We recently connected with Ajableu Oldham and have shared our conversation below.
Ajableu, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
As an African American woman, I often feel misunderstood at spas and beauty establishments. I prefer to patronize Black-owned beauty businesses because the owners are often more prepared to address my specific needs relating to my skin and hair. Unfortunately, it’s difficult to find black-owned spas. This isn’t surprising since, according to the Pew Research Center, only 3% of American businesses were Black-owned in 2020.
I know from experience that running a business is very difficult, and I wanted to celebrate the black-owned businesses that offer a sophisticated and welcoming ambiance while also prioritizing customer service. I decided to investigate top-rated spas, salons and beauty parlors across the United States, focusing solely on brick-and-mortar beauty businesses.
“Discovering Black-Owned Beauty” is a New Media series that features beauty storefronts owned and operated by Blacks. Each episode explores high profile trends and treatments in self-care for multi-cultural consumers. I have the opportunity to ask questions about their treatments. The business owners I meet are very knowledgeable about their respective specialties in the beauty industry.
I hope that my show ultimately inspires more people to pay more attention to black entrepreneurs in the beauty industry.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I have always been interested in sharing black women’s experiences.
While studying art history at The American University of Paris, I was most interested in studying the depictions of ethnic people and presented my analysis on black women in portraiture at the Louvre. My journey continued at The New School, where I researched American black women’s history and culture. The combined experiences helped me as an entrepreneur offering black hair care products. Recently, I’ve begun to communicate my passion through visual journalism.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
I am from Los Angeles. It’s a wonderful place to live, but it’s difficult to know what to do in Los Angeles. The city is spread out and each neighborhood has an entirely different vibe. I was raised in Hollywood, my favorite neighborhood, which is the most intimidating. Over the past few years, I’ve evolved my social media to feature my favorite local neighborhoods for tourists coming to visit. My goal is to make my social media a “quick guide” to what’s cool for locals — not just models.
How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?
Before COVID, my family operated an online beauty business that specialized in natural haircare products for black women. Unfortunately, it was difficult to source the organic, high-quality materials during the strenuous conditions and customers prefer low prices.
I began to consider the women and men of color who were running businesses successfully. As a customer, I have high standards. I wanted to help service-oriented beauty businesses standout and help them successfully compete in the mainstream beauty market.
Contact Info:
- Website: ajableu.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/ajableubird
- Twitter: twitter.com/ajableubird
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ajableu8519
Image Credits
Photos are by me Ajableu Oldham