Ursula Dudley Oglesby: The Second Generation At Helm Of Dudley Beauty Corp.

HIGH POINT, NC – “One of my favorite scriptures from the Bible is ‘Where much is given, much is required.’ I feel like it’s my obligation to bless others,” said CEO of Dudley Beauty Corp, LLC, Ursula Dudley Oglesby.

Oglesby, the second generation of the Dudley brand, became the president in 2008. As a family legacy, the brand began in 1967 when Joe and Eunice Dudley, co-founders, made a commitment to offering high-quality products. The brand now mainly provides haircare products and cosmetics to help textured hair consumers, with a target audience being darker-skin consumers of the African American community.

“If I can help somebody look good on the outside, that’s gonna help them feel better about themselves on the inside; then I will have done my job,” Oglesby said. She considered serving the community her driving force in running the business.

Oglesby was exposed to many facets of the brand at an early age. She recalled putting caps on Scalp Special, a top-selling product that her parents used to make in the home kitchen. At the age of seven, she worked at the Dudley Beauty Center in Greensboro, assisting customers in finding the price they were looking for. She also remembered selling Dudley’s products door-to-door in Chicago during her teenage years.

“The list [of positions] continues on and on as I got older. You name it; I’ve done it,” Oglesby said.

However, instead of studying business, Oglesby switched from Economics to Psychology at Harvard College.

“I decided to major in Psychology, which I absolutely love. And I used my psychology degree every day in dealing with people,” Oglesby said. She continued to pursue a Juris degree from Harvard Law School because of her childhood dream.

After graduating in 1991, Oglesby complied with the request of her father, Joe Dudley, to establish a cosmetics line for the brand. She started by staying in Milwaukee for a few months to learn how cosmetics were made. With a number of consultants like makeup artists, product developers, and chemists, Dudley Products Cosmetics was launched in 1992.

In 2003, Oglesby became the Chief Operating Officer of Dudley Products, Inc. At the time, she was in charge of multiple departments, including accounting, human resources, legal, manufacturing, and management of information systems (MIS).

“[That experience] really gave me an opportunity to learn from a much higher level how the company was running. It was invaluable when I became CEO and started out with Dudley Beauty Corp in 2008,” Oglesby explained. 

Reviewing the 55-year history of the brand, Oglesby regarded its outstanding staff and distributors, creative artists, and customers as what made the company a difference. She also mentioned the indispensable role of the brand’s products.

“We have products that help people achieve what they want to achieve, with whatever hairstyle they’re choosing,” Oglesby said.

According to Oglesby, the most essential criterion for a family legacy is the persistence of the main principles of the foundation. She spoke of her son working in the company and her daughter, who plans to work for it after her senior year at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

“I think they see all the hard work that I put in, but also something bigger than just me and just the company. It is our mission of helping to change the economic base of the black community,” said Oglesby.

She also noted the importance of the brand’s evolvement according to the times. With new products, Calendar Contests to engage customers, and the National Dudley Day program offering education to the United States and some worldwide countries, Oglesby shared her long-term growth initiatives.

“I see myself as one of the captains of the ship for right now. It’s my job to steer us in the best way possible before I hand it over to the next,” Oglesby talked about her relationship with the brand. “I’m the second one, but I won’t be the last one.”

The company is currently located at 1814 Eastchester Dr. in High Point, NC. For more information on Dudley Beauty Corp., click here.