Self-made business mogul Mahisha Dellinger is revolutionizing the beverage industry with Huzzy Smart Sips

You may have heard of the beauty mogul Mahisha Dellinger. After trailblazing in the hair care industry, she is taking on a brand-new venture.

Dellinger, born and raised in Sacramento, California, was exposed to two different perspectives growing up. While with her mom, she experienced what it was like to live in the projects. With her dad, Dellinger witnessed the lifestyle she aspired to have. Both parents helped fuel her passion to prioritize community and make a name for herself. After attending California State University-Sacramento and working in corporate America, Dellinger decided to take a different route and become a full-time entrepreneur.

According to the CURLS website, Dellinger launched the beauty brand in 2002 after noticing a lack of natural curly hair products and deciding it was time to make a hair care line of her own with organic options. Since CURLS and other initiatives, including her “Mind Your Business with Mahisha” show on the Oprah Winfrey Network, Dellinger’s empire has seen much success. The CEO is a self-made millionaire.

Being an entrepreneur comes with ups and downs, however. Some may argue that it is better to have the freedom of not working under a 9-to-5 schedule, and while that might be true, entrepreneurship can tax the body physically and mentally. Dellinger shared with REVOLT that sometimes it’s not all it’s cracked up to be.

“You see entrepreneurs all over Instagram, social media, you see the bling, the fast life, the bags, the houses and the trips, and you don't get a chance to see the real. I think a lot of entrepreneurs show a facade, but there [are] a lot of hills, and valleys, and a lot of stress that you go through. You never actually sleep well because every day, you are worrying about that brand's growth or the brand's health,” she explained.

According to the National Institute of Mental Health, 72 percent of entrepreneurs are directly or indirectly affected by mental health issues compared to 48 percent of those who are not their own bosses. Business owners wear multiple hats and carry the weight of their companies on their shoulders until they have consistent revenue to hire a team. When people experience this level of stress, there are various vices they may use to cope, such as alcohol. After going through it herself, Dellinger wanted to create a better lifestyle she could benefit from while encouraging other boss women to do the same.

This prompted her to create Huzzy Smart Sips, a brand of nonalcoholic cocktails that promises to protect your liver and transform your path to wellness. With this company, Dellinger is taking a stand and empowering women to minimize their stress levels with a drink and name that defies its original meaning.

“If you're a Black person, you know that hussy was a word that your grandma would call someone, a woman of low moral value or a woman who didn’t value herself — a woman of reproach. But just like we are redefining what a cocktail is, we're changing the name and owning hussy to mean a strong woman [who is] taking charge of her legacy and destiny. So, we're spinning both narratives and changing the meaning of cocktails and the word hussy. We're strong, unapologetic, and that's the voice that you're gonna hear on social,” she stated.

“If you are struggling with feeling the need to have a drink, [the goal is to take] that out of your hands and give you something else. The reason people feel they need to cope this way is to escape, and escapism comes from the feeling after drinking. So, we are giving you something that is going to give you a relaxed, euphoric feeling that takes that stress away. This collection will give you that euphoric buzz without the fuzz of alcohol,” the CEO continued.

Emphasizing that she isn’t against alcohol, Dellinger explained her goal is to provide an alternative for people who want to change their drinking habits.

"We're never going to be like, ‘Don't ever drink.’ This is if you're modifying [your habits] permanently or temporarily. Whether you are abstaining temporarily, if you are on a health kick, if you're fasting, if you're doing Lent or you're doing Dry January, this is an option for you. So, we're not gonna preach and tell you [to] never have a drink again because I will still have a cocktail, right? But the modification is important to know what's okay,” she added.

Jumping from beauty to the beverage industry had its early challenges. After all the accolades Dellinger earned over the years, the businesswoman still had to prove Huzzy Smart Sips would be the brand to disrupt the market.

“It is so interesting because starting out with CURLS, I had the same challenges with just getting the respect when I'm calling to deal with manufacturers or people I'm looking to do business with. ‘Cause they don't know. They’re thinking, ‘Do I take this Black woman seriously? Is she worth my time?’ The whole doubt, you know, so I had to prove myself,” Dellinger admitted.

She continued, “For example, I had a situation. I had to tell one guy to Google me. Period. And this was a company that I really wanted to work with because they're top-tier in this space. So, we are still working together. He did Google me, and now the respect is there, but it's difficult to do all that.”

Even though others may have initially doubted Dellinger’s credibility, she knew her business idea would make waves. Huzzy Smart Sips is more than a functional drink; it has key ingredients that help the brand stand out, including a curated list of adaptogens and nootropics paired with antioxidants and gut health ingredients.

“We're vegan, non-GMO, gluten-free, low-carb, low-sugar, low-cal, no refined sugar and natural. We have these great natural ingredients. So, we got lion's mane, passionflower, lemon balm, schisandra berry, jujube fruit, holy basil, chamomile tea, chicory and more all combined,” the business mogul revealed.

With these intentional ingredients, Dellinger ensured that her beverage has all the benefits for the people looking to improve their lives one sip at a time.

“The nootropics and adaptogens have functional properties that help with stress levels and give that sense of calming. Each one has a different purpose, and we are mixing them for a bigger impact. Some are meant for the calm and relaxed feeling, and some hosts are specifically for decreasing anxiety. So, the goal is to definitely hit this industry by storm, trailblaze again, be a Black, bold, brazen woman that's coming in and saying, ‘Listen, here we are,’” she told REVOLT.

Since Dellinger is no rookie to building an impressive business portfolio, she leveraged her current network to get the word out about this new and exciting venture. She hopes to use the first year in the market to scale her company.

“We launched on March 8. We're doing our first experiences, press and influencers. On June 1, we go directly to the Amazon Black Accelerator Program. So that'll be our first, and so the scale will be direct to the consumer this year. And the next year, we have our retailers that want Huzzy; I can't stop thinking about that -- the brand in retail. So, we're going D-to-C and then directly to our retailers in less than a year. So, it's going to scale pretty quickly. And that's all because of my relationships with the previous world. So that's enabled me to get those connections quicker,” she explained.

While the numbers may be looking great and the possibilities of reaching above six figures in revenue are promising, Dellinger is not solely focused on the money. With Huzzy Smart Sips, she wants to give back and partner with organizations that specialize in providing mental health resources to the community.

“It's important for me to see that I'm able to help others and hear from others that this product has helped them stop or modify or really rethink their drinking. The more that I can help women and hear their voices, the better I will feel about our success. We're partnering with the Sad Girls Club to support your mental health through actual therapy. We're giving 1 percent [of the] proceeds back of all sales to Sad Girls Club, plus offering free therapy through them because they offer resources like that,” Dellinger stated.

She concluded, "Sad Girls Club is the biggest one, but the Sober Black Girls Club as well. We're talking to them now to figure out what that partnership will look like because those are two definite nonprofits we're working to feed, and get the masses on the right track and assist. We're also gonna go bi-coastal with no-booze cruises. We'll bring people on for that, and that'll be really fun. So, party with a purpose.”

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