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

Alright, Ivory thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. One of the toughest parts of scaling a business is maintaining quality as you grow. How have you managed to maintain quality? Any stories or advice?

“Excellence is to do a common thing in an uncommon way.” – Booker T. Washington

As a hair professional, the most important thing that you want to do is exceed all expectations & provide pristine service to your clients. You want to go above and beyond to create an irreplaceable experience that will make your clients come back for more.
Your clients should feel special and respected every single time they sit in your chair, not just for the first appointment. This high valued & meticulous attention that you will be providing is called White Glove Customer Service.

To be completely transparent, even I could probably do a little better in this area. Yes, there are days where it is hard to hold a smile with the client that was 15 minutes late, but somehow they still had time to stop for a coffee. *Pause for smile* However, we have a responsibility to maintain the highest level of care. So I just ask for God to give me strength and patience every single day.

The first opportunity you have to make a positive long-lasting impression on a new client happens right before the first appointment. It happens when you pick up the phone to call the client & confirm the date, time, location and their hair needs for that appointment. You want to be sure that your tone of voice is cheerful and your choice of words are positive and professional. It is just as equally important that you listen to your client so that there is healthy communication between both parties.

Something you want to avoid is making any promises to your client that you cannot keep. If you are not able to execute the service(s) exactly how they want, be very honest with them. They will respect & appreciate you much more for your veracity.

Last but not least, you always want to go the extra mile to deliver surprise & delight! This is how you gain loyal clients. Then those loyal clients refer their friends, family & associates. And before you know it, you’re all booked up and very busy!!

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

My name is Ivory and I’ve got a story to tell…! I would be lying if I said that hair was my passion from way back when I was a little girl. Actually, all I ever wanted to do growing up was to be a singer. But it was a gift that my family did not support so eventually, I let that dream go. I was pushed into working a traditional 9-to-5 job. Both of my parents were from corporate America and I felt like I didn’t have any other choice. I was always very intrigued by the legal field. So essentially, that is what I ended up doing. I have worked in personal injury law, family law, marital law & security. At one point I even took the NY police exam in hopes to be an officer. I passed the exam, but I didn’t go that route because my heart was aching for something much greater.

Seven years ago I ended up going into family business with my mom and my sister. Together, we purchased a beauty salon in the heart of Amityville, NY. My mother and my sister were already entrepreneurial women and wanted to bring me into that life. As a smart individual, I saw how big of an opportunity that was & immediately agreed. I had no idea what I was really getting myself into. The very first year of business was complete hell!! Working with family, especially women, is extremely hard and emotionally taxing. I came to the conclusion that I needed to make the best and the most of this opportunity for myself. And so, The Locness Goddess was Born!

In the beginning I really didn’t know what my actual talent was. Hair was never really my thing, so I did not know what I was good at. I hopped and skipped around within the cosmetology field, trying to find my niche. It took me about a year and a half to realize that I was naturally talented with locs/dreadlocks. But boy oh boy, once I did- there was no stopping me!!

For a long time I got by without having my license in cosmetology. But by not having my license, I was missing out on so much money. I got tired of people contacting me asking me about services that I could not provide to them. I knew it was time to make a real investment in myself! And so I went to school! Getting my Cosmetology license was one of the best things that I have ever done for myself. And for that, I am very proud.

I have worked my behind off to get where I am at today. I have spent thousands of dollars & countless hours making myself into a brand.
In the summer of 2019, my work even caught the attention of an event coordinator on Instagram. I was asked to style two of my Loc clients and have them walk in the fashion show at the first ever LOC Festival in Brooklyn!

Someone once told me: “your gifts are not meant for you”. I never really knew what that meant until now. To all of my clients, thank you for being so loyal and supportive of me. I could not do this without you!

Much love- THE LOCNESS GODDESS.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

One of the qualities that sets me apart from everyone else in the beauty industry is the fact that I actually care about my clients, beyond just their hair. With me, they know they are safe, valued, respected and loved. The relationship I have with each of them is very special.

Over the span of 7 years I have developed many beautiful & long-lasting bonds with the individuals that sit in my salon chair. We laugh & cry, we share our wins & our losses, and we lift each other up on the days that don’t seem so easy. I have also had people sit in my chair that I never saw again after the first time. And somehow, those same people still left me with a lasting impression or beautiful lesson.

It took me years to know what my purpose on earth was, but I wouldn’t change my journey for anything. I love being a professional hairstylist & Loctician! I understand and respect the power of the gift that I have been blessed with. Through my business I am able to spread peace, love & happiness to so many people and that is the best part of it all.

My clients come from near and far! Some very far. Like they got on a plane to see me- far! I can’t even begin to express the gratitude I have for my clients that are so loyal to me. I literally would not be where I am today if it were not for the loyal ones.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

Almost all of my clients look at their hair appointments as their therapy sessions. A time where they can release all of their stress, pain, grief, drama, divorce/breakup stories, upcoming events, pregnancy announcements, birthday celebrations & much much more since the last time they saw me. As a hairstylist, It is really easy to find yourself relating to your clients stories and start sharing some of your own. Even if it wasn’t exactly you that had the experience.
One time and one time only I got caught up in spilling some tea to a client I had just met. All the red flags were there and still my lips continued to flap away. I had a bad feeling after opening up my mouth, but it was too late by the time I realized. It probably only took about 10 mins after the client left, before my phone started to ring because word got back to the person who I was talking about. No additional details necessary, but I’ll tell you that I felt utterly sorry for my actions and called the individual right away to apologize. Forgiven, with tears in my eyes and an empty feeling in my gut, I promised myself to never do that again. Ever!
I shared that because I feel it is important to understand how easy it can be to slip up when all guards are down. You never know who knows this person or that person. So my best advice is to keep your lips sealed even about your own life. Remain as professional as you possibly can. Especially, with a brand new client.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.TheLocnessGoddess.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/TheLocnessGoddess