We recently connected with Lazhane Hightower and have shared our conversation below.

Lazhane, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Life entails embracing risks! I’ve taken bold steps, reaching out to influencers and celebrities, offering my hairstyling services for free in exchange for exposure. The reach paid off with one of a major influencer recently—she not only accepted my offer but provided astonishing returns. From being chauffeured to my hotel, to multiple tags on her 2M+ follower platforms, complimentary meals, generous tips, valuable content monetization insights, and a delightful dinner after completing the services. . It’s proof that taking risks can lead to unexpected, incredible experiences. Grateful for the connections forged on this journey.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

The numbers from my name of my business “Hair By Nay 24/7,” are often mistaken as an area code. In reality, it reflects my commitment to all things hair, all the time. As the eldest among 15+ grandchildren, mainly girls, I began styling hair at 13, embracing those early experiences of making extra money, May 2013 at 15 years old I lost my father. He was an entrepreneur or “jack of all trades” he’d say and he really inspired me. So after I unfortunately lost him I was like I have to hold up his memory and continue making him proud. I was living in my grandma house at the time so imagine me in a small 10×10 room where majority of my room is taken over by my bed, tv and dresser and then having a little chair at the end of my bed doing someone’s hair. Truly dedicated and so appreciative of my grandma for letting me start my journey there as a teenager and still going to high school..

Fast forward I went to cosmetology school right after but faced a little challenges in between because I was in Cosmo school but still didn’t know if it was really what I wanted to be doing forever. I tried so many jobs like Cracker Barrel, Mc Donald’s, Bealls outlet, car wash and etc but none of those fit what I wanted to do or be. Once Bealls outlet told me I had to cover up my tattoos and cracker barrel told me I had to wear nude nail polish I knew those jobs were not for me.. I was literally in beauty school lol.

Once I graduated, passed state exam and started working on my own I’ve recognized the importance of healthy scalps and obtained a Trichology certification a few years later. Trichology is the study of hair and scalp. This sets me apart as I offer not just hairstyling but a comprehensive experience, educating clients on what they may be experiencing and what would be the next steps on their healthy hair journey. I’m proud of my journey, from a shy girl who used to sit by herself at lunch to a high demand cosmetologist collaborating with brands like OLAPLEX, amika, K18 and also traveling the world for business .. all about hair. Im so thankful.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Over the past few years, my client base has seen significant growth, but I faced challenges as new clients dominated each month, preventing returning clients. Recognizing the need for consistency, I established two programs: a VIP membership with an annual fee providing priority booking, and a prepaid program allowing clients to pay for a set number of appointments with priority booking and no on-the-day payments. My calendar opens every three months, catering to clients who prefer planning their hair care well in advance rather than deciding on the spot. This approach has brought stability to my business and enhanced the overall experience for my clientele.

Through these memberships, I’ve observed that clients appreciate the loyalty extended to them, the privilege of priority booking, and exclusive access to book selected styles.

This has contributed to maintaining financial consistency in my business and, more importantly, ensuring organizational efficiency—a mutually beneficial situation.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

The year 2020 posed challenges for many, but I managed to adapt by working from home as a hairstylist. Despite a slight slowdown, I decided to leverage TikTok for showcasing my work as a portfolio, not initially for client growth.. However, in January 2021, my strategy shifted, and with consistent daily posts, my calendar filled up in less than 10 minutes. Recognizing the educational value of my content, I leaned in on sharing my expertise, watching my following grow across platforms. Understanding my target audience, discovered through engagement analytics, allowed me to make content effectively. Midway through building my TikTok presence, I extended my content to Instagram, (because why not? ) discovering a whole new audience. Three years later, I now have nearly 600k followers across all platforms. Consistency and remembering what initially attracted followers have been key in sustaining and expanding my social media presence.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Www.Instagram.com/hairbynay247
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@hairbynay247?si=YBFD1Bc_oBbH2kIB
• Other: TikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@hairbynay247?_t=8kakWA3gZva&_r=1