We recently connected with Anetah Spencer and have shared our conversation below.

Anetah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I took a really big risk starting my business because I decided a conventional job was not working for me and every day I would clock in and hate what I was doing and just wanna leave. At first, I thought it would be the type of job so for a year, I was working from everywhere from McDonald’s to Yorkdale to pet value. I even worked at la senza for like a day, but I never went back because I just realized it was not for me at all, and it wasn’t the type of job I was doing that made me hate it. It was just working for people in general. One day, I was just thinking to myself. What can I do? I’m the type of person that was always the DIY queen I am able to visually watch some thing and after a couple times of trying it, I’m able to successfully accomplish it in a short frame of time so I debated if I should do nails or lashes or even tattoos. I was doing at one point for my friends, I remember seeing somebody post about Hair and I thought I could do that! I used to do my own hair as well as a couple other peoples hair in the school just for fun, of course, but I realize it was something that I could do naturally and so I started doing braids, Senegalese twist, sew ins, ponytails and wigs. I started by taking a couple of people I knew, but anyone that knows starting a business. The people that are closest to you are not always gonna be supporting him in the beginning so my challenge was to try to get people in the city to actually trust me to do their hair so I used to offer discounts and everything all the while I’m not working. I also have my mom and dad telling me to go back to school to get a job and I knew that I was not happy doing those things especially going to school not knowing what I would want to do or going back to some part-time job knowing that I hated every second of being there. So I had no choice but to make this work so I would post just random hair quotes on Instagram just to start getting followers until I was able to get a couple clients to post my work! I’m glad that I took the risk because five years later my business is thriving so much more I wanna achieve of course, but I cannot complain about where I am right now. I feel like I joined the entrepreneur at the right time when it was more undersaturated. I would’ve never thought five years ago today I would be able to work with celebrities and now I’m just wondering what else I’m able to do and I’m looking forward to whatever the Lord has in store for me and my business!

Anetah, 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 feel like I kind of answered this in the other part by accident, but as I was saying before, just taking the risk of stepping into the unknown Interesting that one day my business would grow into something half the journey because it is not easy and it’s definitely not instant results. Since I’ve been a little, I’ve been that girl that once I get my mind on some thing, I will do whatever research whatever I have to do to get what I want and to achieve the goals that I’ve set If it was to be the only grade 9 on the varsity soccer team at my school. Or back in middle school what I thought I was the biggest singer, and I had to be on stage in front of the school for every performance. I was in ballet from 3years old through middle school. After I left dance, my mom put me into cadets first navy league then sea cadets which is such an amazing program I learned so much about being a leader I quickly rose in the ranks getting top cadet a few years in a row. They teach you discipline, leadership and many other skills such as first aid training, we received boating licences and more depending on the field you chose. I would have to say that cadets played a very big part in my life with how I compose myself as well as how I act in authoritative positions taught me so much about being responsible at an early age even the 6 AM wake up times have stuck with me because you had to make sure, especially if you went to summer camp that your bed was made, and your boots were shined And the crease in your pants was crispy All before inspection or your whole division would suffer. Things like having to salute an officer while you walk by and saying, sir or man for everything I feel like it matured me at a young age, which is why I don’t always act my age and people assume then I am. I feel like as a stylist what set me apart from other stylists Is that I strive to be different and to be better than I was yesterday! I still do it now, but I used to be so adamant about perfecting my crafts that anytime I would have a client I would compare it to a picture of one of the best hairstylist like arrogant tae try to see what it is about the hairline what it is about which way he puts the hair that makes his look better than mine and I would keep going until I would get as close as I can the day that he followed me on Instagram it was like a circle moment it meant so much that someone I looked up to approved of my work. From that point I started going even harder I started rethinking that I could probably reach a higher tax bracket audience, but I did not expect so I started doing more creative looks designs on hair colours that people wouldn’t think of. I would try to do recreations of celebrity hairstyles, and tag the celebrities I would, soon reach out to influencers to work with, then in time growing my confidence to reach out to celebrities coming to the city to work with to the point where sometimes they would reach out to me all this just to say that I really started from nothing and I still have long ways to go, but you never know what you can achieve unless you try as corny as it describes my life. What are most proud of is the progress I was able to make in just five years and my hope for the next five years is being able to be a hairstylist for a celebrity or getting into more of the movie/TV scene when it comes to hair because a lot of black women do not have somebody who knows how to do their hair on set and that something I would love to be apart of! I feel like I’m rambling, but I just have so many random thoughts coming to me right now like I really want people to know almost 99% of the time the people closest to you will not support you the way that somebody who has no idea who you even were yesterday will support you today. I want People that discourage them because if I let that happen to me, I wouldn’t be where I am today. In this day and age with people “exposing” small business owners online you have to kind of grow a thick skin because unfortunately, in business, you are not able to please everybody and there will be a few people who are not happy with the service you provide, but you cannot let that affect the way that you help everybody else because if you do, it will always be in your head and I’m that type of person where a better view will stay in my head and I feel very bad but is not always the case where they will always see your side because as the business owner, you do have to be ready to be at fault for most mistakes that are made even if it was not your fault. Professional always been great customer service always, and keeping in mind that this could be you on the other side of the chat be patient be kind it will keep you at peace in the hard times. I want you to know if you want to start that business do it now! There’s nothing holding you back but yourself. Have faith and let the lord guide you to what is meant for you!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

