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

Hi Brittney, thanks for joining us today. Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

The most impactful risk I’ve taken was leaving my job as a middle school teacher, during the pandemic to pursue entrepreneurship. As a licensed natural hair stylist, it was always just something I did on the side. The Pandemic gave me time to think about life outside of my 9-5. Although it was my side hustle, it was close to what I made as a teacher, which we know in this country is not much. I had just purchased my home January 2020 and I was fortunate enough to turn a room in my basement into a salon space! Everything just seemed to be the right time to bet on myself and so I did! I began doing hair full time June 2021. Business was consistent through the first year with the expected peaks and valleys. I noticed the same trends from when I was a teacher and planned accordingly. Having a waitlist were good indicators that business was going well! Working for myself has afforded me the opportunity to travel more, have more time to do the things I enjoy, and most importantly it gave me an opportunity to be creative. A traditional 9-5 leaves very little room to get your creative juices going. Your focus is work, and some type of self care during the little time that you’re off is probably not thinking about being creative or building wealth, or expanding your business. Those were things I was able to focus on once I began entrepreneurship. I taught a class, I held one on one classes, I was able to get my skin and hair care line started. Fast forward to today, business has slowed down tremendously with inflation and the time of the year, however, the reward is still more than the risk! I have made a decision to go back to a W-2 job even if its only part time. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned working for myself is how difficult it is to run a business on one income. Although I was making more than I did as a teacher it didn’t replace both incomes. You live and you go through it and you learn! Sometimes it takes stepping back to see things clearer. No better teacher than Experience!

Brittney, 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?

My name is Brittney Sutton. I am 35 and I am from North Carolina. I began doing hair for my friends and family in high school and into college. It was how I made extra money here and there. It was something I was good at but didn’t take serious enough to pursue as a career. I became licensed in 2014 while I was living in Florida. It was then that B. Natural Hair & More came about. At the time I didn’t know what “& More” would entail but I knew there would be more than just hair. I provide a plethora of services including natural hair styles, crochet, faux locs, sew ins, loc maintenance etc. I also curated a whipped body butter line called B, Buttah as well as a skin care serum and hair oil blend that also doubles as a beard oil for the fellas. 95% of the services I offer include hair with the service which I find most of my clients appreciate. They no longer have to bother with the chaos inside a beauty supply store. What sets me apart from most are the variety in services I offer. I have mastered many skills in the protective style realm which allows me to service many different clients. That and great conversation. Most of my reviews left on my booking site reference the conversation and how warm and welcoming my space is. I am very intentional about my spaces so it really makes me feel good that people have noticed and appreciate the effort. I’m most proud of growing my business and clientele from my bedroom at my mom’s house to an entire space(s) that I have now! What I would want my people to know about me is I am always up for a challenge! If you don’t see the exact style you want or service offered, just ask me. We can come up with something, nothing is too challenging!

Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?

As most business start out, I had a regular job and I used that money to fund my business. Aside from that I also had an ESCROW account with the school system that saved a certain amount of money to ensure I would still get paid over the summer months. Coincidentally I left teaching at the end of the summer when they paid it out so I was able to start with the escrow payout as well as the savings I had already.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

Word of mouth has helped me tremendously! Living in a small town where everyone knows each other, word travels fast! There are a lot of factory/plant jobs here, once a client goes to work 30+ people are bound to see her beautiful tresses. My clients are walking billboards for my business. If every time a coworker or church member see their hair is consistently looking good, its only a matter of time until they inquire who did their hair.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://bnaturalhairandmore.glossgenius.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/b.naturalhairandmore/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/b.naturalhairandmore/
• Other: https://linktr.ee/bnatural28?fbclid=PAAaYR9ETq120VYGXkxg4FKRUiVbKArx0dQZboBNArri2P5wCUnnSGV8H_gV0