We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Whitney Parker. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Whitney below.
Whitney, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. One of the most important things we can do as business owners is ensure that our customers feel appreciated. What’s something you’ve done or seen a business owner do to help a customer feel valued?
One of the most meaningful ways I’ve shown appreciation to a customer happened with a longtime client who had been coming to me during a very difficult season in her life. She had quietly shared that she was going through a divorce and struggling to feel like herself again.
Instead of just providing the service she booked, I wanted her experience in my chair to remind her that she was still worthy of care and confidence.
When she arrived for her appointment, I had a small handwritten note waiting for her that said, “You deserve to feel beautiful in every season of life.” I also gifted her a bottle of one of my hair oils from my product line and told her it was simply a thank-you for trusting me with her hair and her story over the years.
During the appointment we talked, laughed, and by the time she left with her silk press and fresh color, she looked in the mirror and started crying. She told me it was the first time in months that she felt like herself again.
What made the moment so powerful wasn’t the gift itself, it was the intention behind it. It reminded me that in this industry, our chairs often become places of healing, confidence, and community.
Moments like that reinforce why I believe beauty professionals do more than style hair ; we help people reclaim how they see themselves.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
My name is Whitney Parker and I’m the owner of Beauty By Whitney, a beauty brand and salon based in Uptown Minneapolis. I’m a licensed cosmetologist with over 16 years of experience and a licensed instructor for the past two years. I’m also a second-generation hair care professional, so beauty has truly been part of my life for as long as I can remember. I grew up watching my mother build her career in the salon, and seeing the impact she had on people inspired me to pursue this path as well.
Over the years, my career has grown far beyond simply doing hair. I specialize in natural hair care, silk presses, extensions, and hair color, but my work also includes education, product formulation, and beauty consulting. In 2020, I formulated my own hair care product line, and I’m passionate about helping people understand how to truly care for their hair and scalp in ways that promote long-term health and growth.
My chair has always been more than just a place where people get their hair done. It has become a space for confidence, healing, and transformation. Many of my clients come to me not just because they want beautiful hair, but because they want someone who understands their hair, listens to their concerns, and helps them feel like themselves again. I take pride in helping people restore their hair health, rebuild their confidence, and learn how to properly care for their hair at home.
One of the things that sets me apart is that I approach beauty from both an artistic and educational perspective. As an instructor and consultant, I work with schools, brands, and stylists to help raise the standard of hair education, especially when it comes to textured and natural hair. I believe education is one of the most powerful tools in our industry, and I’m committed to sharing what I know so the next generation of stylists can thrive.
Throughout my career I’ve had opportunities to work on major productions, including Netflix’s Love Is Blind, and my work has been featured in national publications and with notable public figures. I’ve also been honored with community and business awards that recognize my leadership and impact. While those accomplishments are meaningful, what I’m most proud of is the community that has grown around my chair and my brand.
Beauty By Whitney is about more than hair. It’s about empowerment, education, and community. I host events, workshops, and initiatives that help people envision bigger possibilities for their lives and careers. My goal has always been to use beauty as a bridge; helping people feel confident on the outside while also encouraging growth, healing, and purpose on the inside.
What I want people to know most about me is that everything I build is rooted in intention. Whether someone sits in my chair, attends a workshop, uses one of my products, or collaborates with me professionally, my goal is for them to leave feeling seen, empowered, and better than when they arrived.
At the end of the day, beauty is powerful, but the impact I make in people’s lives is what truly lasts.
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Resilience has been a defining part of my journey, both personally and professionally. Almost six years ago, I experienced one of the most difficult seasons of my life. I lost my husband to COVID , and just nine months later, I lost my adopted mother; the woman who inspired me to become a stylist in the first place. She was the reason I fell in love with this industry. Watching her build a life behind the chair showed me early on how powerful this profession could be.
Navigating that level of grief while continuing to run a business and care for my children was incredibly challenging. There were days when simply opening the salon doors felt like a victory. But over time, I realized that my work was helping me heal just as much as it was helping the people who sat in my chair.
My chair became a space where people shared their stories, their struggles, and their celebrations. It reminded me that what we do in this industry is deeper than hair. We create spaces where people can feel seen, supported, and confident again.
Instead of letting those losses define the end of my story, I chose to let them shape my purpose. They pushed me to build Beauty By Whitney into something bigger than a salon chair. Today my work is rooted in empowerment, education, and community; carrying forward the legacy my mother started and honoring the resilience that life required of me.
That experience taught me that resilience isn’t about avoiding hardship. It’s about continuing to move forward, finding meaning in your work, and using your story to uplift others along the way.
We’d really appreciate if you could talk to us about how you figured out the manufacturing process.
Yes, I do manufacture my own products, and the story behind my product line is deeply personal.
I actually started my line with my late husband, Leslie. After having my child, I experienced significant postpartum hair loss, which is something many women go through but isn’t talked about enough. As a stylist, hair had always been a big part of my identity, so losing my hair made me feel incredibly insecure, helpless, and stressed.
During that time, Leslie was incredibly supportive. He encouraged me not to just sit in that frustration, but to use my knowledge as a stylist to create a solution. I remember him telling me, “You should make something that helps you and helps all the other women going through the same thing.” That moment really planted the seed.
I began researching ingredients, studying oils and botanicals that support scalp health and hair growth, and experimenting with formulations. Because I was working behind the chair every day, I had the unique advantage of testing blends with real clients and seeing what truly worked. What started as a personal solution quickly became something that helped many of the people sitting in my chair who were dealing with hair loss, breakage, scalp issues, and dryness.
Even though Leslie was my biggest supporter and the one who encouraged me to start, he never got to see the products in their final form. He passed away before I was able to fully finalize the formula and bring the product to market. Finishing the line after his passing was emotional, but it also became a way for me to honor his belief in me and the vision he saw before I could fully see it myself.
Over time, as demand grew, I learned how to scale production, work with vendors, and maintain consistency and quality in the manufacturing process. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned is that creating a product is about more than a good formula; it’s about patience, research, quality control, and truly listening to the people you’re trying to help.
My product line is special to me because it was born from a very real and vulnerable moment in my life. It represents resilience, love, and the power of turning a personal challenge into something that can support others. In many ways, every bottle carries the encouragement Leslie gave me to create something that helps people feel confident in their hair and in themselves.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Www.bbwhaircare.com
- Instagram: @beautybywhitneymichelle
- Facebook: Whitney Michelle Parker/ Beauty By Whitney
Image Credits
Kendall Holt
James Reed Photograpy