I was born in Guyana and have had an interest in haircare ever since I was a child. When I emigrated to the U.S. at the age of 20, I followed the trends and straightened my hair and wore hair extensions. However, soon I had a strong desire to express my heritage by wearing my hair in its unprocessed state. Given my passion for hair care, I was already extremely skilled in styling and maintaining natural hair so this was an easy transition for me.
In the early 2000s, I was a young, single mother of two young boys and needed a career that would provide them with financial security. However, I could not let go of my childhood dream so I simultaneously studied nursing and cosmetology and received my licenses to practice in both fields. For six years, I worked as nurse by day and hairdresser by night. In 2012 I was able to open Hempresstyles Beauty Salon in Brooklyn, NY and focused completely on working as a cosmetologist full-time.
Though more black people are embracing their natural hair, many communities still do not have local salons that specialize in caring for our unique type of hair. For almost 5 years, Hempresstyles Beauty Salon fulfilled this particular need for my clients but last year I became the victim of Brooklyn’s gentrification. The salon’s landlord drastically increased our rent so I’m currently in the process of relocating to a more affordable neighborhood with a large Afro-Caribbean population but only a few “natural hair” salons.
I plan on using the KIVA loan to cover the relocation and renovation expenses so that I can relaunch my salon. Helping my clients look and feel their best is my mission and I will fulfill it even in the face of my current setback.