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

Davier , thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today One of the things we most admire about small businesses is their ability to diverge from the corporate/industry standard. Is there something that you or your brand do that differs from the industry standard? We’d love to hear about it as well as any stories you might have that illustrate how or why this difference matters.

If I were to do something differently from the industry standard, it would be catering to kids. Being a mother of three, I completely understand the need to bring your child to a service when necessary. I would have a waiting area for those who have to bring your child for the duration of your service.

Davier , 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?

Stylesbydavi started in 2017, it was the new chapter for myself as I just moved from Austin, TX. Deciding to quit my job and taking a leap of faith with braiding full time was the mission for me. Many people don’t know that working for someone is easier than what we say. As an entrepreneur, you are working around the clock! You literally wear every hat in your business, which is the fuel to your everyday. I am a self taught stylist, it came very natural to me when I was a child up until my adult life. I take pride in my services and my time management I have mastered over the years. Which i have to say sets me apart from other stylist. When you sit in my chair, the maximum time for service does not oversee 4 hours, and that’s any service of choice! You can’t find that time anywhere in the city! I have a great clientele base and forever thankful for those who continue to support Stylesbydavi over the years. I look forward to the new year because Stylesbydavi is about to surprise he city!

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

When I arrived from Austin in 2017, I was working as a substitute teacher for both Arlington and Desoto ISD along with working corporate. I would be on a substitute job and my phone is ringing off the hook! I would return the calls and text I could on my lunch break, however they were all calls from potential clients. At the time, I didn’t know what a potential client was or looked like let alone know I had something going here. I was a single mother at the time to my son who was age 3 when I quit my job. Working during the week, weekends off worked for my life. I knew moving forward I did not want my schedule to change, so why change it? I didn’t, still today I work M-F no weekends. So, I requested a week off from both jobs just to see if I could fill a week with clients. At the time I was only offering Box Braids and Goddess Locs. It would also take me about 7-9 hours to finish an install. Today it takes me under 4 hours. I did it! I had a client a day. I decided to jump on faith and test the waters, test my skills and to test myself. Could I really depend on ME? Today, I still take one client a day, M-F. God has truly blessed me and I have myself to thank too because showing up for not only myself but for the community everyday is a task I make sure to complete daily!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The most effective strategy for growing my clientele has been communication and remembering to treat them how I would like for my stylist to handle me. I make sure to remember the important things, birthdays, anniversaries, promotions etc it is truly important. Simple things as a holiday card in the mail can go a long way. Simply a follow up email to someone who may have forgotten about you can go a long way. Word of mouth has been a huge part of my business also. Not to mention when I do my own Braids, Goddess Locs, I can walk somewhere and get asked “who did your hair” and to say “ME” is simply amazing to me. I am my own walking billboard at times also!

Contact Info:

• Website: stylesbydavi.com
• Instagram: sbdavi_
• Facebook: stylesbydavi
• Other: For Booking : stylesbydavi.as.me/