We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Keonna Butler. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Keonna below.
Hi Keonna, thanks for joining us today. What do you think matters most in terms of achieving success?
Consistency, Consistency, Consistency. That is the Key To becoming successful. You can start anything. You can start working out, eating right, a business, affirmations, etc, but if you are not consistent that’s all you will do Start. It takes guts to start something. It takes Consistency to finish.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your background and context?
Hello everyone my name is Keonna Butler I am the Owner of Handzofagoddess and I am one of your trusted stylists based out of Marietta. How did I get here you may wonder, let me take you back 15 almost 16 years ago when I became an autodidact braider. My oldest sister Latisha Glass use to braid my hair, oh my goodness my eyes use to be super tight whenever she braided my hair. I loved the art so much that I started braiding my hair myself. After that first attempt I was consistent with the braids. I mastered it. Everyone use to ask “who braided your hair?” I would proudly say “me!!” The next question was “do you braid other people’s hair?” Music to my ears. Not only did I braid I was the master of a genie ponytail. Right then I knew exactly what I wanted to do. I did it effortlessly. I use to have people lined up on my bed in my moms apartment just to get their hair done. Standing on my feet for 10 hours or more for $60-$80 Bucks.
Note: in 2022 that sounds crazy but in 2007-2010 that was some money. Especially for someone my age. It didn’t feel like a job. I felt like an inventor. To be able to duplicate a style and to show my client and they are super excited. Saying “I love it.” Or “ This is exactly what I wanted.” I fell in love with that feeling. I could really make or break someone’s day. I graduated in 2010 left home (Michigan) at 19 moved to Indianapolis in 2011. Thankful that I can take my talent on the go. I started all over. I did what I did best and braided my hair. I started working for Amazon in Whitestone where I met my husband Tybias Butler.
Crazy thing but true story. We have been together since the first day we met. Meaning the first time we laid eyes on each other.
We moved in together then moved to Georgia. Had to start all over once again. We got married in 2014. He’s in the military he’s been in just as long as I’ve been braiding hair if not longer. He transferred his post 9/11 benefits over to me and I was able to attend cosmetology school here in Georgia. That was short lived because we moved to New York where I graduated. While attending school my teacher Mrs.Gay a phenomenal woman introduced me to her close friend Felicia. I worked for her on Saturdays. I can’t thank them enough. Working for Fe have me the experience of working in a professional salon setting. It helped me master shampooing.
In all my husband and I spent a year in a half in New York. Crazy thing but true thing the entire time in New York my husband and I were sleeping in his dodge Dakota. That’s another story for another day. We moved back to Georgia where I met Treana Clay. I had been following her on Instagram for the longest. She was looking for an assistant and I applied and got the job. I assist her from 2018-2021. Then I branched off on my own. Assisting her gave me a solid foundation and everything that I’ve done ,suffered, and conquered made me who I am today. The top of 2021 my mom gave me the scare of my life. If you know my mom Yvonne Childs you know that she’s A Super Mom. She went from being unresponsive to being unstoppable. I felt like a hole pierced my heart. I want to make my mom proud. I felt like I haven’t made it yet. Sometimes we get so caught up in life that we don’t stop and bask in what we have. Somewhere in the year of 2019 I met this young lady name AJ Ashley J Williams. We worked at Gochas Salon together. She was let go but that solider isn’t let go of her passion. We stayed in communication from then all the way up until now. Honestly she’s the reason I’m able to tell my story. I can’t thank her enough. Fast forward to me being out on my own. I was searching for a location to work and AJ advise me that I should go to this spot in Sandy Spings. The owner Larissa was phenomenal. Her suites are beautiful. I just knew I found my home. Until one day my husband called me and told me he found me a salon of my own. I was skeptical, because I was all in at Larissa’s, but once I looked at it I saw the potential. We jumped on it. So going into 30 I was not only a wife, no kids, and entrepreneur, but I had to add salon owner to that resume. If anyone ever tell you being a entrepreneur is easy is giving you false information. Don’t believe them. With the right amount of consistency, support and team Anything is possible. With me being consistent I was able to provide my services such as knotless braids, feed in braids, sew ins, and more to some celebrities here In Atlanta. It has been a blessing, I’m forever humble and grateful. Major s/o to my support team.
Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?
Through out my journey I’ve faced some challenges. I’ve always been fearful of my books not being filled. I’m blessed to say that I would have no one at the start of the week and by the work day I have a full schedule. It’s a blessing because God always showering down on me. I’m thankful. At one point in the mist of my life I started working at a particular spot in buckhead. The owner told me that I couldn’t work there anymore. It was hour based. He felt like I booked for space and not time, so I could no longer work there anymore and I had to find somewhere else to go. I did just that. Meanwhile While This is going on my right hand is numb. At first I Down played it. I’m braiding hair and noticed my hand is still numb. By this time It had been hours. Those hours turned into days. I went to see a hand specialist which told me it’s a possibility I might have carpal tunnel. Now I’m thinking of ways to get around this. I love what I do. This is my passion. I started exercising my fingers, something I’ve never done and it got better. I started thinking of ways to work less, but still make a good money. That didn’t work. Back when I was assisting I wanted to create a program teaching students in school how to assist. Teach them how to shampoo, detangle, blow dry, and how to do braid downs. That is the foundation. So once I got established in the salon my husband revisited the subject. I wasn’t ready. I felt like everything was just happening so fast. I wasn’t ready to pivot away from the chair. Placing that fear behind me and letting God Lead The Way. My husband and I started a non profit called Mini Mees. We go to schools do a presentation and try to get up and coming Stylist to join the school. It’s 4 weeks 2 days a week 3 1/2 hours for those 2 days. The Last Week the students do an internship in a salon. They go for three days. If the salon is interested in them they can get hired on full time. It’s hard trying to pivot away from being a stylist, but I saw a gap that needed to be filled so I’m here to provide the knowledge that I’ve recorded in my cranium and pass it along.
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
First off I want to thank God because without him I don’t think no I know none of this would be possible. Being able to work even when my hand was numb and Saving got me where I am. My husband is like the mastermind. He comes up with lucrative ideas that are beneficial. I can only do so much. My plate is already on overload so when it came down to funding we really had to make sacrifices. My husband signed a contract for 6 more years and in doing so he was entitled to a bonus. Long story short he’s still waiting on the bonus. One thing about me I don’t count money I don’t have. It’s not a good trait to have. So we had to take all our checks, our savings, got a title loan and used credit to start this business. It’s not easy and everybody’s journey is different, but one thing I can say is Handzofagoddess Salon KenMar Empire and Mini Mees Non Profit is up and running. God Works in mysterious ways.
We’ve struggled. Down To The Last dime. If I don’t know how to do anything else, I know how to make it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.styleseat.com/keonnab
- Instagram: Handzofagoddess
- Facebook: Handzofagoddess
- Youtube: Handzofagoddess
Image Credits
Keonna Butler