Our Story

What would it be like if you didn’t have to reach up and itch your face every 5 seconds?

What would it feel like to put on a shirt and not have to worry about beard dandruff?

I had these same questions. Way before I started Savage Mane....I was the guy with irritated skin from beard itch, the guy that had to constantly wipe the dandruff from his shirt. It was embarrassing.

With no expectations of solving those problems, my wife (girlfriend at the time) purchased beard oil as a gift for me. Neither of us really knew what it was for. I had a beard and she thought I’d like it....and I did. Not enough to buy it again, but I used up the bottle. Then I moved on to a store brand balm. Again, not knowing the real benefits, I just wanted to try it. It wasn’t that great. I used it a few times and left it to expire in the cabinet. I figured that’s how all beard products were made so I was done with them.

Fast forward a year or so to 2016. I decided that I was going to start using beard oil again, but this time I was making it for myself. I wanted a better consistency, a better scent, and now that I knew the benefits, better results.

This is where the fun begins. I did research on how to make it, what essential oils to use for certain scents, the best ratios and types of carriers, everything I needed to know. With that in mind I went to the local Wegmans and got the supplies I needed to get started.

After quite a few failed attempts, I finally had something I was willing to put on my face. From there, things escalated VERY quickly. I’m talking 2-3 days max. I had told a few friends about my new hobby and they were quick to ask if I would make them some of their own. I was all about it. I made up some custom bottles with custom names just to have a little fun, and the response was totally unexpected. They absolutely loved it! With the little amount of research and knowledge I had at the time, many of them said how it was better than anything they’ve used before. The fire was instantly lit. If I could produce a superior product with very little knowledge or experience, how good could it be if I actually went all in!? Even though I had no clue what I was doing or how to even begin....I DID!

From that point on I was all about R&D. Perfecting the already solid product with higher quality oils and practice was my goal. I made hundreds of variations and had them tested by friends. From those samples, Apex beard oil was born. The first ever product of my new venture, but it wasn’t called Apex at the time. I hadn’t even come up with a company name yet. That’s another story that I think you’ll find pretty interesting.

Now that I knew I was starting a beard oil company (yes, that’s all I had planned at first) and it was right before Christmas, I made all the bearded guys in my family their own custom bottles with custom names. For my dad, it was “The original” since he and I go by the same name. (I’m a Jr.) For my brother in law it was “Wacky Whiskers” since his nickname is Wak. I wish I could but I can’t remember the others, but there were 3 more. Then I got to my cousin, whose last name is Savage. This is where everything changed. I knew I had to incorporate his name somehow. I mean, his last name is Savage.....how sick is that!? So just like the others, I sat there trying to think of a good one. I had a few ideas that were ok, then it hit me. SAVAGE MANE. I instantly popped my head up, looked at my (now) wife, and said. “I’m changing the name of the company”. She was on board immediately. At that point the name was KC Beard Co (my initials, how creative, right?) The new name was a HUGE upgrade and the keystone for building the company's brand.

Since then I’ve been building the brand product by product, making tons of mistakes but learning more and more about running a business every day.

I’m not big on quotes but here are two out of the thousands I’ve read/heard that have really spoken to me.

“As long as you are alive, you will either live to accomplish your own goals and dreams, or be used as a resource to accomplish someone else’s” 

-Grant Cardone

“One step in the right direction is worth 100 years thinking about it”

-T. Harv Eker

Thanks for reading. Even if you never purchase anything from my store, I hope my story inspired you or showed you that taking action is the most important thing you can do. No matter what it is you want to do. No matter how much or how little you know. No matter how ready you are. Make a move!

If you have any questions or want to know more, just ask.

-Kevin "Shafe" Shaffer

Things Savage Mane will never do

One thing we’ll always do

THE RIGHT THING.

 I would also like to thank every single one of you for supporting this small thing that I know will be massive one day. Without you, it wouldn’t be possible.