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

Alliyah , appreciate you joining us today. What did your parents do right and how has that impacted you in your life and career?

My parents have instilled in me things that will always successfully get me through life. Even when I fail, their words of encouragement help me see that there is light at the end of the tunnel. They’ve allowed me to learn from their mistakes in life, and for that I’ll forever be grateful. I actually wouldn’t have completed cosmetology school at the appropriate time if it weren’t for my mom. I was discouraged and willing to cut my hours down, which would’ve taken me longer to complete my hours. I almost allowed life’s problems to set me back, but her words kept me on track. She has always encouraged me to trust God wholeheartedly in all that I do, because he always has a plan before we even know about the problem. I have a loving and understanding heart like my mom’s, which is one reason why my business has prospered over the years. A loving heart along with a humble spirit and good attitude, will take you places that even a big title wouldn’t be able to. As far as the financial side of things, my dad has taught me so much, especially when it comes to the importance of saving, planning, and establishing good credit. Those are also really important things to know about when you plan to be successful in life. I definitely have my dad’s mindset when it comes to that area of my life. He’s always willing to teach me early, the things that he learned late. I know that with my parents by my side, I‘m capable of achieving any goal that I have in mind.

Alliyah , 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’m a 25 year old entrepreneur from Moscow, Tn. Growing up in a small town, it’s not always easy figuring out the lane in which you belong, but thankfully for me it wasn’t so hard. I feel like my passion for pursuing a career in the hair industry has always been there. As a small child, I was always the one attempting to style the hair on all of my dolls. As time went by, my mom and sister started to feel confident in me enough to style their hair. By 13, I gained the trust of others. There were grown women trusting me to braid their hair, and it was during those moments that I realized that God had given me something special. After graduating high school, I attended Paul Mitchell. This was when I came up with the name for my hair business, which is Liyah’s Lavish Looks. The day that I finally started to take my business more seriously was the day that others started to take my business more seriously. I obtained my license in cosmetology back in 2017, and from there I set up my home based braid salon. Some hear home based and think that you’ll be in the middle of the kitchen doing their hair, but my vision for my business was different. I’ve invested in my business, because I want my clients to always feel comfortable and at peace, while still providing a salon feel. This is where discipline comes in. I had to learn to put the needs of my clients over my own needs. I was always taught that in order to bring more money in, you have to be willing to spend money out, and this is true. Because of my investments, both small and large, I’ve been able to offer more services to my clients. At Liyah’s Lavish Looks I provide services such as Soft Locs, Butterfly Locs, Box Braids, Feed-In Braids, etc. Within the next few weeks I’ll actually be introducing a few new services, so that is something that current and potential clients should be on the lookout for. Speaking of clients, I’d love for all of my future clients to know that with me you not only have a braider, but you also have a listening ear, a motivator, an encourager, and so much more. This is one of the things that I feel helps me stand out the most. You don’t find many people in the beauty industry who are actually caring, loving, and understanding when it comes to the client. Everything is always about money. My clients know that they can count on me to do all that I need to do when it comes to the needs of their hair and still offer emotional and mental support. This is one thing that I’m most proud of. My business has grown right before my eyes, and I know that it’s not only because of my gift, but it’s also because of my genuine heart. To remain genuine, kind, and loving during times such as these, is definitely something to be proud of.

What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?

The best source of new clients for me lately has definitely been word of mouth. When you have clients who come to you for a service, enjoy the experience, and love the outcome of their hair, they will definitely refer people to you. Social media also plays a huge role in obtaining new clients. When you do neat work and show off the details of a hair style or service, people will definitely look into booking with you.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Though I have many stories that illustrates my resilience, this one holds a space in my heart. When I first went to take my state board exam, I failed drastically. My entire morning was thrown off. I got stuck in traffic. I was late, and to top it off I went in and failed. My feelings were so crushed. I felt embarrassed because I went in with such high hopes for myself. Months went by, and I realized that I could no longer put it off because I wanted so much more for myself and my business. When I went back to take my written exam, I passed. Weeks later, I went back and passed my practical exam with flying colors. This taught me a valuable lesson. Sometimes you have to fail at things in life to learn certain lessons and develop character traits that you wouldn’t have if you were to always succeed. Those lessons that you learn and traits that you develop are oftentimes needed in order to get you to the next destination along your journey. Therefore, learn to appreciate your failures, and never allow them to stop you from trying again until you finally succeed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://liyahslavishlooks.com/
• Instagram: liyahs_lavish_looks_
• Facebook: Liyah’s Lavish Looks