We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chrishya Ciechan a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Chrishya, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Alright, so we’d love to hear about how you got your first client or customer. What’s the story?
I was in 9th grade at the time & I use to braid my own hair into 2 braids for school. Then a girl I went to school with that I never really talked to text me on instagram and ask me could I do her some box braids. She then came over and it took me like 2 days to finish lol we had to stop and she come back the next day. It was decent for my first try but definitely not something I would wear in my own head. I think she paid me like $60. She definitely was the start of me braiding. She was a returning client until I moved from Georgia which I’m grateful for she continued to come back and let me do her hair.
Chrishya, 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?
I’m from Augusta, Ga. I first started doing hair when I was 14. I started out with friends, family, & the mentorship of my mom because she used to do hair when she was younger and has her cosmetology license. The business grew so rapidly that by the time I was in 11th grade I was booked almost everyday. So my mema and mom put together and hair room for me at my memas house. As much as I love doing hair & I look at it more so of a hobby. It still wasn’t something I seen myself doing full time. So I joined the army at 17 right after I graduated high school In basic training, AIT, and now my current duty station as soon as people find out I do hair everyone starts booking appointments or asking me to do their hair. About a year in Washington I finally went to shop so I could be more organized and have a more professional setting.
The such great thing for me currently is in Georgia the service I provide usually ranges from $100-$200 but in WA. People charge $400 and that is on the low in. I believe to be from the lack of African American hairdressers because of the cultural differences in the area. I pride myself in not charging my clients something I wouldn’t want to pay myself. This mindset i think draws me more clients and consistent clientele.
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Social media & word of mouth. For most people getting their name out there in a place they’re not from may seem hard. I’m in the army so everyone is also not from here looking for hairstylist. So I spread the word amongst my co-workers. And joined the local facebook groups, Instagram hashtags, & TikTok to promote my business.
How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?
I like to build relationships with my clients. The regular returning clients each appointment is almost like a catch up session for the both of us. Or we watch movies or talk about the latest media news.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stylesbyshya.as.me/
- Instagram: Stylesbyshya
- Facebook: Chrishya Monique
