At HerSide, we celebrate the stories of women who are crafting their own narratives and building spaces for others to shine. Queen Mide also known as Iyimide Shola-Shittu, the visionary founder behind the clean beauty brand WINSOME by TAH, embodies this spirit perfectly. In a recent interview, she shared the journey of creating a brand that is a love letter to the modern professional woman.
WINSOME was born from a personal need. As a Black woman and an engineer by training, Queen Mide noticed a gap in the beauty industry. “I wanted something that represented softness, richness, joy — and boldness,” she explains. Her brand is a direct response to that, merging precision with creativity to celebrate individuality.
The path of a Black woman entrepreneur in the beauty world hasn’t been without its challenges. Queen Mide spoke candidly about navigating gatekept industries, finding authentic collaborators, and overcoming the pressure to be perfect. A major turning point was realizing that momentum builds from movement. “I decided to launch with what I had, and that decision unlocked everything,” she reflects. A key to her sustainability has been learning to delegate and understanding that “resting doesn’t mean I’m not committed — it means I’m preserving the energy I need to sustain this vision.”
For Queen Mide, building trust with her community is paramount. WINSOME prioritizes transparent communication and involves its audience in the process, creating a brand that feels like a shared journey. This philosophy extends to her leadership, which is guided by a powerful mantra: “Be soft and audacious.” She believes that “softness is strength” and that leading with care is her secret sauce.
Her advice to other women starting out is to “build something real before you build something big.” She emphasizes starting with what you have and not waiting for permission to create what you wish existed.
Ultimately, Queen Mide’s vision for WINSOME is part of a larger movement. She dreams of fostering “radical visibility and softness for women of color — especially Black women.” She concludes, “I want us to have spaces that reflect our full range — not just our resilience, but our radiance.”
Through WINSOME, Queen Mide is not just selling beauty products; she is nurturing a community where ambition is elegant, and every woman is empowered to embrace her unique glow.
Read the full interview to discover Queen Mide’s five essential tools for overcoming self-doubt and building confidence.