We caught up with the brilliant and insightful India Traylor a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

India, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Before we talk about all of your success, let’s start with a story of failure. Can you open up about a time when you’ve failed?

Recently, I went through a challenging period where I felt like I had failed—failed my children, my family, and myself. To provide some context, I made the difficult decision to leave what I once considered a “happy home” because it was no longer a place where I felt I could thrive. It was, without a doubt, the hardest choice I’ve ever had to make. Moving back in with my grandparents, armed with little money and two kids, felt like a significant setback in my life.

However, this trying time brought me closer to God, deepened my faith, and ultimately made me a stronger person. To cut a long story short, within seven months, my children and I found a new home where I now run a childcare center. Additionally, I’ve taken ownership of the hair salon where I had previously worked, all while continuing to pursue my passion for hairstyling.

This experience taught me that even during the toughest seasons of life, there can be unexpected blessings on the other side.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Hello everyone! My name is India, and I’m a mother and entrepreneur based in Los Angeles. I’m a hairstylist known as IndyFingers, and I proudly own Le Crème Salon and Suites, as well as Growth Sprouts Learning Academy.

From a young age, I’ve had a passion for both hair and children. I grew up watching my stepmom style hair in our basement and my biological mother run an in-home childcare. Both of these hardworking women instilled in me a strong work ethic that has shaped my journey.

My career began in my early 20s when I assisted a well-known hairstylist while pursuing my degree in childhood development. I aimed to support myself through school, and hairstyling offered both a flexible schedule and great financial opportunities as I started my family.

As I assisted, I fell in love not only with hair care but also with the relationships I built with my clients. Creating a safe space where we could share and uplift one another felt like fulfilling my true purpose. This passion eventually led me to start my own business. Over the years, I’ve evolved from being a recognized braider to a versatile stylist, mastering various techniques such as press and curls, ponytails, weaves, and more.

With my knowledge and experience, I now focus on renewing and restoring damaged hair while providing my clients with a luxurious experience. The love and care I put into each client’s hair and well-being truly set me apart from others in the industry. Unlike many who have moved away from the passion for hair, at Le Crème we offer full-service experiences without hidden charges.

I’m especially proud of my recent venture into opening a daycare, which has been a significant milestone for me. Providing spaces where I can nurture adults and help educate and grow our youth is incredibly fulfilling.

I want my followers to know that everything I do comes from a place of genuine intention. I deeply love what I do, and I appreciate each and every one of you for allowing me to fulfill my purpose. Thank you!

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

As I mentioned earlier, I recently launched two businesses simultaneously. For the childcare center, I had saved up a few thousand dollars to furnish it with the essentials. Initially, I had no plans to expand my hair business or take ownership of the salon. In fact, I was ready to walk away from hairstyling altogether and fully commit to the childcare field, which had been my original vision.

However, when the opportunity to take ownership of the salon arose, the offer was simply too good to pass up. The only challenge was that I didn’t have the capital to pursue it. So, I prayed, asking God to help me if this opportunity was meant for me. Thankfully, He blessed me with investors who loaned me $10,000 for startup costs. This was a tremendous blessing, especially considering that the salon had been closed for two months for renovations and the daycare wouldn’t start generating profit until at least month three, and we were only in the first month.

To keep expenses low, I tackled as many tasks as I could on my own, from painting to assembling equipment. One of the best pieces of advice I can share is to find an investor who believes in your vision. However, for them to have faith in you, you must first believe in yourself. Demonstrating dedication and a strong work ethic is vital; when you show that you’re committed, investors won’t need convincing that you’ll repay them—they’ll be confident that you’ll deliver on your promises.

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Social media has truly transformed the advertising landscape! Aside from good old-fashioned word of mouth, it’s become our most powerful tool, and we need to leverage it to our advantage. About a year ago, a coworker and I decided to embark on a 30-day challenge where we committed to posting once a day. Our ultimate goal was to receive a monetization offer from Instagram and start earning money from our posts.

During those first 30 days, I didn’t see much traction, but shortly after, a few of my videos went viral. I gained over 8,000 followers, received millions of views, and ultimately got the opportunity to monetize my content. However, I can’t speak for everyone, but after accepting the monetization offer, I noticed that Instagram seemed to shadowban my content, making it harder to achieve the goals necessary for payment.

Unless you’re a well-known influencer or have the capacity to post multiple times a day, I’d recommend prioritizing reach over monetization. Personally, I find that I attract more clients by reaching a wider audience than I do from the payments I receive from Instagram.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: indyfingersss