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

Hi Makeia, thanks for joining us today. What’s the backstory behind how you came up with the idea for your business?

You can manifest your dreams and destiny; if you want something hard enough and are willing to work for it, you can get it. I genuinely believe that. In life, you unknowingly begin to gather the components along the way that when the time comes, the dreams and visions, the heartfelt desires, and everything else will go together, and the puzzle will begin to reveal itself to you. Manifesting, along with hard work, is how my business began; slowly but surely, I started collecting the components I needed to create the company I have today. It also took other people believing in me too. It starts with my beloved sister, MonSheldra, whom I will always revere as my biggest supporter; she pushed me and challenged my thinking because she believed in ME and the dream. But, It took two friends moving me to “go for it!” I began The Warhaus at the height of the pandemic. Like many of us, I was still determining what tomorrow would hold and wanted to create an outlet that would allow for an additional income stream and give me something to focus on that wasn’t so glum. I’ve always purchased hair from outside sources but wasn’t too keen on the quality. I felt like I could find hair that I loved, and I did! I knew I had found a good product when my two friends were equally excited. Once I got my first and second orders, I knew I had a business in which I needed to pursue and invest my time, energy, and money. I haven’t looked back since.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

The type of client I market to is me, the girl who values quality over quantity and will pay the price for top-tier quality. I wanted a better hair grade than what I was buying at the time. I wanted hair that lived up to its promise of 100% human hair, minimal shedding, and tangles. The marketplace needed my vision; it needed The WarHaus. As a consumer, the void I encountered forced me to search for top-tier-grade hair that justified my overindulgent spending. I wanted hair that lasts. Ultimately, the thing I searched for became what I am most proud of. Whenever a customer tells me that the hair they purchased from my company is the best they’ve ever had, I am elated. The biggest thing I could underscore in my message is that I am you, the consumer. If you have a deeply rooted love for long luscious hair, like me, The WarHaus is your premiere company to find it. I am not selling to you as other companies may. My goal is not to get your money. I care more about you finding the hair of your dreams that meets the high expectations and exceeds them too. I want to provide you with the hair you have been searching for and are now finding.

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

My greatest challenge may sound trivial, but it was and still is overcoming my fears and self-doubt. Some things are to be expected when you are building a brand, and I have experienced them all; In my first year, I spent more than I earned, and every penny I made went back into my business. My second year, I still spent more than I made, but I also made more sales, upgraded vital infrastructure, and spent more money to protect the brand I’m building. But, I often wonder if I am doing it right; am I making smart and strategic choices? And am I leading my company in the right direction?

The truth is, I don’t think one ever knows the answer; you keep going, and on the path, you learn valuable lessons that you apply—the power of pivoting, learning to adjust, and keep moving forward. This agility in your journey, in my opinion, is the key to success. It’s never easy building a brand. If it were, everyone would do it. It honestly takes guts to step out on faith and to try. That’s what I’m doing every second of the day; I’m trying, and if what I am doing doesn’t work, I pivot and try a different approach to get to the end goal. I keep trying. Owning a company is not the hard part. The hard part is the willingness and fortitude to keep trying when you’re not making money, but spending a lot, when you do not see the likes and shares on social media but have paid for advertisement, and when people don’t know your brand yet but you keep spreading the word. You keep trying even when you’re discouraged because you understand there is a time for everything— there is a time to plant seeds and reap the harvest. The roughest time you’ll experience is planting seed, but the joy of your bounty is on the other side; keep going.

Can you open up about how you funded your business?

My start-up money came from my working a regular 9-5. Being in Class-A commercial property management, I didn’t see the benefit in leaving my high 5 figure salary in the trade of potentially having to get a loan and incurring unnecessary debt. Instead, I chose to reduce my overhead expenses, like moving out of my apartment and back with my parents– talk about humbling my ego. By doing that, I instantly opened 3k a month of unallocated funds that can be used for my business expenses; this was the most sensible option. It allowed me to keep my regular job (and medical benefits), use funds that would have otherwise gone to living expenses, and take much pressure off it “having to work.” I can focus on the slow growth, and it remains a passion of mine instead of the alternative.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thewarhaus.com
• Instagram: @thewarhaus_luxuryhair & @thwarhaus