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

Leliyah, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Can you tell us a bit about who your hero is and the influence they’ve had on you?

My hero would be my grandmother. She has been my foundation and motivation for everything I accomplish and strive to do in life. I’ve looked up to her since I was younger, and seeing how she would be a staple in the community really caused me to follow in her footsteps. She would not only take care of me but would also carry out jobs such as being a baker, seamstress, gardener, interior/ exterior designer, and most importantly–a mother. In my eyes, my grandmother is a superhero and a woman of many wonders, and this is why she is so influential and iconic to me. As I’ve grown up, her endeavors and various titles have caused me to embark on my journey as a businesswoman. A few lessons I’ve learned from her are being able to provide for yourself and making sure not to heavily rely on others. Being self-reliant means you won’t be disappointed when others come short of what they claim they will do for you. I learned that you must stand firm behind what you believe in and having faith is what conquers all.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

Leestyledit is the hair business I’ve created. I work with natural hair extensions and sell products and merchandise. I am known for being quite affordable, as I base my prices on most clients I style who college students are. I’m proud to be able to style men and women, leaving them feeling brand new or giving them a confidence boost. I often offer deals and ongoing loyalty programs such as “refer a friend” and punch card rewards. Hair is always included in my services to allow clients to worry about 1 less thing! A little background is that g rowing up, there weren’t many beauticians in my family, so I didn’t see myself doing hair as a child. I enjoyed getting my hair done and playing pretends beautician with baby dolls back then. When I moved to Charlotte with my mother, she started a YouTube page where she would review different hair vendors and weave companies. She would DIY most of the hairstyles I would wear to school—this sparked many compliments from classmates. Her interest in hair extensions and braiding versatility caused me to develop a passion for hair braiding. A few years later, I picked up a comb and braided hair and started on my first client—who happened to be a really good friend of mine. Most recently I’ve gotten into content creating on Tik Tok where I’ve been able to create videos about hairstyling, clothing hauls, and sponsored content with brands. I’ve gained over 7,126 views per month This has given my business more traction and has allowed supporters to see how versatile my brand is.

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

Since being new to the content-creating community there are a few things that I’ve been learning! Social media is such a large growing platform, so it’s imperative to keep up with the latest trends and fads. I started creating YouTube videos back in 2019 and from there, I have been creating hair content, clothing hauls, and branding deals. During COVID-19, I pretty much stopped making videos and focused more on building my hair business. I built my audience based on my interests as well as what was trending at the time. I also made sure to respond to everyone and provide ample details on the items and or hairstyles I would try out behind the camera. I learned that the hair industry is always going to be around–someone will always need their hair done or will want to learn how to do their own. I try to put out content people can relate to or can utilize to the fullest extent, this allows for a fan base/audience to be more connected, interested, and drawn to your content and media presence.

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

The best way to get new clients for me has been the walking billboards–a.k.a clients. Whenever I style someone it is vital to make content with what I’ve created and to also tag the client. Not only will the client be able to tell friends about the service but if they’re social enough people around them will see them and ask ” Who did your hair?” and this has sparked a conversation about my business in so many ways. This is not limited to posting on platforms such as TikTok, another way of advertising for new clients is through business cards–it’s old school but it still works!

Contact Info:

• Website: Linktr.ee/talaniilee
• Instagram: Leestyledit
• Youtube: Talani D.
• Other: Tik Tok: Talaniilee Amazon Storefront: https://www.amazon.com/shop/talanilee