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

Hi MercyK, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

Being laid off pushsd me to take a risk!

From home health, door-door sales, to customer service, I tried to use my buisness degree. I even moved to another state and yet, nothing worked, so I came back to Nashville. After fighting to get a job in corporate America for 3 years, I got hired, for what I thought would be my career. Promotion after promotion occured for the next 2 to almost 3 years, and then the pandemic hit! I was laid off, after just getting promoted to a new role, less than 3 months prior!

All my life I was told that I needed a 9-5 job, but the gift God gives us, no one can take and it’s that gift that saved me. My gift indeed made a “room” for me! Having faith while in a risk filled position catapulted me!

Some weeks before the lay-off I heard something say to me, “Go fix that empty space!” I looked around and there was not a person or thing in sight, but I took faith and held it by the hand. While working full-time and going back and forth from my apartment (40 plus miles away) to my mother’s house, to help care for my, now transitioned, grandmother, I sanded down a table or two, relayed flooring, painted the walls, and decorated the bonus room, that forever changed my story.

I had no idea, the exact week after finishing the renovations I would have been laid off. Amazingly, the very next day, some people called asking, “Khenie, are you still doing hair,?” To my astonishment, and with tears in my eyes, all I could say is, “Yes,!” Yes to people saying I may be crazy hearing what I did, Yes to taking a leap of faith , Yes to all the risk taken, and Yes to being willing to tell what operating in faith does!

I am so grateful to have such an opportunity to uplift men and women daily. I use my gift and place of business to showcase where a leap to the risky side can get you. Whether it be a listening ear or words of encouragement, I am blessed to be a pivitol influence, a conduit of hope and healing for all I come in contact with. I overcame criticisms, being told that I am nobody, body-shaming, bad relationships, being laid-off, and low self-esteem! I am elated to be a walking testimony that good things happen to everyday humans determined to be better than those circumstances!

MercyK, 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?

I am an American and a full blooded African! My mother and father are from Sierra Leone, West Africa and I grew up a third culture kid raised in Nashville,Tn and surrounding area. Fully American and African at the same time, I struggled with obesity throughout my life due to hormonal issues. These aspects made me so different in so many settings. Due to the mix of cultures and my appearance, it wasn’t cool to be me or different in that era.

I grew up being laughed at by many whether peers at school or family members. Throughout my youth and puberty I was called “ugly.” Frequently asked, “why are you so fat,?” At times I was even bullied. Many people did not know that I had low self-esteem, because of the confidence my parents instilled in me. They told me that I could do anything I put my mind to do and attain, irrespective of my appearence, weight, or stature.

Around the age of 11 or 12, an old acquaintance approached my cousin and I to master a service she recieved at a local hairschool, in Nashville. My cousin was way better than me in the art of hair design and sytling. However, armed with the confidence my parents had instilled in me, I was determined. So every week, to earn some cash and sharpen my creative ability, I tried new styles on myself, my friends, school mates, and family members. Within two years, I started styling and braiding hair several days a week after school. It was just suppose to be a hustle to buy what I wanted.

Although my father was very present, I lived with a hard working, single mother of two, who couldn’t buy me the latest styles or afford to get the stylish things I saw other kids wore in my size!

This gift I have been given, gave me opportunities and resources to keep up with the latest fashion trends I saw the “cool kids” wore or attained! This stirred up my passion for all things fashion and developed the outlook I still see hairstyling and style as today, an accessory! I beleive that you can uplift your spirit, image, and being, by simply looking your best.

Though several thought I had high self-esteem, in reality I only had the confidence in who my parents said I am and this has helped mold and shape me into the enterpreneur I am today!

After high school, I went to MTSU and I still entertained this hustle of styling hair, while working multiple jobs in the fast food industry, health care, factory jobs, and various side campaigns. During my Junior year of college I changed majors from Pre-med to Nursing, because I began to have a change of heart about the length of time it would take me to graduate with a doctorate degree.

As time went on, I had a life altering encounter and experienced the call to salvation. As I developed spiritually, I had this urge to change paths and enroll into cosmotology school. Eventually, I called my parents and told them how I felt about school and my desire to further cultivate, and develop my passion for cosmotology. My mother was not the most thrilled, but was still supportive. However, my father was livid and chewed me outn due to feeling I was giving up on the oppurtunity many migrants come to the United States to provide for their family. Despite their reluctance, I went to cosmotology school anyway!

I flourished in hair school, but I did not continue in my career as a stylist because, culturally, it was frowned upon. So, I later went to the University of Pheonix and obtained a B.S. in marketing and accounting.

After being forced back to my gift, due to the pandemic lay-offs, I enjoy motivating and helping others present their best selves by being their stylist and confidant.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

One of the struggles I have faced is to make sure I do not sell myself short! Although I am a licensed cosmetologist, at times people want to argue about prices, but you can not pay for all the experience someone has acquired in order to deliver the excellence in service provided by me today. Prior to getting a license or a B.S. in Buisness, I wanted to be an OB/GYN! All the courses in science and knowledge I obtained working in various industries, prior jobs and education, add to the philosophies I believe to be true;

1. Hair is not a race, it is a texture!

2. To master hair is to understand that hair is science.

As business owners, many will debate pricing and make comments to discourage you. I had to realize their are many who can do the same things I offer, but do not obtain the gift I was blessed with or the knowledge that comes along with my experience? The answer is, some may have those skills, and I seek out their training, but God gave me this gift and no-one can ever de-value me!

I learned there is nothing wrong in expecting to be monetarily rewarded for doing much more than just the finished style one may see at the end of services.

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

Word of mouth is the best source to gain the best clients! Doing a great job goes a long way. The way you make someone feel goes a long way. Listening goes a long way. By taking each of these components, you have the ultimate recipe for referrals.

Believe it or not, my clientele advertises my service(s) and they are walking billboards. This add is cost efficient and remains at a zero balance. My business proves my worth and legitamacy everytime someone takes a look at my clientele! If you give love through you art, service, or product, you will definitely receive and manifest love in folds. I love who I do what I do for and I can tell you I see the return on that investment everyday!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_themercy_seat/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mercyk.khenie