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

Brittny, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

So I have been a licensed cosmetologist for about 12 years now, but actually being a business owner!! I’ve been for 6 years. I knew and had the idea since beauty school, and the route I wanted to take, but u know the route is never the way we want to go. So here we go. I knew well before I got a license and started beauty school that I wanted to be a salon owner, but having a entire product line and retail?! Wasn’t in the cards. SO I worked in many many salons before having my own salon suite, and I salon hopped a lot because I never felt like I would fit in with the flow of things( realized that was the molding for me to get my own..keep reading). I was working in the salon and had side hustles in retail, and in college. I was on track to graduate in 2016 and I set a goal of moving into my first salon suite once I walked across that stage…that happened. Graduated May 2016, and was in my suite by June 16′. Those salons that I didn’t fit in was for a reason, but it was giving me the guideline to have my own. I would always get close to the salon owners and never burned bridges(never know when u may need them). They saw my passion and would give me all types of advice. So here we are my first salon suite, it was soooo smalll but it was MINE! This is when and where my clientele began to blossom and when the start of my product line started. I have a lot of clients who have dry scalp, hair etc and NOTHING was working. So I began researching oils that helped with dryness, and put a few concoctions together then boom! Oil was created. I wasn’t selling it to my clients just using it in the salon. So a year goes by and I OUTGROW MY SPACE, I moved from my small space in Detroit to a bigger space in Southfield MI, was there like 7/8 months and we are forced to move due to some city violations. So I found another space(same city) and moved out within a week. Now this is where my reality really became real…..Remember the oil I made? Well now its in small bottles and I’m selling it to clients only..and we are seeing better results because not only are they getting it with their treatments in my suite but now they are using it at home. So a client of mine was asking me if I had a product for a heat protectant…of course not..but I created one, with the help of a chemist… tested it on my clients. About a few month later I took a big leap of faith( I take leaps often lol) not knowing what was doing for real, and launched my two “official” products with labels and everything. My oil( Skaylp Oil) and my heat protectant serum (Sylk n Shyne). Everything is going well. December 2019, I had the idea to move cities because I felt like I was out growing it and needed a change. I did just that. Moved my suite to Farmington Hills March of 2020 and then the entire world shuts down.. I think I was more happy then sad lol. The part about this pandemic that bothered me more then anything was my clients hair not being cared for. I had to do something..SO I started selling hair care kits and shipping them to their homes. They sold like hot cakes! it included the retail size of the products I was using in the salon plus a hair bonnet..then…the light bulb came on AGAIN! From there my enire product line was born (cleansing shampoo, moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, serum, and hair growth oil..PLUS signature silk bonnets) From there I have been working and navigating this business that started as just me wanting a salon suite. You have to just go for what you want, obstacles and unexpected things will happen but you have to push through those things.

Brittny, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Brittny but many know me as NicoleB, its my middle name and first initial. When people say “tell me about yourself?” I always get stuck lol. like hmmm tell them about Brittny? Well first off I am amazing! I am in love with everything that has to do with hair and fashion and I was born this way. I found interest in this industry at about 4 years old and been tunnel vision ever since. I say that I just have an eye for it, and like I said its been a passion of mines since a little girl. I tell ppl I just be taking leaps of faith and figuring out the logistics after I jump lol. I now write down the plan first then jump. I am a cosmetologist of 12 years and have my own product line which consist of a cleansing shampoo, moisturizing shampoo and conditioner, heat protectant serum, hair growth oil and 3 styles of silk bonnets. I love what I do, I love meeting women of all walks of life, the conversations are very impactful for both me and my client. I am a hair care specialist and most of my clients come to me for that. Majority if my clientele has THICK hair and they call me the Thick Hair Queen lol because they say nobody has ever handled their hair with so. much care..and that is because I do care. I feel I am not just a beautician to them, I am a therapist, a counselor , a friend, the list goes on. I am most proud of my growth, and where I am. I am in this business to help women, beyond just doing their hair. I love that I am in a salon suite because we can have intimate private conversations and make them feel like my attention is just on them. People know me as this bubbly person who brings the laughs and jokes. I always want to bring positive energy to the people around me.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

So at first I was trying to build an audience strictly on looking for clients and I wasn’t getting anywhere. I then started just being myself and incorporating my personality into my stories, pics and reels and the followers started to come. A big piece of advice would be, be organically you and keep you personal life off social media. Let them see a glimpse of whats going on in your life but only you know how much you want to show. But people are nosey lol they want to see whats going on so show them. Show the ups the downs the highs and the lows, thats how ppl connect with us.

Have you ever had to pivot?

We have to take detours in life very often and we have to know how to adjust. Last year when me and my son moved out of my parents house that was a very large Financial pivot for me. I had to learn how to adjust and balance both a business, a household, and being a mom all at the same time. So it took awhile to learn how to balance it all and at times its extremely overwhelming, but I’ve learned to control what you can control.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.nicolebthestylist.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/nicoleb.haircare
• Linkedin: www.linkedin.com/BrittnyHardrick
• Youtube: NicoleB vs The.Brittny.Experience

Image Credits
picture with blue back ground -NeCole Dash Pic of me with all black with model- RBJ photography