We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Niki Levengood. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Niki below.

Alright, Niki thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Risking taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.

Being an entrepreneur is a huge risk, but with big risk comes big reward. One of my favorite risks happened about two years ago. I run a full service salon in Columbus, Ohio. One of my team members, Shyanne, came to me and said she was moving to Colorado. Shyanne had worked for me for about three years at the time and the news was heartbreaking to us all. We were a team. She didn’t want to leave us and we didn’t want to be without her. Then the words just flew out of my mouth, without any hesitation. “I’ll open a salon for you in Colorado.” So I did. Shyanne moved to Colorado shortly after and herein lies the story of how our second Tame location came to pass. The decision has been fruitful, to say the least. Shyanne has built a wonderful team under her. We are entering our second year out in Colorado and have even recently upgraded to a larger location.  Risky? Definitely. Worth it? Absolutely. A mutual belief in our brand combined with strong drive and work ethic made this particular risk very worth taking. I am a firm believer in just going for it.

Niki , 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 am Niki Levengood (known to many on social media as Tame By Niki). I have been in the beauty industry for 22 years. I always knew what I wanted to do and started cosmetology school during high school. My passion has fueled my drive over the years which lead me to creating my own brand. Through Tame Brands we exist to promote a lifestyle of bringing inner confidence to the surface. I am blessed to work with amazing women. I love seeing them embrace their greatness and, in turn, embody that lifestyle to those they serve. My goal at Tame Brands is to offer everything a woman would want or need to bring out her inner beauty. Tame Brands started with Tame Hair Salons (a full service hair salon, including skin care services and tattoo studio) and has since expanded to include my other businesses: Tame Cosmetics (a natural cosmetic line), Untamed Extensions (quality hair extensions exclusive to licensed professionals, as well as providing training and education for those in the industry), Tame Label (a lux streetwear clothing line that inspires confidence), and our newest addition, Blush by Tame (Ohio’s premier kids spa party bus).

I am still behind the chair in my salons. It is truly a joy watching women feel refreshed and confident when they leave my salon. Growing a brand from scratch has not been without its challenges. But I have an amazing team and tons of behind the scenes support from my COO, Leah, without which, I would not have been able to achieve much of what you see. I am truly living my dream and blessed to share it with a strong circle of empowered women on the move.

Any advice for managing a team?

There is so much I could say here having owned and managed a salon for 17 years. A few suggestions come to mind, though.

First, would be balance. It requires a great finesse to be personally available to your staff, while maintaining firm leadership. The line between boss and friend can often be blurred. Even if you’re blessed with a supportive staff, it’s hard to dismiss the reality that what you’re going through personally can effect your team’s morale. So I strive to be approachable, yet maintain boundaries.

Second thing I’d advise is to be the hardest worker in the room. I am never too experienced or in too high of a position to get my hands dirty. I rebuke any egocentric attitudes in a leadership position. I am constantly humbled by the reality that I could not be where I am without my team. I believe your team will be inspired to believe in and desire growth inside the company when they see how hard you work alongside them.

My last piece of advice is making sure you are a leader with integrity. Simply put, do what you say you’re going to do. Be consistent and trustworthy as to bury any anxieties that might arise so that those under you can eagerly trust the course the business in on. And always follow through!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I found myself forever changed when I became a twenty year old single mom. It was that moment that I knew I would do anything to make sure my son had a good life. He is the motivation for my resilience, personally and professionally. He is the reason I am the woman I am today. He is all the good in me.

When I set out to grow my company, I had no idea what I was doing. There were insurmountable odds against me, but I just kept going. I continued putting one foot in front of the other. I believed in myself. I had to. I refused to let my son down. As my team grew, I knew I had people depending on me and I would work hard to deliver. Over the years, amidst trials and triumphs, I maintained my tunnel vision set on success. My son deserved it and you know what? I deserved it, too.

Contact Info:

• Website: tamebyniki.com
• Instagram: @tamebyniki
• Facebook: @tamebyniki

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