We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Machelle Gibbs . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Machelle below.
Hi Machelle, thanks for joining us today. Are you happier as a business owner? Do you sometimes think about what it would be like to just have a regular job?
Im extremely proud of myself for being a business owner! But I must admit that sometimes it’s so hard! There are times that I do actually think about getting a “regular job” because I have my busy moments then I have my moments where I’m slow! It’s the feeling of being extremely happy, then someone lets you down! Lol…But I think to myself that I’ve came this far (5+ years self employed) and business been good so there’s no giving up! Theres no turning back because God gave me MY vision for a reason!! It’s just up to me to keep pushing forward with it!!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I’m Machelle Gibbs! Born and raised out of Atlanta, Ga! I got interested in doing hair because I was around my grandmother as a little girl and just always seeing her do hair! I then got interested (as young as 6 years old) and just start doing my dolls and cousins hair! I remember writing my 5-year plan out in High School and that included going to Hair School to obtain my License and That’s just what I did! I obtain my license in 2012, and gained my clientele throughout the yearS! In 2015, I became pregnant (those of you know, know) and that’s when i decided i needed to become self employed so that I could be on my OWN time!! I already had the talent!
I specialize in natural hair care services such as Sew Ins, Braids, and silk presses but i do it all pertaining to natural looks and just upkeep of your natural hair! I use natural hair products as well such as Mielle and Carols Daughter!
The kind of problems I solve for my clients is bad hair days!! I do believe that a persons hair will determine their mood, confidence! I’ve witnessed my clients come in having a bad week looking sad but once I’m done with them, they’re smiling!! That makes me happy because then I’ll know I’ve done my part!
Something that set my aside from others is my customer care skills!! I’ve heard some stories of Hairstylist nowadays and i just want to let people know I am NOT one of those Hairstylist!! I’m fair, polite, and just love for my clients to be comfortable!
Like I’ve mention before, I’m very proud of where I’ve came from. In the last interview my business was Hair Is Life Studios but since then I’ve relocated and rebranded my business to Essential Strands LLC!! I’ve came from doing hair out of my home, barely no clientele to actually having my own Suite, being booked and busy! If that’s not something to be proud of, i don’t know what is!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
This journey has it difficulties! There are some weeks i can have 2-3 clients, then that next 2 weeks I can be entirely booked out! The week that I have low count clients, I EASILY get distracted and discouraged! I feel like this career path i chosen isn’t it, but then that next week I’m fully booked! It’s like a rollercoaster but over all, the good outweighs the bad! I just push through! U got to see a storm sometimes…….
What’s a lesson you had to unlearn and what’s the backstory?
A lesson that I’ve learned in this journey is that you can’t please everybody!! There are some people that are going to clap for you and there are some people that’s doubting you! But if you follow your heart and can just feel what’s best for YOU, i say DO IT! I would rather work to build myself for my family than to build someone else wealth up!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://essentialstrandsllc.as.me/
- Instagram: essentialstrandsllc_
- Other: Tik Tok @hairbymachelle