We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ajia Minnis Cruz Lanham a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ajia, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?

Being a business owner is extremely rewarding and it is the happiest I’ve ever been in my entire life. It is also the most stressed out I’ve been in my entire life which for me manifests in hair loss which is really frustrating because I am a hair salon owner. It’s forcing me to follow my own advice, partner with dermatologists and my stylists here to make sure I’m maintaining what I have and bringing vitality back to my scalp, it’s forcing me to make sure I’m continuing to eat healthly, stay active, workout, stretch, practice gratuity, and decompress doing other things I love including dancing more often and spending quality time with my husband and our two dogs ‘

Ajia, 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?

Hi! I’m Ajia, the owner and founder of Thrive Hair Bar. I founded Thrive Hair Bar because I wanted more women, especially black women, to feel more comfortable and confident wearing their natural hair without the use of chemical processes, hair extensions, wigs, and weaves. I wanted more women to realize that their natural hair doesn’t have to be difficult to manage and that their natural hair doesn’t have to be covered up with a wig in order for them to be perceived as professional, luxurious, and or desirable.

I got into natural hair when I transitioned from being a full-time fitness instructor and dancer to working in the tech industry. In the tech industry I traveled a lot for work and found when I wanted to find a local, luxury hair salon to pamper me in whatever city I was visiting, it was very difficult to find a place that catered to what I wanted, which was a natural hair style. I was tired of having to Google “black hair salon, natural hair salon, 4c hair salon near me” and only finding options miles outside of the main city I was in or finding an option close by and all they did was weaves and silk presses…or extensions and would required I came in with my hair already washed, conditioned, and stretched myself. I realized I couldn’t be alone in wanting a better experience and the research on natural hair care, salons, and other options began.

What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?

Word of mouth, hiring amazing people, and staying true to our mission of normalizing kinky, coily, and curly hair in all settings!

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

We use email marketing, memberships, loyalty programs, social media and produce local events! We have a comedy show, Laughs & Luxury coming up on Friday, September 8th at 7pm. Check it out on our Events & Media Page!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thrivehairbar.com
• Instagram: @thrivehairbar
• Facebook: @kinkycoilycurlyhairbar
• Linkedin: Thrive Hair Bar
• Twitter: @thrivehairbar

Image Credits
N/A All owned by Thrive Hair Bar