We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Miki Wright. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Miki below.

Hi Miki , thanks for joining us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

It may sound crazy, but I took my Cosmetology Licensing Exam in Texas on Tuesday, then packed up my car on Wednesday to drive half way across the country to start my career as a Hairstylist in Washington, DC. Of course, I didn’t have any family or friends to start build a clientele, so I worked temporary Admin jobs while I took my time to find just the right place to start my career.

I was clear that I was looking for an Owner who would help me to grow into my goal of one day owning my own Salon. I knew I wasn’t ready and had a lot to learn. Although I grew up around the Beauty and Salon industry, as my mother went to Cosmetology School when I was an infant and later went on to open her own salons, teach others and compete in and win competitions. I was her model, sometimes her Assistant with Hair Shows and I traveled with her to attend Trade Shows. The glitz and glam was super exciting, but somehow, I never thought of it as a career for me, so I hadn’t paid much attention. Plus, my Mom, while being an incredible Mentor to me and my sisters, lived in a completely different state (where I grew up, in Michigan).

As I went in to interview with numerous salons (I interviewed the owners as well), one name kept coming up. They’d share, “I started with Saleh.” At the time, I didn’t know how to spell it, but I wanted to meet the person who had nurtured so many to start their own business.

After meeting with dozens of salons, I finally found Saleh’s Hair Studio, and I immediately knew that I had found the Salon and the Owner who were a perfect fit for me. I entered the salon one evening and I was welcomed by a warm, sophisticated ambiance. The sounds of light jazz music, the soft lighting and the exposed brick set the tone for an upscale experience. In addition, it was busy, with an excitement in the air, and the hairstyles were simply stunning! In the waiting area, there was a makeup station with the bright round lights surrounding the mirror, along with a gorgeous Makeup Artist, getting a client all glammed up. It was warm and inviting, and I just knew I was going to work there. There was only one problem. I hadn’t met the Owner yet!

We met and after much follow up while waiting to become an Assistant, I was offered ‘a chair’ of my own. This is Part 2 of the ‘big leap’. With the support of a part time temp job, things went well. But when the part time job ended the bottom fell out. I wasn’t building a clientele fast enough and I got behind on my bills. I was devastated when I had to make the heartbreaking decision to leave my dream career and go back and get a 9-5 job. Talk about feeling defeated and like a failure.

To my surprise, my Salon Owner offered that I could work part time, which I hadn’t thought of. I was grateful for the opportunity, and I figured it would take me about a year to get back into the salon full time and support myself. In actuality, it only took me about six months to build a stable clientele and generate what I needed to take care of my expenses and more.

I was overjoyed when I was able to quit my job and live the life I’d dreamed of. From there I went on to become a Platform Artist with a National Brand, to become an Independent Educator conducting classes all across the country and internationally, competed in and won competitions, and had my work featured in and on magazines. And yes, I did end up opening my own salon. I then went on to become one of the first African American Owner of a full service Salon and Day Spa in the country, and led my team to be one of the fastest growing salons, for 3 consecutive years.

I recently returned to the Washington, DC area to attend the funeral of a dear friend, part of my beauty industry family, and although, I’m glad I don’t still live there, I am forever grateful for the decision to move and start my career there. Most of my lifelong friendships, were created during that time and the memories created there are priceless. While I drove from Houston for two straight days, like there was someone there waiting for me, I had high hopes, but I had no idea what great things were waiting for me.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

Did you know that only 12% of female-owned businesses generate $100,000 or more? This surprising statistic is exactly why I’ve dedicated my career as a 6-Figure Success Mentor helping creative women scale their businesses, without working harder.

My journey spans multiple business models—brick and mortar, personal service-based, training, and online ventures—giving me a comprehensive perspective on what truly works. Having coached thousands of female entrepreneurs, I’ve developed a proven framework that consistently delivers results: my 3C Formula—Clarity, Clients, and Communication. This approach gives women the essential tools to find their direction, attract and retain ideal clients, and develop the confidence to create meaningful connections that generate revenue (or cash).

The cornerstone of my services is the 6-Figure Breakthrough Mastermind, which I’m particularly proud to share came to me as a divine download—complete with monthly topics and quarterly themes that create a transformational journey. This unique mastermind combines pre-session training with three monthly meetings focused on implementation and removing obstacles. We regularly welcome Guest Experts to add another perspective to our topics and we have added dedicated co-working sessions to ensure members make tangible progress. What truly sets this experience apart is the genuine support system that forms among members, as they share wisdom and encouragement while learning to trust their own intuition to build businesses that serve both themselves and their clients.

Many entrepreneurs, especially women providing personal services, reach a point where working harder simply doesn’t yield results anymore. The dream business they envisioned begins to feel like a burden. Breaking through this ceiling requires developing leadership skills, implementing effective systems, and maintaining healthy boundaries—all areas we focus on extensively.

Pricing stands out as one of the most challenging, yet crucial factors, in business success and creating a sustainable lifestyle. My signature training, The Luxury Business Blueprint, helps entrepreneurs overcome the tendency to undercharge and overdeliver—a pattern that inevitably leads to resentment and burnout.

By gaining the confidence to charge their true worth, my clients can provide fewer services while increasing their income. The results speak for themselves: after completing ‘The Blueprint’ one member generated record-setting sales in 2023, and then in 2024 increased those sales by 25% —with 11% fewer transactions! This transformation didn’t just improve her bottom line; it gave her back the time and energy to enjoy both her business and her life.

