Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Akivia Blue. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Akivia, thanks for joining us today. To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard

I’ve been a hairstylist for 13 years now. I’ve had my shares of being a braider, to a lace specialist, and now I’m currently still a lace specialist and I do natural hair and other services as well. I would say one of the main thing clients would appreciate from hairstylist is for their real hair to be taken care of when getting any service. I’m in the metro Atlanta area, and I include shampoo and blow dry in every service I do, free of charge. I haven’t always done it, but I listened to what the people wanted and I also learned in cosmetology school that it should be a requirement in my services. So in today’s time, I wanted to be a game changer and make sure that I’m guiding hairstylist as a whole back in the right direction while also satisfying and servicing clients their needs.

Akivia, 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?

For those who may not know me, My name is Akivia M. Blue Tuck. I’m 25 years old and I’m from Dublin Ga. I’m the owner of my business “Akivia Miquelle”. I’ve been a hairstylist for years. I’ve been doing hair since I was 12 years old. I always like doing hair, and me and my cousin practiced on each other. We loved to braid hair. Eventually we began braiding hair together on clients. We ended up having our own separate clients after time. After high school, I was doing hair in my dorm room. I was always super booked. Truth is, I never wanted to go to college. My passion for doing hair outweighed everything else that was going on in my life. I worked in my first salon in Dublin Georgia, and then my second one in Savannah ga. I went to Savannah state which is the reason I worked in a salon there. Over time, being in school was just not for me and I left. I came back to my home town, Dublin Ga. I ended up working in my former high school cheerleading coach’s studio who goes by the name of Mia Hunt. This particular shop was so special to me because I was her first worker she ever had and now her business has blossomed even more. I worked there for a few months but I was not happy being back home, so I moved to Atlanta. Since moving there I’ve now had three suites that I’ve owned and one I’m currently still working in. I started my own hair product line for lace and wig care. Some of the products that I’ve came out with are my Superlaid Waterproof lace adhesive, skin protector, lace glue remover, lace tint, hot combs, and more. I’ve held several group classes teaching my skills to over hundreds of people. Since I’ve moved to Atlanta, my business has been extremely prosperous. I’ve gained more clientele than ever. I also started going to Cosmetology school at Paul Mitchell the School. I’ve taken multiple course to perfect my craft in laces while also learning about natural hair in Cosmetology school. Being a business owner has never been an easy task. It takes a lot oh hard work and dedication and commitment. The most important way to be successful when being a business owner is to be consistent with every thing you do. Networking is also important. The thing I would say that I have learned along my journey is to take advantage of all social media platforms and every opportunity you get to expand your brand, take it. It’s all about taking risks and not being afraid to use your fullest potential. I’m now specializing in tape ins, micro links, silk presses and more. I wanted to master as much as I can being a hairstylist because I don’t want to be limited to my clientele or income. Being a diverse hairstylist is my one of my main goals to master. Which I think I’m currently doing. I also wanted to offer products that were good quality products and actually beneficial to customers and different hairstylist. I accomplished that and I’m more than proud of myself. I really want to thank all of my supporters and followers for getting me this far because it couldn’t have been done without them. I love each and every one of them dearly.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I learned a lot having my own business. However, I had to unlearn a few things as well. My business has took off since I first started. And I always felt like once I get to that point in my career, there’s nothing that can stop me or slow down. I was completely wrong about that. In 2021 I got married and I had my first child. It didn’t stop me but it definitely slows me down becoming a mom. Truly, it broke my heart because my business was my first baby and the only thing I ever really had and relied on my entire life. Once I became a mom, most of my attention now had to go to my son. I was no longer able to focus on my business as much as I was before. Even though it was challenging, my son brought so much life and more purpose into my life. Once I got the mom thing down packed, there was still nothing that could stop me. Which took an entire year. So to all of the moms out there who have a business, just know that it could be a possible set back. But the comeback is going to be immaculate because now you have even more ambition to become successful. It changed me but for the better. When I first had my child, I honestly thought it was over for me and there was no way I’d be able to still be as successful as I was. Im a pretty honest and transparent person! I know there are others out there who felt and feel the same way. But it’s not over, it’s just the beginning. As long as you keep pushing and you keep that desire close to your heart, it’s there to stay! I wish much love and success to all parents with a business. You got this!!!

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

I built my audience on social media by just simply posting consistently and posting great quality work. I learned that a neat and clean back ground is important. Lighting is important. Also, making sure you share knowledge of what you offer along with your content. Your audience needs to know your value, and why they should support you, and what you have to offer as a business owner. They also need to be able to connect with you on a personal level. You don’t have to go too deep, but being relatable draws people in.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://akiviamiquelle.com/
• Instagram: @akiviamiquelle
• Facebook: Akivia Miquelle Tuck
• Youtube: Akivia Miquelle
• Other: Tik Tok: @akiviamiquelle