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

Ebony Selima, appreciate you joining us today. Parents play a huge role in our development as youngsters and sometimes that impact follows us into adulthood and into our lives and careers. Looking back, what’s something you think you parents did right?

Great question!

Well, I’m the knee baby (as some would call it) and having older siblings makes you more aware of what’s going on in the world.
My mom was a single parent, I was 10 when my dad past away, however, she made ways out of no ways. Whatever lessons my older siblings were taught we had to learn as well!

Yes, we struggled, I can still remember waking up on Christmas morning to a beautiful well lit tree, we cut down ourselves, using old ornaments we kept for decorations but no gifts. Sometimes bags of fruit, nuts, candy or socks but we were together and we were appreciative because some families didn’t have that. And if my mom knew there was someone in need she would divide the little we had to make sure they were ok.
My mom made sure we were love, it was tough love but it made us strong.
She put God first in everything she did and we watch him blessed her and us abundantly.
All in all, what I was taught as a child is what I carry with me today:
God
Pray
Faith
Selfless
Hope
Perseverance
Humility
Humbleness
Obedience
Respect
Honesty
Wok Ethics
Survival and Love

Ebony Selima, 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?

I am an 29 year veteran Cosmetologist (licensed 22 years). I own and operate Salon ESelim. I’ve opened 4 salon and I currently have two that I’m currently merging.

Salon E’Selim deprives from the name Ebony Selima – Ebony meaning Black, Selima meaning bestowed Peace.

I grew up in a small community called Pleasant Hill (Georgetown County), There was no internet, just the antenna TV’s, your yard and your imagination. It was only natural to watch, learn and dream big!
I started out at an early age 7, watching and helping my oldest sister Andrea who was 18 at the time style her and her friends hair. From cutting, adding extensions and coloring She did it all!
Thinking about my childhood now, I had the best instructor. Watching Andrea apply peroxide to her hair and instead of siting under a hooded dryer because we didn’t have one, she would sit outside in the sun. My eyes lit up when I saw her hair change from brown to honey blonde! At times she couldn’t find all her sponge rollers, so she would use rolled paper from a brown paper bag and believe me it worked! I was mesmerized at the art of hair!
I’ve serviced family and friends while attending middle school and high school. My baby sister was my mannequin. Ironically, The styles I see today are styles we were criticized for.
I was such a tomboy growing up, I couldn’t see myself in the beauty industry then, I wanted to be an electrician, lol! Needless to say, I didn’t get that degree in engineering, God had other plans!

I enrolled at Denmark Technical college where I received my Cosmetology certification of completion and  passed my state board test for my license. While attending, I was Miss Cosmetology (98-99), Miss Denmark Tech (99-2000.) I’ve met Bill Clinton while having dinner at his inauguration, Bobby Jones, The OJay’s, Dorothy Height, Destiny Child, Jagged Edge and the list goes on during my reign, thanks to Mrs. Avis Howell-Gathers.

During the summer, I worked between McDonald’s, Target, The body shop (retail). Assisting my Aunt Linda Bell at Hemingway Apartment’s (property management) and somewhere in between Hair.
After graduation, I had the opportunity to speak with the cosmetology students at HGTC (Conway, SC), Carvers Bay High school (Georgetown County, SC) and Southern Connecticut University(women empowerment) in New Haven, CT.
I’ve serviced weddings domestically as well as internationally. Ive worked behind the scene on an upcoming film and have held hair shows as well as participated in them.

I always made time to service the kids and their parents in the projects where we moved and reside for a while In The Donnelly community of Hemingway, SC. Some parents didn’t have it to give so they would pay me in food stamps so that I would have food to take back to school! Believe me when I say God is a provider! He gives you what you need when you need it most!

What sets my business apart? God, of course, his Anointing makes the difference, so we don’t compete! We absolutely love what we can achieve by working together. Using our talent to make our clients look and feel beautiful is priceless! We strive to be better than who we were the day before. Sometimes we miss out on important events or family gatherings because we want to make sure our clients look their best!
Salon E’Selim provides haircuts, hair coloring, extensions (sew, micro links, tape-ins), natural styles, silk presses, etc and yes we’re expanding our list of services soon. Our back bar includes Design Essentials, Influance, Matrix, schwarzkopf (color system), Wella (color system), Blonde solution (color system) Paul Mitchell and Nairobi products.

My proudest moments?, There’s so many but haircut for Autism, (orchestrated by Tica Mosley) and haircut for the Homeless, (orchestrated by JHOP and Karaine Holness) are on my my top list. I love giving back! I am familiar with feeling out of place because there was a time I didn’t having anything material or monetary to give. All l had was love; Love for God, Family, Friends, and all of Gods people! I try my best to spread it out through my gift, Love makes the difference! You see, everything that I’ve experienced is because of God! His love, grace and his mercy brought me through. I look back sometimes and thank God for my forward! I am here in this very moment, humble because of him. Everything that I do is for his gory not mine! He often gives us a reminder to stay rooted in his word so that the path to our destiny is Secured!

Can you talk to us about your experience with buying businesses?

Yes, I purchased my first business in 2009. The business was named Reflection’s, I was young and the only booth renter at the time, the rest of the staff was commission. After purchasing, I added E’Selim, “Reflection’s of E’Selim”, a year later just Salon E’Selim.

The business was turn key and the acquisition process was very smooth. The owner of the Salon (Heather Hardee) and the plaza owner (Edmund Watkins) approached me with the opportunity to become a salon owner.
A 200k turn key business was sold to me for 20k, This was all God! I did not apply for a bank loan or did I desolate my savings. The transaction was law binding and definitely a blessings.
And of course that didn’t mean the space, just everything that was invested to operate the business. Mrs. Hardee could have approached any other stylist, there was definitely a full staff before she hired me. I was only working a little over a month before I took a medical leave. Mrs. Hardee reach out to me in November 2008, January 1, 2009 I was officially a Salon owner!

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

I built my reputation by staying on course with the goal I set which was, “To make sure my Mother receives everything she sacrificed for us”, I think of it as a refund! No, we can’t ever give back the time or money but everything we achieve belongs to our nourishers. We are their offsprings so what we do reflects who they are and what they’ve invested in us!

I also kept my head down, worked hard and I allowed my gift to make room for me. In addition, Honesty, Customer Retention, continued Education Obedience, remaining Humble and being Consistent.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.saloneselim.co
• Instagram: Saloneselim/ESelimstyles
• Facebook: Saloneselim/ EbonySelima
• Linkedin: Selima Peterson
• Yelp: Salon Eselim

Image Credits
IG: Thellyshotya (my personal photo and the Mohawk photo) All other photos (my iPhone) Client Models: Stefanie Sanders The arch queen (Rocky) Janell Lewis Nikki Dill twin girls. Sarah ordonze Amaya Harris Bride (Sophia) Thailer Black