Tracy Deck has been a driving force in the beauty industry through her work with House of Cheatham, a brand celebrated for its trusted hair care products and commitment to textured hair communities. In 2025, House of Cheatham was honored with the “Top All-Around” Vendor of the Year award from Jinny Beauty, recognizing their exceptional service and innovative product lineup. Tracy’s passion for hair care, her dedication to supporting both retailers and consumers, and her ability to lead a team that works seamlessly together has made her an influential voice in the industry.
OTC Beauty: Can you share a little about your journey in the beauty industry and what led you to join House of Cheatham?
My journey into the beauty industry began during a pivotal season of my life. After having my daughter, I made the decision to return to school to earn my degree, originally with the goal of becoming a CPA. While attending school, I took on work as a Consumer Sales Representative to support my family, doing in-store promotions, street team sampling, trade shows, and merchandising for OTC and retail stores.
At the same time, I handled payroll, accounts receivable, and accounts payable for my sister’s brokerage firm. Although I spent much of my time behind the scenes, customers often asked why I was “hidden” in the office. When I finally stepped into the field, my path became clear. I moved from merchandiser to merchandising manager, and eventually into sales—where my strengths truly came alive.
Working with multiple brokers opened the door to collaborate with an incredible roster of manufacturers, including Luster Products, ORS, SNS, Cantu, Murray’s, and Sunny Isle, among others. In 2013, I joined Professional Products, makers of Jamaican Mango & Lime. When the company was acquired by Universal Beauty Products in 2015, it marked the beginning of an eight-and-a-half-year journey of growth, learning, and impact.
During my time at UBP, I had the privilege of collaborating with an extraordinary marketing visionary, Johnathan Carthon. His leadership, creativity, and belief in people left a lasting impression on me. When he transitioned to HOC in 2022, he invited me to join him the following year, bringing my journey full circle. Tragically, Johnathan passed away in 2024, but his influence, mentorship, and passion continue to inspire the work I do every day at HOC.
OTC Beauty: What is your role at House of Cheatham, and what does a typical day look like for you?
As National Sales Manager for the U.S. Wholesale Market at HOC, my primary responsibility is driving sales—but equally important is how those sales are achieved. Relationship-building sits at the core of my role. I focus on cultivating and maintaining strong partnerships while closely monitoring KPIs, analyzing data, and adjusting strategies as needed to ensure targets are met. Collaboration is a critical part of my work. I partner closely with our marketing, product development, operations, and finance teams to ensure that our strategies, materials, and execution are aligned. When all departments move in sync, it creates momentum that customers feel and trust. A typical day begins with reviewing sales reports to track performance against goals. I also verify that recent and past orders have shipped as expected and review any backorders. If something appears out of the ordinary, I immediately connect with our production partners to gain clarity and keep things moving. Customer needs are always top of mind, whether that means providing shipping updates, tracking information, or invoices. I work hand-in-hand with my customer service partner, Eric, to ensure every request is handled efficiently and with care. Right now, much of my focus is on preparing for show season—securing impactful trade shows with the right staff, a visually compelling booth, strong promotional offers, and meaningful educational materials for our customers. Every detail matters, because ultimately, everything we do ties back to one goal: driving sales while delivering value, consistency, and trust in the HOC brand.
OTC Beauty: How did it feel for House of Cheatham to receive the “Top All-Around” Vendor of the Year award from Jinny Beauty?
It was a great honor to receive the 2025 Top All-Around Vendor of the Year Award from Jinny. Since I came to HOC in April of 2023, we have worked very hard to improve our fill-rate on every order. This award shows that Jinny has recognized that effort. I have serviced Jinny for almost 20 years and have previously received Broker Rep of the Year and Manufacturer’s Rep of the year. To now receive the Top All-Around Vendor Rep of the Year truly feels like the cherry on the cake.
OTC Beauty: If you had to describe your personality in three words, what would they be?
If I had to describe my personality in three words, they would be happy, passionate, and loyal.
OTC Beauty: House of Cheatham has a rich history in hair care. How do you balance honoring that legacy while keeping the brand innovative and relevant today?
HOC’s rich hair-care legacy lives on through innovation, relevance, and quality. As Africa’s Best celebrates 30 years, we continue to honor the brand by delivering the quality consumers trust—because quality is what keeps our products in their hands and in their homes. With Aunt Jackie’s, we build on our commitment to quality and value by introducing line extensions that enhance and expand our best-selling SKUs.
