Founder Hair by Flatts
Age: 39 | Pepper Pike, OH
By Lisa Love
Kim Agin, center, founder of Hair by Flatts, sits with her team of models on set.
What path did you take to get to where you are now?
I have 17 years of financial services experience, including roles as a product owner. In that role, I look at how customers use a product—like, say, a credit card connected to a mobile digital account—and determine what technology investments we need to improve it, what the competitive market looks like, and how to bring it to market. This has given me an understanding of the product lifecycle: strategy, design, development, implementation, and go-to-market for launching new products.
What sparked the idea for your business?
While I was on a girls’ trip with my friends from college last year, I needed hair rollers. I flew to DC with a carry-on and had no room for extra stuff. After a long day of sightseeing, I asked to borrow a friend’s set of rollers to refresh my hair. She stored them in her second bathroom because they were too bulky to keep in her primary bathroom. I casually ask my friends, “Why has nobody figured out how to make these flat to store when you are not using them?” I went on to invent Flatts and launch Hair by Flatts.
What was a pivotal moment in your entrepreneurial journey so far?
Our first drawings that showed [what] we originally assumed was true: unrolling rollers would save you 70% of your packaging volume. Our design allows the rollers to hold their shape and function like traditional rollers to give you amazing volume and styling.
What does a typical day look like for you?
There is no typical day. I work full-time, have a family of three, and I’ve just launched a new company. In the morning, there’s a mix of getting family ready to get out the door and working on ideas for Hair by Flatts—social media, outreach, strategy, or filling orders. I then start my 9 to 5 [job]. Typically, around lunch, I’ll try to get a workout in and multitask with more Hair by Flatts items. Then it’s back to my 9 to 5, until it’s time for after-school activities, sports, dinner, bathtime, and bedtime. Once everyone’s kind of down for the night, I try to engage with items I’m working on for Hair by Flatts and look ahead to what’s on our agenda for the next day.
I try to take Sundays off from all things work (both real job and Hair by Flatts) to focus on home and family. This may sound like a long day, but I wouldn’t be able to do half of it without my husband Brian’s support and help.
What’s most exciting about the industry you’re in right now?
The beauty industry has long been dominated by large corporations that aren’t necessarily thinking creatively about the products we use every day. In the past couple of years, I’ve seen a huge shift, with women-led brands coming to the market to solve everyday needs and problems. Some brands I think embody this are Dae Hair, Beauty Bio, and Drunk Elephant. It is so inspiring to see other women embrace this shift and become change leaders in the industry.
What are some of the most rewarding parts of the journey so far?
Holding my first production sample roller, going to California to do a brand shoot, and seeing my first order come through my Shopify. If I had to pick just one thing, it would be showing my children that you can have a dream, work towards that dream, and ultimately execute on [it]. I know they are watching this process. They are just as excited as I am to be a part of it. We all had a mini celebration when the first person I didn’t personally know bought a set of Flatts.
What advice would you give someone who just dreamed up an idea, and weren’t sure if they should pursue it?
Don’t be afraid to ask questions. You never know what you can achieve until you start talking to people. My first call was to an attorney to understand if I should start by protecting my idea. His advice was not to patent an idea, but a thing, so he recommended I work with a design engineering firm. My follow-up question was, “How do I find a design engineer?” He was so willing to help me find names and connections. Ever since then, I have sat in meetings, not knowing what the next step was, but not afraid to talk to people and ask.
Where can people find and buy your rollers?
On my website hairbyflatts.com, Sanity in Chagrin Falls, and Santos Salon in Pepper Pike. I’m working to expand other locations over the next couple of months and hoping to land in a major retailer in 2026.
