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

Alright, CHARNIQUE thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to have you retell us the story behind how you came up with the idea for your business, I think our audience would really enjoy hearing the backstory.

The Wig Lady by Char was started, because black women are the leading consumers of hair extensions. I had a difficult time taking care of my after each of my five open heart surgeries. While I tried different weave styles and looked into wigs, the quality of hair and the chemicals applied to it only caused me more irritation.

After doing research, I learned that, on average, women spend 2 billion a day on hair, with black women spending 92% of that amount. However, only a handful of women that look like me owns their hair companies selling high quality hair extensions. I then researched my potential competitors and studied different hair extensions and pricing. I found a vendor that supplies 100% Virgin Brazilian Human Hair that contains no chemicals or fillers, if then care of properly the hair won’t shed or tangle.

My company offers Loose Wave, Body Wave, Deep Wave, Straight, Tight Loose Wave, Kinky, Natural Straight and Kinky, Curly, Ocean Wave, Water Wave, for Customized Wigs, Bundles, Frontals, and Closures. For patients with sensitive scalps, including cancer and Alopecia patients, we provide Transparent and HD Frontals and closures as well as Silk Lace wig caps.

If there are any questions about the products offered please feel free to email me at [email protected]

My website is https://WWW.THATWIGLADYBYCHAR.COM

CHARNIQUE, 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?

I’m Charnique Rucker, I currently live in Memphis, TN, and I’m happily to my childhood sweetheart. For 23 years I’ve worked as a Certified Pharmacy Technician. I’m an entrepreneur with three small businesses. My company, That Wig Lady by Char, offers customized wigs, bundles, frontals, and closures from high quality virgin human hair. At my second business, Niq’s Pickle Veggies, we pickle every food from cucumbers to eggs and we use some of the finest ingredients. In addition to those businesses, I’m also a self-published author with three non-fiction books available on Amazon under my surname Niq Rucker- Bruised But Not Broken Trilogy, Not Another Tear Shed, and 5th Times A Charm.

Growing up, I was very athletic and had very few aliments, but in 2006 all of that changed. I found out that I have a rare disease called Wolff-Parkinson- White Syndrome. I was told it was a rare disease and that most people die from it by the age of thirty-five. It’s been over a decade since my first diagnosis and I’m still here, despite the odds. I’ve had five open heart surgeries with a lot of complications, but through it all, I never gave up.

My faith and my resilience to live continue to help me overcome life’s obstacles. As a result, I am able to create and provide value to everyone, whether it is through my hair extensions, my words on paper, or wholesome pickled foods. I am more determined than ever to take the world by storm – one wig, one book, and one pickled food at time.

For more information about my wigs and hair extensions go to: https://www..thatwigladybychar.com.

For more information about my books, go to my site: https;//www.amazon.coms/s?k=niq+rucker

For more information about my pickled foods, call 901-232-3013

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

My resilience comes from having been diagnosed with a rare heart condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome (WPW) in 2006. It’s a disease that affects 1 in 100,000 people. I was also diagnosed with Tachycardia, Cardiomyopathy, and Atrial Fibrillation. All of these factors make a severe heart patient. I had five heart surgeries, three sternotomies, one thoracotomies, and a TVAR procedure.

As a woman, particularly a black woman, it was hard finding someone who would seriously address my health concerns. It took visiting multiple doctors before one listened instead of thinking I was overexaggerating. Had I not been resilient, I probably wouldn’t be alive.

In 2015, while recovering from my fifth open heart surgery, I wrote my fourth book 5th Times A Charm. That Wig Lady by Char was born while I was writing that book. It was difficult for me to maintain my own hair after each heart surgery and I had a hard to finding extensions that didn’t irritate my scalp, so I decided to do some research. I can only imagine how difficult it must be for other women.

Finding high quality hair extensions and wigs at affordable rates was almost impossible to find on the market. Women of color typically purchase their hair from beauty supply chains, and the hair is saturated with harmful chemicals. Eventually, I found a brand that was just what I needed and felt that it should be an option for other women of color. I followed the necessary steps to start my business and That Wig Lady by Char was born.

While I knew I would have to market my brand, I didn’t realize how challenging it would be to get women to trust me instead of the beauty supply store. I know that building great relationships take time and that people have to know they can trust me. For this reason, I refuse to give up. That Wig Lady by Char is a great asset for my clients because what I offer enhance. their confidence. For more information visit www.thatwigladybychar.com

Where do you think you get most of your clients from?

The best source of new clients for is my occupation, because of my field and its location. I work at a clinic, so I’m constantly meeting new people. The majority of the people I meet are women of color. Whenever it permits, I introduce myself and my business, show different types of hair samples, and hand them a business card.

Contact Info:

• Website: WWW.THATWIGLADYBYCHAR.COM
• Instagram: @RUCKERNIQ
• Facebook: NIKIRUCKER
• Linkedin: @RUCKERNIQ

Image Credits
Brian Manning