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

Hi Demetria, thanks for joining us today. How has Covid changed your business model?

In March 2020, my salon was shut down for almost two months. In my 14 years of owning Dee’sign Nail Salon, this was the first time I was unsure of the future of my business. Until then, my business was considered a success with long-standing community ties and a booming clientele. However, those nearly two months off gave me time to think and ponder what this meant for me as a business owner and the future of my salon. I re-emerged from the shutdown with a new business model that I would soon implement. In December 2020, I signed a lease for a new commercial space and embarked upon a whole new business. I closed Dee’sign Nail Salon and pivoted to DNS Creatives Spaces, which provides business suites for those in the wellness and beauty industry. We also offer business coaching to individual suite renters. I helped the ladies who were working with me in the nail salon become suite owners and start their businesses. In a few short months, all 10 of the suites were rented. In April 2022, I embarked on expanding DNS to include a Business Center, which provides office suites, and event and training space that can be rented. As horrible as COVID was and the amount of grief it caused seemed unbearable, it was a blessing in disguise for me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I wear many hats-Business Owner, Motivational Speaker, Author, Mentor, Mom, and Wife. In my many roles, my number one goal is to help individuals be the best version of themselves and to step into their greatness, whatever their greatness is.
More formally, I have been a group facilitator and business mentor for almost two decades. I have helped nearly a hundred entrepreneurs launch, develop, and sustain successful businesses. I am the founder and CEO of DNS Creative Spaces and Business Center (DNS), which provides business suites and event space. My years of business experience have afforded me the opportunity to speak on many platforms, facilitate workshops, and lead training. I have created a plethora of educational curricula, workshop content, and training materials.

My signature talk, “Your Next Level is Calling,” equips audiences with strategies for elevating to the next level without limits and aligning with their life vision.

I am also the author of “Faith is Calling: Will You Answer?” which takes readers on a journey of answering the call for their next level.

My motto is, “Live a life that will outlive you.”

I formerly owned and operated Design Nail Salon for nearly 15 years. During my career in the beauty industry, I trained and mentored many aspiring nail techs and beauty professionals. In addition, I was a certified OPI Educator for five years. Previously, I served as a facilitator for the Entrepreneurship Academy at LAUNCH CHA. In addition, I had the pleasure of being a panelist for the annual WE (Women Entrepreneurs) symposium and was recognized by TN Congressman Chuck Fleischman for my participation. I also was a panelist for Chattanooga’s Business Ecosystem Day. In addition, I have been the keynote speaker at many events, where I had the opportunity to speak about my journey as a business owner. Most recently, I received local recognition, winning the Black Excellence of Chattanooga (BEC) award for Best Nail Tech for 2020 and 2021, earning me a spot in the BEC Hall of Fame in 2022. DNS received a nomination for the BEC Award in the category of Best Brick and Mortar Business for 2021.

I earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of TN at Chattanooga. I have also completed post-graduate work in business leadership.

I was featured on the December 2020 cover of HealthScope magazine.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

In 2016 I was diagnosed with an incurable blood disorder. The diagnosis stopped me right in my tracks. At that time, I was at the height of my business. It was an everyday battle to fight my way back to good health. I could have easily given up on my dream because the pressure was too much. But I was determined not to let this health diagnosis defeat me. I began researching alternative health solutions and discovered that there was so much internal work that I need to do as well. It was a wake-up call for me to live my life to the fullest truly and to stop playing myself small.

What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?

Being raised in a single-family household most of my life and graduating from an urban school comes with a lot of stigmas. I was told that statistically, I would not be successful and most likely be unable to achieve this level of success. I had to unlearn these self-limiting beliefs if I wanted to achieve success in life. I graduated with honors from high school and got a full academic scholarship to UTC. It was in those moments that I realized that it’s not how you start but how you finish.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.DemetriaJ.com www.dnsspaces.com
• Instagram: Demetria Jordan Global
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/DemetriaJordan
• Linkedin: Demetria Jordan
• Other: TikTok-Demetria Jordan Global

Image Credits
Kris Hacker, for the first image of me holding the sign outside