We were lucky to catch up with Ndeye Packnett recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Ndeye, thanks for joining us today. Owning a business isn’t always glamorous and so most business owners we’ve connected with have shared that on tough days they sometimes wonder what it would have been like to have just had a regular job instead of all the responsibility of running a business. Have you ever felt that way?

I love being a business owner. At times it can become scary due to the fact that you don’t know exactly what to expect. Anything can happen. You have to make sure you’re planning for the future. We don’t have any paid time off. Some of us don’t even have any benefits.

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

My name is Ndeye pronounced Nay but I spell it Nai. I come from a Senegalese background. I came to the states when I was two. I’ve always been an entrepreneur. I use to sell my classmates candy bars. I helped my mom open her clothing store. We literally ordered everything together and she showed me the ins and out of having a business. I started doing hair because my mom worked a lot. She didn’t have time to do my hair. I never would’ve thought being a hairdresser would take me this far. HBN Braids and Weaves has been around for 10 years now.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

Covid! I had just signed the lease to my salon. I was like what am I going to do. I just invested everything I had and now I have to shut everything down. I always had Nevertoowiggy on hold. I knew I wanted to make wigs. This was my time. I had to make it happen. I created a new business page and got to work. Fiverr saved me so much on building my website. I did everything in two weeks and launched my wigs.

What else should we know about how you took your side hustle and scaled it up into what it is today?

I was had a full time job and I did hair on the side. I needed to make extra money. I quickly realized I could make this a business. I did my research on to certify my business. In 2015 my business was officially a LLC. I continued my journey working a salons, barbershops and even out of my apartment. I don’t stop there I just always wanted more. I eventually found a suite in Arlington ,TX. I’ve been there ever since.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://Hbnbraids.as.me
• Instagram: Instabgram.com/hbnbraids
• Facebook: https://Facebook.com/hairbynai
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@braidwitnai?si=1ymMZTebl2QK4Lty

Image Credits

Nai