Dianna Cohen, Founder, Crown Affair
Dianna Cohen is the Founder and CEO of Crown Affair, the clean hair-care brand honoring daily rituals with a massive cult-like following. It started when Dianna shared a Google document of best practices for healthy hair with friends who passed it on to their friends making it go viral. She started to think about creating clean, effective formulas and handcrafted luxurious tools to transform the health of your hair alongside your relationship with it. The vision is not only aimed at the products but also at the experience and ritual of taking time for yourself. She began with more attainable versions of the hair products she loved, launching Crown Affair in 2020. A few years later, the products won’t stay stocked on the shelves at Sephora while Goop and Violet Grey have both given their coveted stamp of approvals consistently placing Crown Affair on everyone’s must-have shopping lists.
Dianna’s passion for hair care started when, as a child, she loved having her hair brushed by her mother before bed. During her teen years in Florida, she developed a fondness for art and would often explore museums and old bookshops during her weekends. Ultimately, that affinity led Dianna to pursue an art history degree at NYU not knowing where that would eventually lead. She held several internships during her studies, but it was her last one at Into The Gloss that shaped her life by becoming the place where she truly fell in love with beauty and self-care.
Dianna spent the next few years working in marketing and business development roles at brands in technology and fashion including Spring, Away, and Tamara Mellon. She later started her agency, Levitate, which focused on brand partnerships, ambassador programs, influencers, and go-to-market strategies. Her work led to her being recognized by Forbes Magazine on their annual 30 under 30 list. However, at the same time, she began seeing changes in her hair due to extensive stress. It made her understand just how much our hair can reflect our inner self.
She began a deep study of the ingredients and rituals that would give her the best results for her hair type and lifestyle. This, in turn, led to the infamous Google Doc of holy grail products. She started working on the brand during nights and weekends while also reaching out to vendors, former creative partners, and business associates. By 2019, she locked investors in and launched the company the next year. Crown Affair has since taken the beauty world by storm appearing all over Instagram and TikTok.
Dianna wants everyone to realize what their hair is capable of when using great products and taking time to find the rituals that work for them. She plans to spend the next decade growing and changing how people relate to their hair. As such, Crown Affair is a love letter to those who seek to transform their relationship with their hair, appreciate its natural beauty, and, most importantly, change the way you care for it.
Follow Dianna for more of her rituals and Crown Affair to learn more about their bestselling products.
What is your secret to living a high-vibrancy life?
My secret to a high-vibrancy life involves self-care rituals, mindful practices, and a genuine connection with the world.
Who is a woo-woo working woman that you admire and why?
Ara Katz, the Co-Founder of Seed is a dear friend and mentor I always look to for guidance and inspiration. She moves through the world with so much care and intention. I’m grateful to have her in my universe.
How do you balance work, wellness, and spirituality?
Finding a balance between work, wellness, and spirituality is a unique journey to each person. For me, it’s setting boundaries between work and personal life, defining priorities in each area, being mindful of how I spend my time, and incorporating mindfulness practices, such as meditation and gratitude journaling. I’m consistent with my daily rituals so I always feel grounded across work, wellness, and my spirituality.
Was there any one significant event that moved you onto the path of becoming the woman you are today?
It’s a challenge to narrow it down to just one single event, but my experience at Into The Gloss was very moving in terms of my falling in love with beauty / self-care, and understanding how powerful that connection can be online. It opened up my lens to a new world and I hold so many of those learnings with me to this day.
Personal Mantra?
“Take your time.” This is my personal and Crown Affair’s mantra.
“The day you plant the seed is not the day you eat the fruit.”
You’ve built an incredibly beautiful, clean, and effective brand with Crown Affair. How did you come to understand what you wanted your products to include, look like, and achieve?
When I set out to create Crown Affair, I was driven by a desire to redefine hair care and our relationship to it. I wanted the products to embody simplicity, elegance, and effectiveness.
You started your career in beauty editorial and quickly moved on to working in branding and marketing for some of the biggest brands out there. What inspired you to create and launch a brand of your own?
I’m deeply passionate about putting things into the world that change the way people feel about themselves. As the trusted friend sought for hair advice, I consolidated my best tips into a Google doc, and realizing the lack of relatability in existing hair care brands, I decided to create Crown Affair.
You’ve worked for some extraordinary women in your career. What are some of the key qualities you’ve found in these women that allowed them to become incredible at what they do?
Resilience and ambition would be the two key qualities in the women I’ve worked for. Both are required if you have a dream to build something great.
What would you advise women struggling to figure out their purpose or how to bring their dream businesses into reality?
1. Be resilient and persevere daily, seeking new ways to build despite challenges.
2. Just start—take small steps and begin by engaging in the activity you feel passionate about.
3. Build your Avengers team, they will be your support network, ready to lend their expertise when problem-solving is needed.
Crown Affair places a special emphasis on rituals. What are the morning and evening rituals that help you stay focused and grounded?
Each morning, I make myself a cup of coffee and then sit on the balcony to journal and meditate. I dedicate 30 minutes to stretching and foam rolling. It makes me feel connected to my body. I also make it a point to spend at least 20 minutes outdoors in the sun or nature daily— whether it is a quick walk or simply sitting without my phone to do a reset.
In the evenings, I wrap up work around 7pm and start to cook dinner with my husband. We’ll make a Ghia spritz and share moments in the kitchen while playing music and talking about our days. We’ll have dinner on the terrace and usually wind down with our favorite TV show or prep for the next day. Given I’m running a start up I’ll do deep work in the evening when it’s quiet and I don’t need to look at my inbox. I’m most creative at night so I lean into my natural work rhythms.
What is the one wellness practice that you most credit with changing your life?
Stretching. I love how you can just stop, in the moment, and take a few minutes to stretch. Deep breathing and closing your eyes while you hold a stretch is encouraged. It’s such a powerful tool we all have access to in every moment.
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Take Your Time: The Journey of The Tortoise and the Hair
What is the greatest gift you can give yourself?
The greatest gift we can give ourselves is taking time to slow down. In the hustle and bustle of our lives, it's easy to overlook our well-being. Investing in our well-being and happiness creates a ripple effect that positively impacts every aspect of our being.
Absolute favorite healers or practitioners for beauty, health, and wellness?
Dr Nathalie Cabrera, my acupuncturist in Miami knows how to make me feel aligned.
Bianca Peyvan, my nutritionist, who has helped cleanse and heal my gut
Shane Madegleano, my massage therapist who is incredible with tension and fascia release. He’s healed a lot of tension I hold in my body.
Amy Peterson — once a year I go get a laser and facials done. We do a Hydrafacial with extractions.
Jill Black and Shamara Bondaroff — my favorite microcurrent facialists in Miami. Microcurrent facials, despite not involving extractions, they work wonders in visibly lifting my face.
Advice to the Woo🖤Woo Working Women out there figuring out how to live their best high-vibrancy life?
My advice to all Woo Woo Working Women is to prioritize self-care and mindfulness— making time for yourself in the hectic world of work and personal obligations. Surround yourself with inspiring and like-minded individuals who share your values. Setting clear boundaries and finding a balance between work and personal life is key.
