We recently connected with Inari Gates and have shared our conversation below.
Inari , 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?
Hello to all and thanks for taking the time to read about me and my craft. I am elated for yet another platform to share my story and forever thankful. My name is Inari Gates and I am 28 years old, a full entrepreneur, and a mom to a 7 year old son. I am a true ATLien, born and raised here in the REAL Atlanta, Georgia. My brand “Braids By Nari “ was legally birthed in 2020, however I have been in the hair industry over 10 years starting at age 11. I am a professional alopecia hair braider, and I specialize in providing coverup braid styles for clients who have minimal to extreme hair loss areas.
My love for braids started very early and over the years I continued to grow my craft, and ultimately make it my main source of income. I personally feel my love from braids came from my mom being a cosmetologist growing up, and I always loved seeing how she made woman feel once she was done with their hair. I enjoy seeing woman happy and knowing that I had a part in that, especially with the times we live in today. I also enjoy the freedom of making my own schedule. Although I love making money, working jobs is hard for me. I love having freedom, and not missing out on life due to working for a company who would replace me at the blink of an eye. So I truly get the best of both worlds, traveling enjoying life while creating my own schedule, and also making money while doing it.
I take extreme pride in my work, and my clients genuinely love me because I’m always being myself. You know everything is so fake these days with social media, but with me you get the real raw and uncut , and I love that I’m able to be myself, while still keeping it professional because a lot of people truly don’t know how too. I have worked so hard over the years, and all the things I have prayed and been grinding for are truly coming into fruition. Being in this industry is hard, especially being that it’s so many people that deal with hair and doing braids. I’m so thankful I was eager to learn more and invested my time into learning a skill that ultimately has made me almost 6 figures. Dealing with hair loss clients has not only set me apart in this oversaturated industry, it has become my passion.I love my clients because they adore me and genuinely respect me , my time, and what I do for them, and in return I give them the same respect. I have ultimately created a judge free comfortable atmosphere for woman, because dealing with hair loss is hard and depressing, and 95 percent of my clients return. To me that says so much, and my brand has only touched the surface of what is to come.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
What truly helped me build my reputation is my authenticity for sure. For many years I got caught up in social media, and I found myself marketing myself being someone who wasn’t my true self. Social media is a big part of growing business today, so I just wanted to be socially accepted I guess, but inside I was not happy. I just wanted to be accepted, and In return, I was marketing to a clientele base who didn’t fit me, and I was constantly having issues. I wasn’t clicking with my clients, because they were booking off what I portrayed via social media. So I stopped creating this facade and started being myself, and that’s when my business shifted tremendously. My clients love that I’m funny, I offer great advice, and all around I give you homegirl vibes, while still remaining professional in all I do.
Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?
CONSISTENCY in marketing and standing firm on your rules and meaning business . I use to be super heavy into social media constantly posting my work any and everyday, especially when I first started. People constantly seen my work, and the consistency of my details on client which attracts new clients. Setting boundaries in business is also essential when creating a strategy on growing clientele, and keeping them coming back. Also making sure that you follow the rules that you put out for your clients. Like if you have a late policy and charge fees, you should also take off if you have to inconvenience someone. Depending on the situations I try to be fair and also understanding, but communication is definitely the key.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Www.instagram.com/_braidsbynari
- Facebook: Www.Facebook.com/braidsbyinari
- TikTok: @_braidsbynari