We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Dorothy Nathan . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Dorothy below.
Dorothy, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Let’s start with the story of your mission. What should we know?
My business Styled by Destiny forever has gone with the the slogan “Her hair is her crown” I never had a mission going into starting to do hair until this phrase came into my head and made me think about hair differently. Theres so much more to ones hair. Your hair is almost like your identity, it signifies stories, and tells the truths of who you are, it places a glory on you and gives you this feeling of confidence when you step out of the house after having a new style done. Girls, ladies, women, we all go through a certain kind of stage in life where we are learning to identify ourselves. Sometimes that stage never fully ends. Our hair changes throughout those stages of realizing who we are. As a child i was always so shy and timid. My mom would say in the igbo language “stop doing that timidity” “Emena onumiri!” As i grew up and i wore the styles i enjoyed having on, a new joy would radiate around me. The timidity didn’t go away immediately, but my hair always made me feel whole. Your hair is your crown, its what gives you certainty, its what places this interesting feeling of royalty, of beauty, of you.
Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.
Hello, my name is Dorothy Nathan and i am the CEO and Founder of Styled by Destiny. I am currently a student in college studying public health on the pre-med track. I am a STEM girl as you can see, but i have always had a long on-going love for the arts. Whether thats drawing, writing poems, painting, singing, song writing, or even graphic designing you will find me there. My love for hair began when i braided someones hair in the bathroom at my middle school in 6th grade after she asked for two quick french braids (the go-to style). From there, couple of other girls would ask me for two french braids. Over the summer, a group of us were asked by one of the counselors, “Who can braid my hair?” I jumped in and gave it a go. Two other counselors asked after that, and it became a weekly thing when i came to camp. I absolutely enjoyed it. Later down, i was asked by a friend to try doing hair together. Her passion was much greater than mine, as i was good at it, but it wasnt serious. After getting practices in, youtube as my teacher and my sisters hair as my canvas, i started upping my gift. It was a win-win because my sister got free hair, my mom has never had to spend money for braids for 5 years now, and i slowly was getting the experience i needed. Because i started doing hair learning cornrows (French braids) and feed inns, that is my go to style that i offer such as Tribal braids, regular feed inns, and stitch braids. Back in the day, crochet was also my thing but we move. I also offer knotless braids, twists, soft locs and more!
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
Social media is might partner in crime. I think social media is one of those things that can really elevate yourself and your business as a whole once it comes down to learning and understanding the best ways of using social media to your advantage. Word of mouth has also been a great thing, and as my go to saying still stands , “tell a friend to tell a friend” I see one client as an opportunity for 5 more clients, so at the end of the day, the work you put into it is all worth it. It’s takes time and dedication, but investing in your craft, investing in what you can provide people will really attract those people to you. I think one of the biggest keys as well is consistency. Whether that’s with posting your work, advertising yourself everywhere, reminding people individually, networking with other people. Consistency is a key thing that helps me. I noticed that when I am less consistent with something, the activity tends to slow down compared to when I am. Business cards are still always my go to for advertising purposes as well.
Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?
I think the best thing for me is connections with other people within my market. I never really try to see business as a competition, but more as an opportunity for growth. Personally, i a braiders friend. I try to build relationships and community with those higher than me or even lower than me. I am always more than happy to give out information and to teach others which makes my reputation I’m the business more solidifying with others in it. Connecting with others, learning from others, can really make a difference. Also, my creativity because i am one that even if I’m not doing hair, i will make posts, videos, and other kinds of content that will attract people. Not only is she a good braider, but she’s good with content, and videos, and creations. It’s all just to make it light, fun, and attractive to me and those who come across my brand.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://l.instagram.com/?u=https%3A%2F%2Fstyled-by-destiny.square.site%2F%3Ffbclid%3DPAAaZdqnFUn34vHD3JnQyxoEw8A82t_TYpMDUFBYajG16giJqZqUSB0YUz-gQ_aem_AdhRW305-G1E8YZtJhlDWD3V2IzJeyWBs-OI8F_9o2GdA61vrvwzPvpHZNHd3MicTh4&e=AT1ySj3mVG8J90EFLrN5MDQYkghZaASS5pgDDN5joNMgv5egEgx-Bytpyu6Mr8M4blBtCabu2M80xUNYEvYzB6pEyOHIwQwmc7eYmw
- Instagram: _styledbydestiny
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dorothy-nathan-53197b230
Image Credits
Photographers: @rell_ent @visuals dmv models @crunchwrap.awr @raniaayouniss