We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Bianca Akmal. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Bianca below.
Bianca, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?
Unknowingly I started my business at the age of 11 it was the year 1998 when I discovered my passion for hair I was always fascinated with Braids and Hair in general and so therefore I begin practicing I started to use pieces of braiding hair extensions that would fall to the ground when my mother would do my hair I would save those pieces and then use it for practice on my baby dolls. After a while, I got really good at braiding, but it wasn’t until I met a young Nigerian girl who would change my life forever.
At the time we were living in Long Beach, California, and my mother and I had fell on hard times, as we ended up losing our place due to a domestic violence incident involving my father. I can remember my mother and I driving around in the dead of night desperately searching for a hotel to stay in for the night but unfortunately nothing was available. My mother eventually pulled over and set in a moment of silence as i glanced over at her she looked down at me. I could see tears welling up in her eyes, as I sensed she felt like a failure. as tears slowly fell from her eyes I too began to tear up and without thinking about it I told my mother in that moment “everything is going to be okay” we slept in our car that night, and the next morning we woke up to good news. We were accepted into a battered women shelter.
During this period of my life, we had lived in multiple battered women shelters for several months as my mother was trying to save towards a new place for us. While at one particular shelter in Los Angeles, there was a young Nigerian girl age 16, who was also a victim of domestic violence, she was a new mother as her son was only six months old at the time. As she walked passed our room, she noticed me practicing braids on my doll head. She said to me, “your braids are nice, but I can show you a better way!” She then grab my doll, unraveled my previous braid and began to show me how to perfect! My braids, by making each braid consistent throughout the entire head, when she showed me this method, I felt something spark inside of me and I have been braiding consistently this way based on her methods every sense.
In my high school years as a hobby, and for fun! I would weekly (and consistently) change my hair color via colorful Braids. For an example: One week my braids would be red, The next week my braids would be orange, pink, yellow, green etc. etc.
To the point when others, began to start taking notice in my hair and began booking with me. They were fascinated by how perfect my braids were and my parting that people couldn’t believe that I did my hair on my own. And from there I started building a clientele, while I was still attending high school. Looking back! At that time I was probably charging no more than $40-$60 a hairstyle (HAHA), but I look at it this way… you gotta start somewhere! Furthermore, I didn’t have a name for my business at the time. I was just simply known as “the girl who could braid really good!” Or they’d call me by my nickname “Geisha Doll,” as I would often experiment with my makeup and look.
Therefore, people would just book me and my only job was doing hair, for me it was a hobby… at the time I wasn’t focused on perhaps turning my talents into a career. Eventually, I started Broadening my abilities, I started doing weaves and all sorts of different hairstyles. Back then, we didn’t have YouTube so everything was taught locally. Because I did hair, I knew other women who could do hair within the community. Being so young and eager to learn more, these stylist took me under their wing and showed me their methods, overtime I’ve perfected these techniques and made it my own.
When I was age 19 my family and I packed up from California and decided to moved to Las Vegas NV, looking for a better opportunity. Living in Las Vegas, over the course of 13yrs really changed my life, in my experience… Las Vegas was not easy! It was hard! Yet somehow being in that tough environment… I thrived. At age 21 I moved out of my mothers home, and went out into the world on my own. My first job I got on my own was working at an assistant nursing facility, from there I began working as a call center representative. I did hair from time to time, but then out of no where, and without warning I just STOPPED! And for years I didn’t take a single client. Eventually, I began taking on various customer service jobs within corporate America, I had become so good at my job that I begin to climb the corporate ladder. Until I reached the highest position of my corporate career. I became an executive customer service manager over a large International Call Center for a cryptocurrency company. Working alongside, presidents, and CEOs of this company. I learned a lot during my time there, and made a lot of money! However, with all my success I wasn’t happy and I would often feel unfulfilled. As many times I’d dealt with overwhelming pressures to be perfect and even extreme racism from other colleagues, who felt I didn’t deserve to be in the position I was in as a black woman. I became so overwhelmed that I eventually checked into therapy after suffering from a nervous breakdown, in the end…I ended up stepping down from my position and taking a break from my corporate career indefinitely.
It was November 2018, I was preparing to host a huge Thanksgiving dinner party at my home in Las Vegas. My mother was going to come down and celebrate with me from California. She had moved back to cali a few years prior. So I was happy to see her and I was preparing a beautiful meal for us and my family. However, unfortunately the day before Thanksgiving. I had received a terrible phone call from my brother. He advised me our mother became seriously ill and had been rushed to the hospital. I immediately canceled my thanksgiving party and headed to California to be by my mothers side. When I got to the hospital I was relieved to know my mother was stable. However, I was so frightened by this incident that I made a split decision to leave Las Vegas and vowed to move back home and support my mother. I realized I only had one parent left as my father had passed away from lung cancer several years prior in 2012. And I recently left my career, I wasn’t married, nor did I have any children… so for me it was clear! I didn’t renew my lease, and in Feb of 2019 I packed up my life in Las Vegas and relocated back to California.
