We caught up with the brilliant and insightful LAQUINTA MAGWOOD a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
LAQUINTA, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Some of the most interesting parts of our journey emerge from areas where we believe something that most people in our industry do not – do you have something like that?
It’s my belief that many people have an issue with pricing in the industry. This often stems from a lack of proper research into the services they’re seeking. When this occurs, individuals may not know how to respond and could cave to potential clients’ attempts to strong-arm them into lowering their rates to secure business. I recall a time when several potential clients inquired about my services and expressed interest. However, when I quoted them a price, they attempted to negotiate a lower rate. I gave in once, but I felt terrible afterward. I realized that my actions made me appear desperate and undermined my professionalism. From that point on, I made a conscious decision to stand my ground on pricing, even when negotiating with potential clients.
LAQUINTA, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Greetings to those who are familiar with me, and to those who aren’t, my name is Laquinta and I hail from a small town in South Carolina, Walterboro.
My journey into entrepreneurship began at a young age. I started doing my own hair during tough times and soon progressed to styling other people’s hair. I pursued my passion for hair braiding and turned it into a side hustle in college. After years of braiding and landing a leadership position in corporate America, I was unfortunately terminated. This led me to pursue my passion for hair styling and attend cosmetology school.
In February 2020, I accomplished what many thought was impossible: I opened my very first hair salon. Although many doubted my ability to do so right out of school, I remained determined to prove them wrong.
I have been passionate about hair for over two decades and has worked tirelessly to hone my craft.
Starting SAY La V Beauty was not an easy path. I faced challenges in maintaining healthy boundaries between work and personal life. However, I learned that setting boundaries would not hinder my business, and once I made the necessary changes, my business began to grow. Another challenge was difficulty in connecting with like-minded professionals. Instead of being discouraged, I used this to push myself to improve my skills and help other stylists in their journeys.
Say La V Beauty is a full-service multi-cultural studio, specializing in natural healthy hair. We offer a wide range of services including micro locks, with and without extensions, braids, make-up, color services, and more. Our studio is known for our natural hair services such as Microlocks, Sisterlocks ™, Brotherlocks, traditional locks, natural treatments, and blowouts. We are passionate about our clients’ transformations and the genuine love and support given and received. Our studio aims to inspire clients and empower them to make their mark on the world. What sets us apart is our commitment to constantly learning and perfecting multiple services to stay up-to-date with the latest trends.
It’s been a year since we launched our own hair care line, and we’re proud to say that we’re still going strong. The motivation behind this venture was our challenge in finding effective products for both ourselves and our clients. To address this, we created a natural, organic, and plant-based product line that promotes hair strength, moisture, and growth.
As a leader, Im ambitious and goal-driven, always striving to be the best version of myself. My family and faith are of utmost importance to me, and I make it a priority to give back to my community.
The most important takeaway I want you to is to never give up on your dreams. Despite those who may try to impede your progress, continue to grow and push forward. If God has given you a dream, pursue it with all your heart. Your future self is counting on your perseverance.
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
To share my social media success, I must first acknowledge the challenges I faced. Initially, I was eager to share my work with the world and hoped for it to go viral. However, I didn’t pay attention to the quality of my pictures, the background, or even the cleanliness of my camera lens. It took someone’s advice to point out that I needed to refine my angles, get creative, and clean my lens. Once I made these changes, my content started to flourish. Another crucial component of my social media success is being true to myself. My advice to anyone seeking to grow their social media presence is to speak the truth and be authentic. It’s perfectly fine to outsource your social media efforts, but it’s crucial to ensure that the person you hire is qualified and dedicated. You don’t want someone who’s just in it for the paycheck and makes excuses for underwhelming results.
Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?
I always had a business partner, but it took a challenging situation to realize who that should be – my twin sister. I was focusing on building others up in hopes that they would help me with my business, but they would often leave me high and dry. One day, while driving, I received a message from God that my twin was meant to work with me. To my surprise, God had already told her first. She was the missing piece of my business, and I am grateful to be on this new journey together. We are now a team and when you see me, you see her. Though it took her five years to say yes, we are now thriving and can help more people while doing what we love with the people we love.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://saylavbeauty.com/
- Instagram: Saylavbeautystudio
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/SayLaVBeautySalon
- Yelp: Say La V Beauty
Image Credits
KB photography LLC LaQuinta (Self)