We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Harnea Allen a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, Harnea thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Before we get into specifics, let’s talk about success more generally. What do you think it takes to be successful?
Depending on who you ask, success feels and looks different to all of us. Some people base it off of the materials , some off the peace. I believe success, of course, takes lots of hard work and dedication but all of that is easier said than done. I believe the main key to success is yourself and your vision. You have to believe in yourself and in that vision so bad anything else outside of that dream becomes a delusion to you. There are times where I get discouraged, and I sometimes even think about giving up but I remember that a few years or even months ago I would be very proud of who I am and what I’ve become. Also, give yourself some grace! Nobody had it all figured out , ever. Trust in yourself, trust in your process and trust that this is exactly where God wants you to be.
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
I started in the beauty industry in college, 2019. I was selling lashes right out of my dorm room! As college went on and my business grew, I expanded my business into a whole small boutique! From accessories to even some clothing items! This drive caused me great success as well as even winning entrepreneur awards, hosting multiple pop-up shops and having my items featured in a storefront. As we have grown, I’m now enrolled at Aveda institute to become a licensed cosmetologist and focusing on high quality extensions and customer service. The Nea Code is a lifestyle/ a collection, this is only the beginning!
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
From January 2022 to July 2022, My business was at the lowest it had ever been. I was hardly making sales, I moved and didn’t have much of the time and finances I once did, so I was not able to invest in my business like I was used too. No matter how much promotion I was doing, I felt nothing was working so I slightly gave up. I knew I didn’t give up completely but what I was doing was not working. I took those 6 months to really figure out what it is exactly I wanted to do . I came up with a goal and a plan and I executed that. I ended up taking a risk on myself going to cosmetology school and that decision changed my life. There will be tough times as a business owner, these times will test your faith. But the resilience and the drive in you must stay strong! You have to know you can pull yourself out of ANYTHING!
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
The most effective strategy for me is consistency and actually figuring what it is people really want too see. Consistency is required! You have to post your brand! No matter how many unfollows, blocks , and dislikes you get POST! You never know who can run across your brand! It is also very important to make it known who your audience is and do your research on what they like. Yes , this is your brand but the opinion of your customers are very important’
Contact Info:
- Website: www.theneacode.com
- Instagram: theneacode