We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ashanti Osborne a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Ashanti, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Being a business owner can be really hard sometimes. It’s rewarding, but most business owners we’ve spoken sometimes think about what it would have been like to have had a regular job instead. Have you ever wondered that yourself? Maybe you can talk to us about a time when you felt this way?

Yes I would say i’m happier being a business owner even though I have a lot more growth to look forward to . When i’m at work It’s like meh it’s work . I know that I have to work to support my dreams so I push through but when i’m doing hair i’m so happy the entire time . The praise i get after and how happy they are when i’m done makes my heart melt because i’m really doing this . I’m making someone feel better. I’ve had a client tell me I changed her life because she was going through a rough time and needed that . Things like that make everything so worth it. I still work a regular job so I don’t really get the thought but I can’t wait until the day doing hair is what I do full time !

Ashanti, 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 my name is A’shanti ! I’m 20 years old . I began wanting to be a stylist at a very young age. I would try and do cornrows on my dolls because of how easy my mom made it look but it took a long time to get it. I got serious at the age of 13 and I would watch youtube videos and practice what I saw. Then in high school people would see my hair and really like it and want me to do theirs like styles as simple as a braid. Problems I solve for my clients are hair growth issues , thinning, bald spots and more . I do scalp treatments , detoxes , trims to make sure their hair is flourishing and is healthy . I’m so proud of how far i’ve come . I’ve grown so much since I was 13 . I’ve practiced styles everyday until I got them right . I feel like everyone who comes to get their hair done by me has a great experience because the vibe is great and I really care about everyone . I’m there to listen to them if they need to vent and also laugh with them. My brand is growing and one day i’ll be a known stylist just wait !

What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?

The most effective strategy has been promoting myself. You can’t count on everyone to promote you because it’s your business not theirs. Having your friends and family promote for you is a great thing though but you can’t get discouraged when they don’t. When I get paid from my job I boost my post on all my social media including Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook. I also have great clients who push my name out there because of the work that I do and I’m so thankful for them !!

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

Before I was getting clientele I wanted to give up. Like I said I started getting serious at the age of 13. I had a few clients here and there throughout the year but I kept comparing myself to other stylist and comparing my views and likes to others and it made me want to just give up; I didn’t though. I started pushing myself more to promote myself and to keep my head up because one day all of this will be what I’ve wanted. I’m so happy I didn’t give up though because the new year started great. I’ve been booked and busy and I’ve been loving every moment of it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://melaninstyless.square.site/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/melaninstyless/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/melanin.styless1