Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lenise Robinson. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Lenise, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Almost all entrepreneurs have had to decide whether to start now or later? There are always pros and cons for waiting and so we’d love to hear what you think about your decision in retrospect. If you could go back in time, would you have started your business sooner, later or at the exact time you started?

I often wish I had started in the beauty industry much sooner because I didn’t have the technical skills that my peers had since they had already been assisting in salon settings. I realize I probably could have had I not let fear cripple me for so long. But what I also appreciate is all the skills I’ve been able to bring into my business because I didn’t start it sooner. I may not have been able to do amazing hair, but I had the structure and discipline needed to sustain the business side of things. I had worked in the corporate world since I was 14 yrs old, but I always knew I wanted to own a beauty business. Nobody saw entrepreneurship, particularly in beauty, as a path to retirement when I was growing up, so it felt unrealistic to me too. After working part-time in a salon for a few years, juggling work, parenting, and salon life, one day I promised myself I’d be a business owner by 35, and that’s exactly what I did. In 2014, I left the corporate world and went full time into salon ownership. There were some bumps, but I’m so proud of where the business is today…thriving,

Lenise, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

As a child, I hated getting my hair done (tender headed!) but I LOVED seeing the relationship between the stylist and the client. Women would come in small messes, not even recognizing their potential, and leave with their beauty shining from the inside-out. I knew early that I wanted to be a part of something that inspired that in other women. I am currently the owner of Parlour, a hair salon located in Richmond, VA, and it has been a 15 yr labor of love. I specialize in natural hair, and I am also cosmetology mentor working with students at a local technical center, and an educator in the beauty industry. I’ve worked independently as well as with small and major brands facilitating classes on products, styling, fundamentals, and business skills to help other stylists and owners elevate their brand. My proudest accomplishment is leaving my corporate job and building a successful career in beauty. This was incredibly important to me because I wanted to show my son (now 22 yrs old, 13 at the time) that he didn’t have to work to make someone else rich his whole life. He could pursue his passion and be successful.
I’m also proud of developing my former assistant into a full-time stylist. It has truly been a joy to watch her blossom into her own.
Finally, I am extremely proud of the relationships I’ve established with my clients. This industry is mostly about relationship, more-so than hair, so I take a lot of pride in the fact that my clients trust me with such a sacred part of our being. The experience I provide centers them, and that’s important to them and to me. They recognize that I am a life-long learner which allows me to not only nurture our partnership, but to provide knowledgeable tips that empower them along their journey with their hair.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I had a major shift around 2015, a year after leaving my full-time career in IT to full-time salon ownership. I had some money saved but little did I know how quickly you can run through that as a business owner. My conversation with my 35 yr old self went like this, “You’ve worked since you were 14 yrs old. Take a break for a bit and let your clients come to you.” I would be at home telling my peers, “Call me if we get a walk-in.” That landed me. 5 months past due on my mortgage, and on a 3-way call with my mortgage company and my Mom so she could bail me out. The very next day my foreclosure letter was in my mailbox. It missed me by ONE DAY!
If you’ve never had your back against the wall like that, just know, if you’re REALLY bout this entrepreneurial life you either sink or you soar. I got real creative and that’s when my very first class, #TwistandTalk was born. I help classes teaching clients how to perfect their twist outs, even did a 5-city east coast tour. I also hit up my business owner friends and offered to be a beauty sponsor for all of their events. Both of these moves put me in front of audiences that I hadn’t exposed myself to, and business began to boom!

Fast forward to today, I am the owner of 2 homes, a successful salon business, and I’m thriving as an educator which I have come to realize is my passion. So, be encouraged! Plan the work and work the plan, and let your passion and dedication lead.

Can you tell us the story behind how you met your business partner?

My business partner, Star and I met when we started working in a salon together in 2008. It was my first and her second. We have a 12 year age difference between us, her being the younger one, but we have always had a genuine respect for one another.

I left that salon and teamed up with a different business partner to co-own my first venture as a brick-and-mortar owner. Star followed me there and worked as a stylist for a while before leaving to open her own salon suite. While my business partner relationship was great on the surface, it was ultimately unsuccessful because it lacked that basic respect at its core.

Recognizing it was time to part ways, I followed Star and opened my first solo venture, Parlour in the same salon suites. Then Star left a few years later to open her brick-and-mortar location. We considered partnering but it was really important to me that she experience ownership and establish herself on her own.

But we couldn’t stay apart for long. Ha! We tell people we are pretty much co-dependent. Two years later, I moved over to her beautiful space which is where our businesses currently share a home. From the beginning, Star brought technical skills and I contributed the structure which allows us to be a really dynamic team. Yes, we have our days, but because we share such a beautiful respect for one another, we push through and continue to be successful together.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.parlourrva.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/parlourrva
• Facebook: www.facebook.com/parlourrva
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/parlour-richmond