Two financial management graduates bring their entrepreneurial vision to life

Bryce Hoff, '24, discovered his passion for hair care at a young age. In high school, he began purchasing ingredients himself and experimenting with homemade hair products in his kitchen. After graduating high school, Hoff entered college with an idea that would later come to fruition during his senior year.

When Hoff first started at the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business as a financial management major, he lived in Douthit, where he met Chris Sucic '24. The two became fast friends and would later become business partners, launching their own hair product business, Sigma Styling Co.

Throughout their time as college students, Hoff and Sucic regularly bounced business ideas off each other, but it wasn't until their senior year that Hoff mentioned the idea that had originated in his kitchen at home. Sucic, also an avid hair care user, was immediately on board, seeing the potential, and the two began working.

Their first challenge was developing a product that would stand out in a crowded market. Hoff and Sucic wanted to create a new product that would appeal to a large audience, one that was universal, simplistic and elevated, and that would allow the individual to express their own unique style. After talking to a few of their friends, they saw that only a handful of them used any hair products, and the ones who used a product typically purchased it from drugstores.

Seeing a place in the market for a new-generation product, the two began to bring their vision to life, leveraging what they had learned in their business classes to plan their business. "Professor Hannon's Intro to Entrepreneurship class really opened my eyes. His class broke down the steps to create a viable business, and we applied those principles from the very beginning," says Hoff.

As they continued to work to launch their business throughout their senior year, the two business partners found support within the Clemson community. "It really has been a sum of all the connections we've made at Clemson," Sucic says. "From professors, classes and the Brook T. Smith Launchpad, we've taken inspiration from different bits and pieces. Clemson was a big reason we were able to take the passion we have and go into this with an entrepreneurial mindset to create this business."

The two recent graduates are excited about their summer launch and the success they've seen so far. They are looking forward to continuing to grow their business and adding new lines of products as their company expands.

To learn more about support resources from student entrepreneurs, visit the Brook T. Smith Launchpad.