Training and knowledge matter of course, but beyond that what do you think matters most in terms of succeeding in your field?

When I started I was young, and while I had some life experiences and a thirst for knowledge, boy was I intimidated and filled with self doubt. I think one of the most helpful traits for succeeding in business, is belief and confidence in yourself.

One of my coworkers at my first salon, had a great personality. He was vibrant, funny, very talented and all of the clients enjoyed being in his presence. I secretly wished that I could have that kind of personality.

Then my boss referred me to some of his clients when he wasn’t able to fit them in. They would start off with “he doesn’t do it this way”. And I would immediately lose any bit of confidence that I had, almost to the point of shaking while I worked, wondering how I could do it more like him.

It was my Mom who boosted my confidence by reminding me that no matter how well I could do something, now or in the future, I would never be my boss, and would never be able to do it like him, because I wasn’t him. I would never have the personality of my coworker, because I had my own personality and strengths. In addition, with the clients, whether they were referred to me or not, either they wanted me to do their service or they didn’t, and I would survive either way. In reality, the only way to get their service done like my boss did it, was to have him do it.

As I accepted myself, and my talents and shared them as my own unique gift, things began to change .

Later, as I was struggling to build my clientele, I had an enormous amount of self doubt, resulting in many tear filled days. I questioned if I had talent? If I had made a mistake by choosing this career? I was afraid that no one would like me, etc.

It was my Owner and a Receptionist, who quite literally consoled me and let me know that I did have talent, and that this was a part of the process, ‘paying my dues’ as he put it. And they were right. So my second most helpful trait is finding a great Mentor or in my case Mentors.

I believe there are times when we need someone else to believe in us, until we can believe in ourselves.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

There are quite a few books that have impacted my career, and how I lead and coach. Here are a few, with nuggets that I gained:

The World’s Greatest Salesman by Joe Girard – tenacity, that never give up spirit; get your message out everywhere, and that each person you meet has about 200 people who are important enough to invite to their wedding and will show up to pay their respects when they pass away. So if you don’t treat them right, many of those people will find out about your (lack of) service, and in reverse, if you consistently ask for and reward for referrals, the odds are in your favor that you’ll soon have a lot of people coming to you.

The One Minute Sales Person – Behind every sale is a person, the one doing the buying and the one doing the selling. The power of visualizing the outcome you want, versus how you may mess up, right before you meet. The importance of following up, instead of fearing there may be something wrong and never contacting that person again. Even when there’s a problem, usually the fix is simple and people appreciate that you care, and often become some of your best customers or advocates.

Winning Through Intimidation – Everyone wants your chips. If you go in with clear expectations, it’s easier to navigate life instead of wishing it was the way you want it to be. Don’t wait for permission. You can ‘leapfrog’ to the position you want by repositioning and elevating what you do and how you do it. Marketing yourself is key. Learn lessons quickly, and design your life and create systems to minimize repeating them.

The E-Myth Revisited – I became aware of this book at a very low and stressful time in my business ownership. We were growing quickly and it was overwhelming. This book had me crying, belly laughing out loud, and learning the power of systems all at the same time. Michael Gerber does a masterful job of breaking down how most ‘entrepreneurs’ were simply good at their craft, someone suggested they should open their own business, but they have no idea of how to run the business part. He shares how McDonald’s became so successful, while it’s essentially run by 16 year olds, and breaks down how small business owners can implement the same type of systems to keep them from ‘owning a job’, to instead running a business that runs like a well oiled machine. This is a classic book that has stood the test of time.

The Value in the Valley and several of Iyanla Vanzant’s books – self development is key to running a business and being able to show up and be present for your customers and your team on a regular basis. Iyanla has a way of making things so simple. She says that we have ‘valley’ experiences, to build our character, and so that we won’t be up on the mountaintop acting a fool, lol. Another of her many sayings is, “When you see crazy coming, cross the street!” Don’t waste your time entertaining foolishness. Take care of your self, clean your side of the street, have the hard conversations – with yourself first, then with others. Show up for yourself and don’t play the victim. Tons of practical wisdom.

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz – Always do your best. But note, your best one day may be to put on your robe and go to the kitchen, while your best the next day you may be able to climb a mountain! It’s not about scaling the mountain every day or beating up on yourself because you didn’t. Don’t take ANYTHING personally. If I have a problem, I’m the one that has a problem. The other person didn’t make me have a problem. I need to go within and see why I’m upset, etc. And conversely, if someone else has a reaction, that’s their reaction, and it rarely has anything to do with you. This is a really important lesson to learn, especially for women (who can tend to be people pleasers) and for anyone who deals with the public.

These, along with other books, and my parents, helped shape the way I lead and interact with people. From my parents I learned: I allow them to be who they are, as long as they respect certain boundaries. I encourage them to play to their strengths, and to give themselves grace, while I give them the guidance they need to grow and reach their own goals.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://mikiwright.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/mikiwright
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/salonbizcoach
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikiwright
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/mikiwright
• Other: Free gift, ‘5 Ways to Increase Your Salon Suites Income’ at https://mikiwright.com/growFor business funding to expand or for working capital, up to $1M, same week http://bizfunds4u.com

Image Credits

Weldon Bond Photography