Several weeks after the move, I immediately became extremely depressed. Prior to me moving, I didn’t think to realize that I would be leaving behind a beautiful, incredible, and highly independent lifestyle! I had built up for myself back in Vegas. After the move, I was lost and ended up having to rediscover myself all over again… which was very tough for me to do. At that time… Life for me had changed literally, overnight! It started to seep in… everything I had built was gone and I was back at ground zero. My life, and who I developed into over the past 13yrs, exploded before my eyes and I felt like a failure.
Now don’t get me wrong! If given the opportunity to do it all over again, I wouldn’t change a thing, because these experiences has contributed, into making me the person I am today. However, Yes! On one hand … I was helping my mother get well, and it seemed as though! As soon as I came back home to live with her. My mother immediately became well again, it was like she was renewed. Which was definitely a blessing! But on the other hand, internally I was at war with myself and my emotions as I felt depressed, destroyed, and helplessness.
To manage my bills, I started working various odd jobs just to get by. Eventually, in the year 2020 (right before covid hit in the spring of March) I’d accepted a direct support professional position for a women’s behavioral home which immediately led into an administrator position shortly after my hire. This was my last employer before I’d rediscovered myself and opened my Buisness. While working at the home, as an administrator, I was yet again put in a leadership position. However, the difference was that it wasn’t a very professional environment as I had been previously accustomed to with my other employers. The owner in particular, was not professionally trained and lacked people and leadership skills. All of my works and efforts as the homes administrator, I’d put forth to improve both living and working conditions. For employees and residents alike, were all undone by the owner on several occasions. These actions, are what made me began to question the direction I was going in my life. I decided to leave this job in October of 2020, and focus my time and attention on building my own company’s and brands. When Covid, happened I realized traditional methods of making money was becoming outdated and unstable. And that is when I rediscovered my passions for hair and finally launched my brand KYOTO DYNASTY to the world! To be clear I legally form KYOTO DYNASTY back in 2017, when I was still living in Las Vegas. I name my business KYOTO DYNASTY, in honor of the beautiful Geisha women (and our ancestors from all over the globe) whom originated in the city of Kyoto, Japan. Early on, I have always been fascinated with Japanese culture (hence my nickname from high school “Geisha Doll”). I am intrigued by how most individuals from Japanese culture, can take whole lifetimes to learn and perfect a craft. I truly resonate with this practice, although I’ve been practicing my craft for more then 25 years, I’m still learning and acquiring more skills, which I am very excited about!
In 2017, when KYOTO DYNASTY was formed I actually kept it on the back burner. Because I always was waiting for the perfect time to launch my business in my original concept. Originally, I just wanted to sell premium hair/haircare products, but I realize that in order for me to really get my business off the ground, I had to come back to the chair and showcase my various skills and talents to the public… and so here I am before you.
Hello world! I am Bianca Akmal, CEO of EGGPIC CORP and owner and creator of KYOTO DYNASTY, Luxury Hair & Cosmetics Co. It’s a honor to meet you and be at your service.
Bianca, 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?
My business KYOTO DYNASTY, is a direct extension of myself and represents, the pure passion that I have for my craft. It represents order, direction, discipline, all things beautiful, and defined.
I dedicate my business to our ancestors, and to all of the individuals who came before me. Who set the path in place for me to walk on. I am inspired by their beauty, and their works! And I am looking forward to building an incredible brand focusing on organic products straight from mother nature, similar to what our ancestors used to use.
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
Unexpectedly while I was in the mist of building my brand KYOTO DYNASTY, a devastating tragedy struck my family. On the date of Jan 21, 22 my mother became extremely ill and was rushed to the hospital. Exactly, one month later to the dates of her arrival to the hospital on Feb 21, 2022 she had passed away from heart failure. My life immediately came to a standstill as I mourned my mothers death. But it was the support of my family and my clients that kept me going and didn’t allow me to give up on myself. In June of 2022, I checked myself into cosmetology school and graduated one year to the date of my mothers passing on 2/22/23 and i moved in my Salon Suite on 3/13/23 one year from my mother’s funeral services. I didn’t plan it this way, but I noticed that afterwords that god was trying to tell me that this is what I am here to do. My business is literally a gift from God! Given to me as a young child and as an adult, I understand now… I am working within my purpose, and all other jobs that i maintained was preparing me to lead my own businesses one day! With my mother watching over me from heaven. I live my life now with two words replaying in the back of my mind… KEEP GOING!
No matter the obstacles ahead, don’t turn around or give up on yourself… Keep Going! Life is designed to be tough, because without pressure there could be no diamond. #keepgoing
How did you put together the initial capital you needed to start your business?
I started my business without a business loan, my entire business is completely self funded.
I just worked, took in as many clients as I could take, saved my money, and reinvest a portion of my earnings back into my business. And as a result i have built my business into the brand that it is today! Through hard work and dedication.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.KyotoDynasty.com
- Instagram: @KyotoDynasty
- Facebook: KYOTO DYNASTY
- Linkedin: Bianca Akmal
- Twitter: @KyotoDynastyCO
- Youtube: KYOTO DYNASTY
- Yelp: KYOTO DYNASTY
- TikTok: @KYOTODYNASTY
- Other: For Bookings: styleseat.com/kyotodynasty Kyotodynasty.booksy.com We’re also listed on Vagaro, search us by: Kyoto Dynasty Email: [email protected] Ph: 855-987-6470 Digital Business Card: https://mycrd.is/KyotoDynasty