We recently connected with Tamika Trotter and have shared our conversation below.

Tamika, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

The biggest risk ive taken is this business. I wasnt making much doing hair at first. So I tired getting a job. I was working at sams , I tired working at Fedex , I worked in a call center , I tried working at Quik Trip but nothing was more satisfying and nothing brought in more money than me doing hair . I had a family death that caused me to quit my last job and after that I just thought to myself do what you know you can do . I started back doing hair, started getting more customers , some weeks I wouldnt get customers and was scared how i was going to pay my bills. But once I got my name out more and getting more consistent customers, i havent worried about my bills since 2019 .

Tamika, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I call myself “ The Weavologist “ . I specialize in all types of lace wig installs. I started doing braids but the demand for wigs just grew so much so I taught myself how to install wigs . What makes me different from other stylists is I don’t discriminate when it comes to hair. You have a “ bad “ wig , i can install it , if your wig is too small or too big , we’re gonna make it work , you bought the wrong type of wig , we’re still going to make it work . Honestly, what im most proud of are my loyal clients. I have so many clients who have been coming to me and me only for years and that shows the trust that these women have for me and I love that! I want people to know that this is not a hobby of mine , I dont just do hair for fun . This is my life . This is how I provide for myself so I take it very seriously.

How did you build your audience on social media?

I started building my clientele on instagram. The key is consistency, you have to post on your timeline you have to post on your story , you have to engage with clients. You have to respond to clients needs and wants. I have an automated response system on instagram that give’s potential clients my direct contact information to book or ask any questions before booking . Honestly, when it comes to hair and new clients , new clients want to see that you know what youre doing and you actually care about what they want from you. Furthermore, ive ran instagram add promotions to get my page out to more people, instagram promotions have taken me a long way , ive had clients travel hours to come get their hair done .

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy for me has been to be consistent and being able to adapt. Have returning clients? Make sure you respond as soon as you can . Have a client in the chair that has questions, answer them . Have a client that randomly calls to ask about hair types to get , answer the phone . People are people , some have no clue how to do anything with their hair thats why stylists are here . To answer questions and please clients. I have clients that wanted styles I hadn’t tried before , but being consistent they trusted me enough to try the style on them . Thats where having to adapt comes in , its all about pleasing the client , if you want a style but dont trust someone else , I will learn just so you can be comfortable. Staying consistent with clients is key.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://hair-by-meeks.square.site
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/the.weavologist_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=