We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Diamon Hopkins . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Diamon below.
Diamon , appreciate you joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?
Am I happy as a business owner ? That’s a great Question. Honestly as a business owner I would say it makes you think more and it makes you learn a lot of things About life in general. So with that being said yes I am happy I’m a business owner and yes sometimes I think about what it would be like if I didn’t have a job. When I did have a job at a young age and I was 19 and 20 etc., It was only done because I felt I needed to because of the things I want to do/ purchase back then, I had my first apartment at 19 and thought a job would be the only way I could keep paying bills. I started hair school so I was also on the side I will still do what I love, but I didn’t take it serious because I feel like I only needed a job to survive. Now I will say without having a job for about maybe 4 to 5 years because I just took things and put it in God‘s hand and just walk with faith. Things just continue to work out and shows me why having a business keeps me going and happy. Gives you more freedom,You have to learn about the invention of money and take that and make the investments. Make good investment sometimes. you may not see your money back in enough time , somethings you will see your money back. so with being in a business owner/ entrepreneur, it teaches you how to manage and how to really set things in place. So yes having a job makes you happy as well, I wouldn’t say quit but I would say when you focus and go down the right path a job is not the only way to be happy.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I am a natural hair beautician. I specialize in natural hair, extensions, color, Locs, anything natural is really my favorite. I also ventured off into my career with my love for natural hair into making natural hair products and selling products that are really good for the hair. More so products that are good for a curl pattern and that will create the curl and keep the curls, because a lot of women like to wear a curly hair and like to wear their natural curls. A lot also complain about how they can’t maintain the curls, so I decided to create products that helps. the fact that I specialize in the natural field, it opened up more doors to get the knowledge I needed & for people to trust me with also selling the product. I am also natural myself and I’ve been natural for about I say like 12 years but I’ve been in the state of cutting my hair, letting it grow back out to use my product & promote them as well. I have beautiful curls. And I’ve never been afraid to wear my natural hair, which is also how I gain my target audience. I’m most proud about the growth and dedication I’ve had for the industry I’m in. Proud of the times I’ve cried and still put my best work on every thing the I touch. It’s not always easy being an entrepreneur but if you know this is your purpose you never give up on it. You keep striving through. I plan on my products being sold in many stores that I know are my favorite to shop at.
How did you build your audience on social media?
Be authentic. Let your audience find you by giving them what they need. Never worry about what the next person is doing on social media, everyone’s target audience is different. Which means be different and stand out. I let my social media build on its own, plus I network, maybe run ads, etc. social media is the most influential place right now, so use that to your advantage. I have to tell myself that very often..
What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?
Yes, my side hustle did but also I’ve been braiding hair when I was a little girl. I’ve always did my cousins hair, my sisters, friends, grandma’s, technically my whole family. As I got older I started going to salon all the time myself to get my hair done. I would always ask my grandmother if I could get my hair done just to smell the salon. If you know what I mean! I went off to college and learned how to make a wig from one of my cousins and I started making them a lot. I started getting clients in my dorm, did one year in college and I started hair school. I honestly left college after my Bestfriend got caught in a cross fire at her college in Baton Rouge… at the age 18/19 I got very depressed and dropped out.. I started to Gain knowledge and took sewing machine classes, wig classes, sew in classes everything . Took my some time to finish hair school and take my exams because I didn’t take it as seriously when I first started because I was still trying to work a job, on top of going to school… whew, that was definitely a test God put me through to see how bad i wanted it.
Contact Info:
- Website: Www.diamondesigns.net
- Instagram: Diamon__designs
- Facebook: Diamon’s Designs
- Linkedin: Diamon designs
- Other: TikTok : DiamonnDesigns
Image Credits
Adonis photography Throughherlenes