Lubbock – At farmers markets across Texas, you never know what you’re going to find. Entrepreneurs from every corner of the Lone Star State rely on these weekly gatherings to showcase their unique products, and over in Lubbock the West Texas Beard Company is usually on hand for them. Chris Lambert is the beard behind this brand but, he’s not the boss. Turns out the head honcho of the West Texas Beard Company couldn’t make it to the market because she’s busy with school. “Well, it started when I was nine, 10, right?” said Piper Lambert. “I did not think it was going to be where it’s at today as a nice little company, which is really cool.”
Piper and her dad got things growing on the West Texas Beard Company back in 2017 when a simple chore turned into a lesson in work ethic. “I was in a really bad mood that day,” said Piper. “Mom had told me to do a fold the laundry, and I was just… So mad. Angry for whatever reason, and I was just doing a bad job. Dad came in the room, ‘You’re fired from doing the laundry. You’re still going to do it, but you’re not going to get paid.’”
Chris saw the perfect opportunity unfold before him and proceeded to teach his daughter about earning a dollar and having a positive attitude while doing it. “From a dad’s standpoint, I want my kids to know that you always have the ability to earn,” said Chris. “And you’re either going to earn money working for somebody else, which is 100% fine, or you’re going to earn money working for yourself, but you have a choice, but you should never not be able to earn. But if you’re going to make money from somebody else, they hold the keys to the kingdom, which is that dollar you’re trying to earn. And if you do bad work with a bad attitude, they have a choice to not employ you, and they’ll let you go.”
That lesson quickly turned into a conversation about entrepreneurship. “He said, ‘Piper, you’re going to have to learn how to make money some way. And either it’s do you want to be your own boss, or do you want to work for someone?’” said Piper. “And I said, ‘Oh, I want to be my own boss.’”
“She went downstairs, chewed on it, and came back upstairs, and I said, ‘What are you going to do?’” said Chris. “And she goes, ‘I’m going to start my own business.’ And I said, ‘Fantastic. What are you going to do?’ She goes, ‘I don’t know. I was hoping you could help me out.’ And that was the start.”
After a few brainstorming sessions, beard care came to mind thanks to dad’s flowing locks of facial hair. They enlisted the help of Piper’s mom, Holly, to help create beard balms and oils all from home. Once they perfected their product, Piper put it to test and got her first lesson on salesmanship. “We were having a get-together and a lot of those guys had beards,” said Chris. “And I was like, ‘Okay, Piper, here’s what you do. You’re going to take that bottle, and you’re going to walk up to somebody and go, ‘Hey, have you ever tried beard oil?’ And they’re going to say no. And you’re going to take the dropper out, and you’re going to put some in their hand and have them rub their hands together and run it through. And they’re going to love the way it smells, and they’re going to buy it from you.’ She comes home. She’s got 80 bucks in her pocket, and I was like, ‘Well, how do you want to earn money? I mean, do you want to fold clothes for $7 a week, or do you want to go do this for three hours and make 80 bucks?’ And she goes, ‘I want to do that.’ I said, ‘Good. Give me 40 of it.’ You got to pay the bank back.”
With another lesson learned, this time about business capital, Piper was always prepared to sell and took her West Texas Beard Company sales kit with her to every gathering the family attended. Once again, it paid off.
“She would just have it with her, ready to sell,” said Chris. “Well, that day, a group of bikers came into the bar. And their beards are just magnificent.”
“Braided,” said Piper.
“And I mean, it’s like fishing and just seeing a line of tarpon or something coming down,” said Chris. “You’re like, ‘Oh, man, we’re about to feast here.’ Picks up per little box of products, walks up to the first guy. And that guy looks at her, and he’s like, ‘Not interested.’ And Piper looks at him, and she puts her stuff back in her box, walks onto the next one, and proceeds to sell like a hundred and something dollars to all these other guys. Man, what a thing to watch at nine or 10 years old get told no in a public place and the embarrassment that goes with that and to saddle up and just move on to the next. I was like, ‘That girl’s got the tiger by the tail.’”
The West Texas Beard Company brand has grown and now includes some fancy soaps. Their products can be found in stores across the Lone Star State and even as far away as New York. “If you want your beard to smell good, I mean, try it out,” said Piper.
“I mean, do you want your beard to look fantastic or not?” said Chris.
The beard oil itself is made with two goals in mind; to make your beard smell good, and to nourish the skin underneath it. “It’s for the skin under the beard to prevent itchiness, dryness,” said Piper. “Just hydrate the skin, really.”
There’s no factory, no employees and no marketing budget, but the Lamberts are getting by as a family. Working together to help build the West Texas Beard Company. “This thing has its own heartbeat, and it’s going to be here whether she chooses to be a big part of it or not,” said Chris. “But, when I look at that logo, I can say me and her, and that’s special to me.”