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

Alright, Kwanisha thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Can you recount a story of an unexpected problem you’ve faced along the way?

One of the most unexpected challenges I faced as a new business owner came after I had already built my salon from the ground up. Launching the business and establishing a strong clientele was one thing, but learning how to navigate and scale through slow seasons became a significant and unforeseen hurdle. There was no predictable pattern—each year looked different—so I had to learn how to adapt in real time.

In the early stages, I supplemented my income by working PRN as a social worker. However, when COVID‑19 vaccination mandates were introduced, I was pregnant and later breastfeeding, which made continuing in that role impossible. That shift forced me to rethink how I approached slow seasons and pushed me to focus on long‑term solutions.

During that time, I began developing business plans to expand my hair company and create additional streams of residual income. More importantly, I started writing the vision for what is now becoming the expansion of Diverse Trends Hair and Lash Studios into Diverse Trends Studios—a full salon suite concept designed to empower more beauty professionals like myself.

Navigating those challenges required prayer, wisdom, and a willingness to evolve. What felt like obstacles at the time ultimately became the blueprint for eliminating slow seasons altogether. Those moments taught me how to fill the gaps permanently and position my business for sustainable growth.

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

At 11 years old I became a hair braider and perfected the craft so by the time I enrolled in the Cosmetology program at my high school I had a part-time clientele. I graduated high school with my cosmetology license and an established clientele.
I then went off to college and worked as a social worker for 6+ years while doing hair part-time. Eventually, I started to get burned out and I started to lean more toward doing hair until I eventually transitioned into the beauty industry full-time.

The vision of Diverse Trends Hair and Lash Studio came about in 2018 while still working as a social worker. During this time, I had no clue about where or even how I would transition into doing hair full time. It required a lot of faith and direction from God. I eventually switched to working part-time as a social worker and full-time building my brand. Shortly after the transition, I was hired at a private spa in the vista and did exceptionally well there until I was terminated which forced me to open my own location. This is when Diverse Trends Hair and Lash Studio was born.

Diverse Trends Hair and Lash Studio is a private appointment-only studio located in Lexington, SC. I offer a slew of services including braided styles, blowouts, relaxers, extensions including braided and braidless sew-ins, traditional sew-in extensions, crochets, natural hairstyles, brow shaping, brow tinting, lash lifts and tints and lash extensions.

I specialize in traditional sew-ins, blow outs, and classic lash extensions.

What sets me apart from others is my the atmosphere I create in my studio, my level of professionalism, customer service, and knowledge of services.

I am extremely proud of my reputation for classic lashes. I have managed to retain a large clientele with great success. I am also proud of my discipline and endurance in this industry. Being a business owner is hard. You have to know that being an entrepreneur is what you are called to. Most people especially in this up and coming generation see the flexibility, income and all other pros to being self employed but never consider the sacrifices that have to be made. It’s not until you are experiencing a slow week, no sick/annual/holiday pay and many other factors that contribute to a loss of income,
that the real deal behind running a business is seen. You have to be wise with your money and save and simply just have faith.

As the owner of Diverse Trends Hair and Lash Studio and Diverse Beauty Collection, I don’t just like to identify it as business but more importantly an atmosphere. Anyone coming in is sure to be uplifted coming out. That coupled with a beauty enhancement is a Diverse Beauty experience!

Are there any books, videos, essays or other resources that have significantly impacted your management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy?

Absolutely. Lynn Richardson—who I jokingly refer to as my “millionaire best friend”—has been one of the most influential figures in my financial journey. She is a believer, and her financial literacy teachings are grounded in both practical strategies and biblical principles. What I appreciate most is how clear, direct, and thorough she is when explaining the do’s and don’ts of money management.
One of the principles I’ve implemented from her is the 10/10/30/50 rule: save 10%, tithe 10% (for those who are believers), allocate 30% in cash for miscellaneous spending, and use the remaining 50% to cover bills. For anyone dealing with debt or financial strain, this structure can feel challenging at first—but even starting with the first two steps, saving 10% and tithing 10%, can make budgeting feel much more manageable.

I genuinely value her teachings because they are practical, easy to apply, and they work.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

The strongest source of new clients for my business has consistently been word of mouth. My current clients truly serve as my walking advertisements, and that’s something I don’t take lightly. I always emphasize the importance of stewarding relationships well because you never know when someone may have to speak on your behalf—or when you may need to speak on theirs.

I’ve seen incredibly talented people whose work is excellent, yet their personal reputation limits opportunities that could have elevated them. That’s why I prioritize being a person of integrity both inside and outside of my business. I value relationships deeply, and I especially honor the clients who choose to invest in my business and trust me with their beauty needs.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://kwanishacarson.glossgenius.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/diversetrendshals/
• Other: Google- https://g.page/DiverseTrends?gm

Image Credits

AJ Smalls