We recently connected with Kashena Burnett and have shared our conversation below.

Kashena, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. How do you think about spending on things like coffee when times are tough?

Being an entrepreneur made me quickly realize that managing my finances would always have to be number one task. Often times when things were going slow instead of me making hair appointments for myself me being a luxury stylist. I just did it on my own although I love the luxury of having someone else do it. I had to cut back just so that my business wouldn’t take a hard hit. I also looked at what I indulged in on a daily basis where I could save money and I was going to Starbucks nearly every day and that started to add up so I would just buy the stuff from my local store and make my coffee at home. I always wanted to be a good Steward over my money. So now when I’m exceeding in certain months and then I know my projections for slower months. I just put back extra during those lucrative times to carry me during those slow moments.

Kashena, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

Im a Mother, entrepreneur, and a worship leader at my church Logos. I’m a single mother to some amazing boys. Growing up I always seen my mother working hard, but she was never able to participate in any of our extracurricular activities or show up to our school because she was always working so I told myself that when I got older, I wanted a career where I could be free to support my children and I would never have to ask. Can I have this time off to show up for them. So what led me to do hair was the flexibility to make my own schedule and have control over my life and what I wanted. I wanted others to feel good about themselves and servicing clients with a hairstyle completely changed someone’s day and it’s more than just doing hair. People are able to come and be free. I just wanted women to have a place where there was no judgment and they could feel good about themselves. An appointment with me completely changed someone’s day and it’s more than just doing hair. People are able to come in and vent. They’re able to be free to have a cheap therapist. what I do is more than hair it’s a ministry. I love to uplift other women and men I love to encourage and I also love being creative and doing hair so they both run hand-in-hand. I want my potential clients to know that when they come in that it’s bigger than hair. It’s an experience that they won’t forget. I love serving others and being there for them. Every aspect of my life I’m leading in but God is in control. I never thought I would be where am I today. But it shows that with hard work and dedication you can be absolutely anything you want to be but you have to put in the hard work. In my salon suite I offer a variety of luxury hair extensions from k-tips, tape-ins and luxury sew-ins and luxury silk presses. What sets me apart from other luxury stylist is the experience you will receive. Every appointment is private and relaxing catered to you personally. I am most proud of the growth that KaShena Chereè has had over the past 8 years it’s been hard but well worth the journey. My brand is my name I want my future clients to know me nothing curated or duplicated just me authentically.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started out doing hair, I found myself in the position having a space in someone else’s shop, and I was always pouring into that person‘s business and never really into my own business and it just came to a point where spiritually we just kept bumping heads because we weren’t equally yoked And the very thing that made me happy to do it almost became a dread to do when I woke up in the morning and go to work, I dreaded going to work because I felt like I was unappreciated. I felt like I was giving more to someone else and their brand and not my own. And I don’t speak negatively about it because I know that in those moments years ago, God was building me up. See, he couldn’t just give me my own business where I just work by myself yet because I had to go through some things to help build me to be where I am today and without those moments, I wouldn’t have the character that I have now I wouldn’t have the resilience I wouldn’t have the pivotal moment where I had to grow in my thinking and my understanding so it made me the woman that I am today and I’m thankful for the hard times and the good times because all of that helps you to become a stronger person. Often times in life we become complacent and we’re fine where we are but in order for us to get different results we have to change, but because we’re so used to the same old thing we’re never able to see growth or get different results cause we’re just repeating a cycle instead of shedding off our old thinking and our old ways then we are able to bloom into something so beautiful.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I remember about 3 1/2 years ago I had transitioned into a private suite and me and the owner of the building became really close and out of nowhere during the holiday time she told me that she was closing the business now I believe it was around Thanksgiving time I felt completely defeated. I was thinking how am I gonna find another suite during the holiday time there’s not gonna be any space for me how am I gonna keep my business afloat? How am I gonna take care of my clients? I have nowhere to work at. I didn’t realize it, but at that time I had completely put all my trust in a person and not God or myself and I was stuck and I got depressed a little bit, but that moment God spoke to me that everything was gonna be all right so she ended up extending the lease till December. I found another place within a week or so, but I wasn’t able to start until I believe the end of January or mid January so I was gonna be out work for a couple of weeks but I had been saving money up and so I sent out emails to all of my clients I sent out text messages And I just keep thinking during those times those tough times God still has me in the palm of his hands he says whatever concerns us concerns him, and he took care of me. I didn’t go without anything, and I just kept striving harder. To me being a entrepreneur is literally a faith Walk I could not do this without God cause there were times that I was not barely making what I normally make, and God still carried me through those moments and there would be times I would have a client bless me with a big huge tip or I would look at my books and there was nothing on there for the week and then all of a sudden, I prayed and God just completely filled my books that was just enough to carry me. Those moments taught me to be resilient and trust God. I had to speak to that warrior on the inside of me. I had to speak to that woman of God on the inside of me. I had to tell myself that this is all a test that you’ve been through far much more than this. This is a test to see if you truly trust God like you say you do. I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for God!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.styleseat.com/m/v/kashenacheree
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kashenacheree?igsh=MWd4ZjQyenR4d2dqZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19st6932Q3/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Other: Tic Tok: @kashenacheree

Image Credits

Jerry Lambert