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

Brittany , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?

Since I was a little girl, I always knew I would be a hairstylist, My grandmother would do hair in her salon/ basement, I watched every step she took, and learned everything from her, In middle school I started to do my own hair, and by high school I was doing me and all my friends hair, but then I let people get in my head . My mission had gotten ripped from me. My dreams after high school was to go to hair school I got so much back lash, saying I wouldn’t find clientele, or why do what everybody else is doing, for 6 years I let what OTHER people say make me, instead of me making myself ! In 2020, I began to braid , and I got better and better and by July 2021 I was getting my first salon suite, I believed in me, when nobody else would, No I don’t have a completely booked schedule, and I still have my slow days, but I show up, and There is NOTHING anyone can tell me about being a hair stylist, I dedicate my work mainly to kids now because they are sweet, they are just a joy to be around, and making my clients feel better about themselves gives me a reason to keep going , and my mission isn’t complete but I’m walking the right path. And continuing to grow beyond and help others feel wonderful in the process.

Brittany , 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?

Hello my name is Brittany , my business name is. BB_Slayedme , my grandmother is my reason behind me being who I am today. I have a variety of different clients, and one thing I learned all clients have different hair, all clients can not use the same products, Being a hair braider you realize that some textures can hold a certain amount of products when some can not take to much. I love my job and learning my clients scalps, what’s going to work for them . And keep their hair healthy is to ask questions, and also give them advice on what to do when removing braids at home the proper way, I take pride in letting my clients know that I am always available for them.
My growth as a hair braider/ stylist has been amazing, I look at pictures from 2021 when I got my suite and I look at my work today and it truly surprises me, makes me happy, cry tears of joy! The feeling is amazing, I have kept this mindset that the more I grow the more y’all will Know ME

Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.

Hair braiding was definitely a side hustle, I was a full time employee at USPS, for almost 6 years , and when I began to start braiding I was making my own schedule, I was realizing that by that time next year I wouldn’t still be working for these people that didn’t appreciate my hard work, trying to fire me, treating me poorly. I was told I was stupid, I was told what are you going to do with doing hair, I was told that I wasn’t working they called it you work when you want that’s not a job ! I got talked to on , and people still say get a job get a job . But when I had a job . I was miserable, always angry , sad because I felt like I wasn’t going to get anywhere!
Now 2023 been in my salon suite Almost 2 years , and I knew that my side hustle would be my main hustle when I applied for over 30+ jobs and didn’t get not 1 and then my books for that week got filled. I started to talk to God like why am I not getting a job, but I truly believe that God wants me to build more faith in my business and that’s what I’ll continue to do.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

Taking a business leading and management course has helped me understand what it’s like to be in all positions, whether I’m the leader, or the follower , learning about that has taught me that if I did have employees how they should be treated. I believe that me being a business owner has helped me to understand a lot of what my previous job didn’t have , Proper management skills.. that course put me in a space that I know for sure that I’ll do great leading or following , in order to know how to lead you must began following first.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @bb_Slayedme
• Facebook: Brittany Ruskin