As women in business, it’s always important to set and maneuver goals like the “big boys.” We eat, sleep and breathe our brands, and have an innate ability to grow and nurture things and people. It’s not often we get to sit and gab about the business aspects of our lives with each other, share tips on how we build our own successes and help others do the same. We were able to do that this past weekend.
Angela Walker is the owner and founder of N Natural Hair Studio and The Natural Hair Institute, a school she opened to train stylists on specific techniques in managing natural hair. Angela also hosts two conventions in the hair industry — the Naturalista Hair Show for women looking to get their hands on the best natural hair products and The Natural Hair Industry Convention for professionals seeking to network and educate themselves on the business of beauty. Angela sat down with the president of Uncle Funky’s Daughter, (you know her, you love her), Renee Morris, where she opened about how she manages these four enterprises.
“I am a stylist [myself]. I wanted to open a salon from the beginning because I wanted to work in a salon environment where people are working as a team,” she said.
“I wanted to be in a space where if I didn’t know how to do something, that if the person beside me saw me doing something incorrectly, they could pause their client and come help me out. That is what builds N Natural Hair Studio,” she continued.
“Specifically in my salon space, everyone has their strengths. So we can all probably do flat twists, but my flat twists may be better than another stylist’s.” She noted that the formula of her team is one where every stylist has something he/she is known for, so when it comes time to help another stylist perfect that skill, it creates a learning environment and progression as a team and as a business.
One year after launching the salon, Angela hosted the 1st annual Naturalista Hair Show. “The hair show was a part of the original plan. I would travel to Atlanta every year, sometimes twice a year, for shows. I would travel to Philadelphia…then to New York for another show,” she said. “I would be travel to all these places, and I was like, ‘In every city that I’m traveling to, the amount of people who have natural hair do not [compare to the number] in my city! Why don’t we have this?’ So, I started the Naturalista Hair Show.” Her biggest advice to those looking to enter into the Hair Show business? “You need to make sure that whatever you are putting into place, you can back those numbers. Often a new show will cancel one or two months before the show because they don’t have the ticket sales. They don’t realize that most of the sales come in the last two weeks, so if you are not there until the end, you will never know the results of your marketing efforts.”
As she prepares to open her second salon in the DMV area, she emphasized the importance of accessibility for her clients when deciding on the site of the new location. When do you know you are ready to expand? When your current location can no longer service the demand. The second location needs to offer an alternative for your existing clients, while enabling you to meet the needs of clients in that local community.
In addition to expanding the salon, Angela and her team are actively working on ideas for enhancing the hair show experience…but she wouldn’t reveal those secrets! You’ll just have to join her at the show in 2018!
Angela Walker fits the Beauty Boss standard and exceeds it. We at Uncle Funky’s Daughter applaud women in business every day. You inspire us, you serve us as women in the community and contribute to our success. Women CAN do it all…with their village to support them!
Click here to watch the full interview with Angela Walker!
Are you thinking of launching your own business and have questions for our beauty boss? Let us know in the comments below!