When I first started doing hair, I used to do almost every style just so I can get a client in my chair. After years of doing braids and Senegalese twist and sew ins, they started causing my hands really bad hand pain. I wish I knew about the potential damage to my hands before because it wasn’t until after a couple years that I started visiting a Massage therapist who told me that it is really common for hairstylist to get tendinitis or arthritis in their joints from the repetitive movements as well as having to hold your arms up, braiding or blow dry or whatever it is you do. my chiropractor had told me the same thing I wish I knew before, because if I was able to visit them from the beginning, it probably would have been caught at the right time before it started getting worse unfortunately, I did not know it was a little bit too late so I did have to make the choice if I was a hairstylist that I would have to limit the strain on my body. So I decided to stick with doing lace wigs, only as well as asking my clients to come at their hair, braided, not by choice, but out of necessity because of the pain that it causes me, I have to accept that I would be losing certain clients who do look for a full service hairstylist. And at first, I was very sad and I would still try to braid a few peoples hair in between, but the pain would be up to a 9/10 hands would be cramping up and hard to move and I didn’t want to Cause myself permanent damage so I genuinely had to put my foot down and just say the clients that are meant for me will be meant for me thank God that I’m still able to service a lot of people who don’t mind coming with they’re hair, braided a few of them even Prefer it. Even though I’m still able to do all of these styles, I don’t do it because it causes me head pain, but from time to time, I will take a model just to practice a new style because doing back to back lace wigs can be repetitive and creative I’m super creative so being tied down one thing can be a little difficult for me, but I don’t let it bring me down and I try so hard to work around it there will still be Days on my hands really hurt But I will push myself to complete the job because that’s just who I am. I do want to tell people to self-care if you plan on being in the industry anything that you have to use your hands for to please visit a chiropractor and/or massage therapist to prevent any damage before it gets worse and tries to slow you down! So even though I did have to pivot from being a full service stylist who does multiple different types of services to just a lace wig stylist who does the occasional quick weave and now I’m getting into natural hair so I can do my bridal clients who are brown or Asian or have long natural hair, There are many ways to continue to do what you love without causing yourself pain that will really catch up to you before you’re old!

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

I would say the biggest thing I have done for marketing is trying to create relationships with influencers who have their own audiences or people in the city who run in groups of people who really take beauty seriously because those are the people who are always always going to get their hair done always gonna get their nails done and always gonna get their make up done. Those are the people that I really try to market myself too, and there will always be opportunities you’re working with somebody who has a high sometimes you have to really take the chance and think am I going to profit off of working with this person for free? Am I going to get new potential clients with working with this person and providing them a free service just for like a post on their page , and I feel like that has helped me because I have a select group of girls that I genuinely have a relationship with now and I will always appreciate what they have done for me as well as I will not mind doing anything for them because I know that they will always come through for me! S/o my girls you know who you are ! Lool

Contact Info:

• Website: Www.sslays.ca
• Instagram: @sslays__
• Youtube: @iamsslays
• Other: Tictok: @iamsslays