When professional racecar driver Sabré Cook is zooming along the raceway, there’s only one thing that should be on her mind: The track before her. She doesn’t need the distraction of worrying about car maintenance or when her next practice time will be—or even her hair. Thanks to hair care brand Privé, all that is taken care of. The female-led hair care brand is the official sponsor of Cook, before other beauty brands like Charlotte Tilbury and e.l.f jumped on the motorsports sponsorship bandwagon.
“It’s about shattering those glass ceilings and creating a new narrative and engaging in a male-dominated sport where women kind of don’t belong,” says Privé CEO Shay Hoelscher. “I know things are changing, and I feel so grateful that I get to be a part of this movement at my age now for future generations of young girls who come and see that’s a woman driving that car. It’s showing the future generations don’t let anybody tell you you can’t do something. Lean in and follow your passion, follow your dreams. That’s the connection with me and Sabré and Privé.”
After working her way up in the hair care world, Hoelscher started Privé because she knew the hair world could be better and do better. Her mission is to use business as a force for good, creating small batch, artisan products that are salon-worthy at more accessible prices while giving back.
“I’ve been in the beauty industry since college,” Hoelscher says. “I started working for a traditional distributor, selling a couple of brands door-to-door.” She rose through the ranks at Toni & Guy and then Sebastian Professional. “Like so many brands back in the day, they were very entrepreneurial,” she says. “The leaders in the industry, like so many brands, have been purchased or acquired. There was lots of transition, a lot of change in the industry, and it’s been an amazing journey. Having seen so much in my career, I always dreamt of and aspired to have my own company.”
Launched in 2009, Hoelscher has made major pivots along the way to make Privé a success, such as completely changing distribution methods to survive Covid. Having a stable brand meant that Hoelscher could do what she always wanted: support other women. Sponsoring Cook has been a cornerstone of that mission.
“I have such a passion for the beauty industry and I also have a gigantic passion for motorsports,” Hoelscher says. “I grew up in a car crazy family. I always was around cars. My dad raced go-karts and I always aspired to being able to go racing. It started with the first Porsche that I bought back in 2009 and it was a street car. I took it to the beginning levels of high-performance driving and the rest is history.” Hoelscher upgraded to a factory racecar from Porsche and that’s what she races now.
“It’s been so much fun and so reassuring and confirming that through this incredible path and journey that I’m on, my professional career and my absolute, heartfelt passion have come together,” Hoelscher says. “When I first started racing, I was the only female at the track. I am on a mission to bring other women into the sport that I love. I’ve always led by example. I always look to work with other women and younger girls, empower them and bring them into whatever I’m doing.”
Hoelscher connected with Sabré Cook last year through a motorsports networking women’s group and considers it one of the greatest achievements of her career and Privé. At the time, Cook was the only woman participating in the fiercely competitive Porsche Carrera Cup North America. “I happen to be unique because I own a beauty brand, but I also have this passion for driving and racing and competing,” Hoelscher says. “When we met, I connected with her on such a deep level of understanding—her grit and perseverance, and the hardship of raising money to get support. This is probably not going to surprise you, but it is harder for a female to get funding. It’s no different if you play professional basketball—it’s all the same. As I got to know her on a deeper level, I decided I’m all in.”
As Cook’s official sponsor, through Privé Hoelscher provides seat time in her second racing car at her local track, The Thermal Club, near her home in Palm Springs. “I pay for the team, I pay for the fuel, I pay for the tires, and it started there,” Hoelscher says. “It has just gotten bigger. I’m one of her major sponsors, and it’s so meaningful. It takes the marketing to a whole other level for my brand. The team is all in. They see the power, and they see the movement, and they see it’s so much than just a great beauty brand.” Their relationship goes much deeper than just financial support; Hoelscher also serves as a mentor to Cook, which she cherishes.
But Hoelscher isn’t stopping at her sponsorship. Giving back is built into Privé; they donate 1% of revenue to Project Beauty Share, a nonprofit that provides cosmetics, hygiene and beauty products to women experiencing abuse, poverty or homelessness. Hoelscher likens it to a food bank, but for hygiene for women, which is crucial because they can’t use any sort of government support, such as food stamps, for necessities like soap or shampoo. Project Beauty Share hosts an annual live auction fundraiser and Hoelscher always donates an experience of riding in her racecar with her.
“Another incredible part of the journey with Privé is being able to support Project Beauty Share; it’s meaningful and wonderful,” Hoelscher says. “When you feel clean, you feel good from the inside out. They feel beautiful and get their integrity back. We take all that for granted. When I was first setting up Privé, Project Beauty Share took me to a couple shelters and what I saw will forever change my life. It felt like it could have been anyone who fell upon bad times and one thing led to another, this domino effect, and how easily it could happen. A lot of it stems from abusive relationships, which take you down a different path, and everything just unravels. I remember coming home and thinking I have to do more. That’s where it all started.”
Ultimately, it all comes back to the brand itself, and how it’s setting high standards across the board, both in the shower and on the racetrack. Hoelscher was always determined to provide outstanding products with clean and natural ingredients powered by fruit and plants, even if that meant lower profits.
“Having sat in so many big marketing meetings, the first thing was always about profit margins,” she says. “I wanted to have a brand where I could help make the world a better place, meaning give back. It’s the whole female thing—helping others in need, helping women that are less fortunate was very appealing to me. I wanted to create a brand that spoke to the future up-and-coming generations of women. I was the only female in my position at the executive level in my career, and I could count [the women] on one hand in the beauty business. And I’m a bit of a granola at heart and always wanted to make a product that had clean, nourishing, food-grade ingredients in it. When I launched Privé, those were the key things that were important to me. You can make an incredibly clean, beautiful, fresh, natural-smelling brand, and it works, all while empowering women.”