We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Felicia Jeffries. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Felicia below.

Felicia, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today How did you scale up? What were the strategies, tactics, meaningful moments, twists/turns, obstacles, mistakes along the way? The world needs to hear more realistic, actionable stories about this critical part of the business building journey. Tell us your scaling up story – bring us along so we can understand what it was like making the decisions you had, implementing the strategies/tactics etc.

In reality, entrepreneurship is quite difficult, but extremely rewarding. To be successful in business you are required to be a risk taker. I learned early in my tenure that “Scared Money Don’t Make Money”. Its an old African adage to help future entrepreneurs understand that you have to spend money to make money. What some experienced business owners don’t share is that your investment in the beginning is quite larger than one expects. Again, being a business owner has it challenges.

I started from the bottom. I went to beauty school twice because I failed to finish. I then enrolled into barber college because I wanted a dual licensure. I then went to college and received a degree in accounting. Finally, I enrolled into the Barber Instructor program and received my license as a Barber Instructor. In between, I traveled across the world attending classes gaining the knowledge that I needed to pursue my goals. I then became a traveling educator which further increased my desire to become a school owner.

I worked in the very same businesses that I aspired to own one day. I wanted to own a salon of my own and I wanted to open a beauty school one day. I worked 13 years behind the chair and 5 years progressing as a Director, Barber Instructor, and Financial Aid Advisor at an existing beauty school. I was trained by the best instructors, financial advisors, and Education Directors who were very well experienced and rich in the knowledge that I needed to pursue my dreams. It was hard-work even working under the direction of these individuals because I had to prove myself. I had to achieve goals even being an employee before becoming and entrepreneur. There is levels to success. You have to get under the wing of those who are doing the very thing you have a desire to do and even become.

This strategy prepared me for the reality that was ahead of me. Some entrepreneurs jump head first without proper knowledge, mentorship and expectations. We live in a society that wants success right now without going through the trenches to get it. The trenches is just what I experienced. I invested everything that I had in my business. I am grateful for my spiritual walk because without faith in God I would not have been able to endure the financial, mental, emotional and physical hardships I experienced on my road to success.

It is also important for aspiring business owners to understand that success is not financial. That has to be understood well before the journey. Many look for financial compensation immediately. It does not work that way. Just being able to reach the goals you set on your journey is success. This very success becomes the catalyst to keep going until you can reach the financial rewards that come after you successfully master achieving your goals. The money is the reward in the end. Success is gained along the journey of completing tasks without giving up.

Felicia, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

My name is Felicia Jeffries. I am an Author, Educator, Barber-Stylist, Certified Hair Loss Practitioner and Small Business Influencer. I am the proud Co-Owner of New Beginnings Barber & Beauty College located in the Historic City of Holly Springs, MS where we “Enhance Lives One Barber at a Time.” I promote career readiness and a better quality of life by providing essential innovative education and hands on training that prepares our trainees for licensure and a successful career in the beauty industry. I love the gift of education because it is never ending and it is the one thing that cannot be taken away. I have been in the beauty industry for over 20 years now. I am a mom of two, Kelvin 21 and Irianna 20. I am the author of Hair Therapy: A Dialogue for Healthy Hair, Ministry Behind the Chair, Tress Control and Faith Come Alive to name a few. I am also the proud owner of Hair Therapy Organic Hair Care Brand which provides healthy hair care services and holistic treatments to those suffering from alopecia.

I am most proud to be an advocate for young adults and to serve the community of Holly Springs which groomed me and afforded me the opportunity to become the successful business owner that I am today. I serve my community through service, mentorship, summer camps, community outreach programs, and vocational education training that provides opportunity for economic development and to break the socioeconomic boundaries that hinder underserved and poverty stricken communities. Serving my community keeps me humbled and grounded understanding that it is not about me. It’s about who I can serve and how I can make impact.

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

I met my business partner, Javis Gibson, Sr. whom is also my bestfriend on social media. He was very present on social media because of his brand Multi-Razor and a book he had written, 24 Laws of Barbering. We eventually linked up at a beauty industry event and I had the opportunity to pick his brain about his invention of Multi-Razor and how he published his book. This conversation led to many other conversations that provided an opportunity to build a friendship. We created a strong bond with one another because we both were able to relate to the many hardships of just trying to become better. He had faced and overcame many trials in his life and it became a motivating factor for me because he and I met at a time when I was overcoming some hardships of my own. His kindred spirit was a key factor in my healing and it became the glue in our friendship. We became inseparable. We both had vision, a hustle and grind hard mentality which led to us become a power house duo. We literally traveled across 40 states working various industry events which led to us creating our very own educational tours. We made mad money together. We were vigilant and resilient. We did face trials along the way but we kept at it. We did not give up.
It was my vision to open a school. He was not so sure about it but because we always did business together and he believed my dreams just as much as I did, he invested in me. Even when he didn’t understand the vision he continued to pour into the vision. It became a vessel to empower the young adults, currently incarcerated individuals and those who had been previously incarcerated. My vision became a catalyst for hope. We named the vision New Beginnings Barber & Beauty College. It was the best decision we made because God used our gift of educating to change lives.

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

To be resilient is to embody the capacity to withstand difficulties. I am an overcomer. I have endured many, many hardships during my journey to becoming a successful business owner. Even when you think you have reached your peak, the mountains get taller and the valleys become wider. Being a single mom and a full-time entrepreneur had its battles. It was rough and tough. My children were young at the time and they barely understood the many phases we went through, but they toughed them out with me. We lived in low income housing for years while I figured this entrepreneurial thing out. We even had to settle for noodles for dinner because I had little money to provide for my family while chasing a dream that no one understood but me.

We struggled. I struggled. I was emotionally, mentally, physically and financially drained. I wanted to give up so many times, but I had to keep reminding myself of my WHY? I wanted to pursue my passion. I wanted to show my children that they become anything they desired to become no matter the cost. People doubted me because they did not understand my vision. I continued to press forward. Having to move from place to place. Situation to situation. I literally robbed Peter to pay Paul to purse my dreams. Giving up was not an option.

Through every hardship I endured there is a testimony of overcoming. I now stand on the other side of the valley and I am grateful for each trial I faced. I am an overcomer. I did not give up. I did not allow my adversity to hinder me. I was delayed but I was not denied. God kept his promise. My gifts made room for me. So now that I know that my struggles were not about me, but it was for God to show up and show others that no matter the trial there is triumph. There is victory. Only if you suffer for a little while. You will understand it better BY and BY. You shall and will be rewarded for such a time as this

Contact Info:

• Website: www.newbeginningsbarber.info
• Instagram: @newbegininngsbbcollege
• Facebook: New Beginnings Barber & Beauty College
• Linkedin: Felicia Jeffries
• Yelp: New Beginnings Barber & Beauty College
• Other: Tik Tok: @newbeginningsbarber

Image Credits
Just Melanee Imagery International, LLC