Family-Owned Hair Care Company Empowers Black Women

Aris Singleton is the CEO of Thank God It’s Natural (tgin®). PHOTO PROVIDED BY O-STREET BRAND MANAGEMENT + CONSULTING.
Aris Singleton is the CEO of Thank God It’s Natural (tgin®). PHOTO PROVIDED BY O-STREET BRAND MANAGEMENT + CONSULTING.

Family-Owned Hair Care Company Empowers Black Women

By Tia Carol Jones

Thank God It’s Natural (tgin®) was founded by Chris-Tia Donaldson in 2009, with the book, Thank God I’m Natural. The book detailed Donaldson’s hair journey from childhood to working as a lawyer in the corporate world. The haircare line launched in 2013 with five products.

Aris Singleton, CEO of Thank God It’s Natural (tgin®), and her mother, Dr. Piper Farrell, Chief Operating Officer of tgin®, are continuing the legacy that Donaldson began while breaking barriers and empowering Black women. Singleton and Farrell have been involved with the brand since its inception. In November 2021, Singleton and Farrell took over the company after Donaldson passed away from breast cancer.

Farrell said her and Donaldson’s hair journey began when they were young, maintaining their hair with relaxers and visits to the hairstylist. 

The mission of tgin® is to redefine beauty by cultivating a community that empowers women to be the best version of themselves. Singleton said the mission is not just words on a wall, or words on a website.

“We believe in this mission, our teams believes in this mission, and we are committed to helping and empowering Black women in the community, the haircare community,” she said.

In addition to the haircare company, there is also the tgin® Foundation. The foundation was birthed out of Donaldson’s breast cancer journey. She recognized she had access to resources other women going through it might not have. The foundation’s mission is to support uninsured women undergoing treatment of breast cancer, highlight the impact of health disparities on survivor outcomes and stress the importance of early detection for women under the age of 40 years old.

“Chris-Tia’s goal was to close the poverty gap by providing information, education and resources and access … and giving them the opportunity to ask questions and to be in a safe place to talk about breast health,” Farrell said.

Singleton said having Black women represented in the beauty industry is important because it addresses inclusivity, equity, identity and social progress. People have told Singleton that with tgin® they finally have a brand that resonates with them, the CEO looks like them, the people who work there and developed the brand look like them. Farrell said that representation builds confidence and self-worth. For Black women who aspire to be entrepreneurs, in Singleton they can be encouraged that they can also be entrepreneurs.

“Still being here 15, going on 16 years, it challenges harmful stereotypes that Black business don’t last, they can’t compete. We may not have the big bucks like some of these other big companies, but we’re still here and we’re making noise, and we’re making a difference, not only in the hair care market, but in our community,” Farrell said.

Singleton credits tgin®’s success to staying true to themselves and listening to their customers. She said the company stayed true to their customers and gave them what they wanted. Farrell said one of the things that keeps them true is that tgin® and tgin® Foundation care about the women they serve and they show up everyday for them.

For more information about tgin®, visit tginatural.com.


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