OTC Beauty: What major hair care trends are you seeing right now, especially in textured and natural hair communities?
There are several major hair-care trends emerging within the textured and natural hair communities. As more consumers embrace their natural hair, many are managing fuller, denser hair that requires significant time and care. As a result, popular styles are increasingly focused on reducing the time spent detangling, styling, and daily maintenance. We continue to see stunning braiding styles dominate the landscape—from classic box braids in both short and extra-long lengths to the now widely popular boho braids, offered in a range of textures, lengths, and colors. Most recently, miracle knots have gained attention as a braiding technique believed to be gentler on natural hair.
OTC Beauty: How do you see social media and digital education influencing the way consumers select and use hair care products?
Social media and digital education are significantly influencing how consumers select and use hair-care products. We’ve all heard the phrase “seeing is believing,” which helps explain why these marketing channels are so effective. Just as consumers have returned to basics in caring for their hair, we must also return to basics in how we market to them. Not everyone consumes information the same way, so it’s critical that we meet consumers where they are. Some prefer to read product information, others hear about brands through radio advertising, and many engage through social media and digital education platforms. At the same time, there remains a strong segment of consumers who learn through in-person experiences—walking through trade shows, festivals, or community events and speaking directly with brand representatives.
OTC Beauty: From your perspective, how are beauty supply stores evolving, and how does House of Cheatham support them in staying ahead of trends?
Today’s beauty supply store recognizes how busy today’s consumer is and has evolved into more than just a traditional beauty supply—it has become a true one-stop shop, closely mirroring a modern retail experience. One notable shift is the increased emphasis on education, with stores equipping both owners and staff with deeper product knowledge and a clearer understanding of the consumer needs those products address. An OTC magazine article I read years ago emphasized that a positive shopping experience begins with the basics: wide aisles, well-lit stores, clean floors, and an educated staff. While every manufacturer wants their products placed at eye level or on the top shelves, increasing store saturation has made premium shelf space more competitive than ever. Another OTC article recommended the creation of a “New Products” end cap—a designated space where customers instinctively go to discover the latest offerings. In this environment, shoppers scan from the top shelf to the bottom, making placement less critical and giving all products a fair opportunity to be seen. As I visit stores, I’m seeing this strategy implemented successfully across many locations. We actively support our retail partners by providing samples, open/close door signage using non-damaging window clings, and aisle interrupters designed to draw attention to new products. Additionally, we are incorporating QR codes across all advertising materials, directing consumers to our website for deeper product education. Complementing these efforts, our trade marketing team is in-market across key regions, merchandising, distributing samples, and executing in-store promotions.
OTC Beauty: What makes your team at House of Cheatham work so well together, and how do you foster harmony and collaboration among your team members?
One of the key factors that makes our team at HOC work so well together—and fosters true harmony—is our regular Team Summits. These meetings create an open forum where we discuss what’s working, what isn’t, and how we can address challenges together. They allow for honest conversations, alignment, and clear action steps. This ongoing dialogue strengthens collaboration because we are all working toward the same goals: delivering quality products and minimizing out-of-stocks whenever possible. The level of collaboration across teams is unlike anything I’ve experienced before, and it’s successful because it’s built on genuine respect for one another. As one of the OGs on the team, I consistently feel that respect from my colleagues. That respect motivates me to openly share my knowledge and experience, helping to mentor others and build future leaders. This is how we create a meaningful succession plan within our industry—by valuing collaboration, experience, and mutual respect.
OTC Beauty: What’s a fun or unexpected fact about you that people might not know outside of your professional role?
An unexpected fact about me—outside of my professional role—is that I’m extremely introverted. In my career, I naturally step into an extroverted space, but in my personal life I’m still quite shy. I’m intentionally working on bringing that professional confidence into everyday situations, pushing myself to be more open and comfortable outside of work.
OTC Beauty: What’s the best life advice you have ever received?
The best life advice that I have ever received is to Let Go and Let God. I spent so much time trying to do this thing called life myself. The scripture Jeremiah 29:11 helped me stop trying to navigate through this life myself. It is not a promise of an easy path but an encouragement that God’s plans are ultimately good, and better than mine.
