go. The FRESH shower gel bottle is an ode to the jar filled with blue liquid and combs. There are little nuggets that take you back to the essence of that place. The version of the barbershop that I see for the future is soulful, filled with Black music, and as diverse as the United Nations.
Stephanie Tharpe: What will the legacy of Houston White be?
Houston White: I hope this idea of a cultural coalition of human connection as a means of building business becomes the North Star for everybody who wants to do it. I hope to change the game from a transactional economy into a transformational way of seeing the purpose of doing business at a high level. We don’t need more rich people. We need more rich people with good intentions and connections to real people. I love to be under the radar and want the things I create to move people. I want to democratize what it means to be influential and hopefully become one of the most well-adjusted billionaires ever to walk the planet.
You can purchase FRESH by Houston White at Target.
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