We were lucky to catch up with BraidsbyMarvette recently and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, BraidsbyMarvette thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. The first dollar your business earns is always special and we’d love to hear how your brand made its first dollar of revenue.

I’ve had the to opportunity work alongside a family member who owns a few salons over the years in my childhood. At the age of 9, I noticed at a very early age that I had a deep connection with the beauty industry. I’ve always admired watching the way clients smile and feel so confident after getting their hair done. I realized that at a very young age and that’s something that I wanted to do, make people feel their best even when it’s hard.
I noticed I’ve always stayed in the salon and watched everything that was being done to the client and I went back home to my mannequin and did the same style and aced it after one try. I then noticed that I am a hands-on person so I showed it to my family members and that’s when she put me behind the chair from the age of 9 to the present my chair has always had a client.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hi my name is Marvette Adderley. I am The Proud Owner of Braids By Marvette Located in Tampa. Fl. I was Born and raised on a beautiful island called The Grand Bahamas. But now Tampa FL has become my second home. I am the eldest child of my parents and a proud mother of 3 beautiful children. I am a Diverse Master Braider that works with many different hair types. With 20 years in of experience in the Beauty industry I have accumulated many 5-star Reviews on many different platforms. Growing up Hair was a part of my culture, from participating in different hair shows to working in a family salon. Entrepreneurship is one of the main sources of income in the Bahamas. At the age of 9 years old I started working in a family salon as a shampoo girl. As a shampoo girl i would always watch every detail that was being put into each client and It drew my attention. I would watch each style from start to finish then I would go home and attempt the same style on my mannequin head and execute every time. I showed my work to a family member whom I worked alongside at the time and she said to me I will teach you how to make your own money so you can go anywhere in the world and provide income. From the moment I had my own Booth and while training and protecting the craft I also was blessed to build a clientele. I believed in myself so much to the point it showed on the outside where people also started to believe in me and my gift. While building a name for myself and paving my own way I went on to high school St George’s High in Freeport Grand Bahama where I was made Instructor/Lead of the entire Cosmetology course.. Miss Coakley my Instructor at the time heard about me and my experience and decided to make me an instructor alongside her. At that time, I was a 7th grader. I had to assist in teaching and overseeing the other grade levels from 7th-12th grade. At that time the 12th graders were invited to Nassau, Bahamas to be a part of a Hair Show Expo and I was ask to join to assist the ladies in the show. At 16 I relocated to Brandon, Fl where I attended Brandon High School. This was the moment where everything I knew and learned was now being put to the test. I never got nervous, I always stayed confident and had this deep sense of “stay in your lane and master what you know you are good at” and that’s what I did. Going to school I had to make sure my hair was done so I would always do my hair, family members and even friends’ hair as well. People saw my work and loved it so they started asking me to do their hair and taking my phone number to contact me. I told my grandmother who I lived with at the time that people are asking me to braid their hair so she told me that I could start booking appointments on the weekends after school and work on the back porch and that when my business continued to grow. At that time there weren’t any social media platforms to advertise your business, it was word of mouth or store fronts with signs. I started to build my clientele just from word of mouth or referrals. It went from doing family and friends to now doing their friends and family members and to this day that same chain reaction still happens. My passion and drive are to always make people feel beautiful even when they’re not at their best. I am always thinking of how I can do it better than the last time one client at a time. I solve So many problems for my clients this is one of my many reasons I love what I do. I’ve had Clients that always desired Braids but have been told a reason on why they can’t but I make it happen and that is also one of the reasons why I love my profession. Giving people hope, confidence and giving that 1 reason why they can achieve Braids is the reason I earned my Title as a Master Braider. I Pay very close attention to the condition of my client’s hair and I listen to their pass experiences and what they are trying to achieve. I also give my professional opinion to also ensure that they have as much knowledge as possible so they can make the best decision for the desired style. I’ve helped so many amazing clients over the years achieving hairstyles under conditions they thought not possible. As a business owner providing a great service and customer service to people has always been my goal. Paying attention to detail, and always challenging myself to better is always my main focus because if I lead with that, then I would walk in professionalism ,confidence and the ear to listen so I can be able to provide what my clients need. I am that Braider who caters to all people from all walks of life.

I am proud of so many things, but I am most proud to be a Black Woman from Freeport Grand Bahama who had the natural wisdom and confidence to notice my love and passion for the beauty industry and decided to speak up and focus on perfecting my craft. I am a proud example for many people who aspire to become an entrepreneur . You’re never too young to start a business, just believe in yourself first so others will, never stop chasing your dream. My next chapter moving forward is to become an Instructor and a mentor for an up-and-coming entrepreneurs of tomorrow. Stay tuned for my newest projects and Follow me on Facebook, Instagram and Tik Tok @Braids By Marvette.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

I would have to say a mixture of social media, word of mouth and New trendy styles. I have always been able to execute the newest Trends which keeps my clientele diverse. Hair is just like evolution and from the beginning of my career word of mouth has always been a great source for my business, it allows potential clients to get first hand view and personal feedback from the people they encounter.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.braidsbymarvette.glossgenius.com
• Instagram: braidsbymarvette
• Facebook: braidsbymarvette
• Other: Tik Tok: BraidsbyMarvette
  Facebook:BraidsbyMarvette

Image Credits

Photos Were taken by Smokebehindthalenz