Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Neith Reid-EL. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Neith thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
Back in July, I had just left a job that wasn’t serving me anymore and my mother suggested that since I had experience with doing locs to start that as a business and so I did. My sister aka my “twin” also inspired me and taught me a little along the way. I knew that one day I’d fall in love with doing hair, so I kept learning and teaching myself. Which then, eventually led me to establishing the business, “Loc’d In By K’Monie”. My business name derived from my nickname which ‘K’Monie’ and because I was doing locs, that’s where “Loc’d In” come into play. Natural hair and holistic care is something I’m passionate about and I’m very successful at it. There’s still work that needs to be done but another goal that I’ve recently stumbled upon was birthing my hair care products. I started branding my own hair products to go along with my client’s regimen and to promote hair growth. The products that I handcrafted consists of Rose Water, Clove Water, and Queen’s Elixir (hair growth oil). With that being said, I started my own hair growth challenge August 1, 2022 to allow both my clients and other participants to join the hair growth challenge with me.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
For those who don’t know me, I got into the hair industry by practicing on my brother’s hair all the time, starting at the age of` 10. My brother, PointBlankk would always ask for me to twist/ braid his hair and so I would just practice. During that time, I was learning how to do hair through hands-on experience but I could not braid for anything so that’s something I’m still working on because my braiding skills were horrible. In addition to that, I had locs during my early ages but my step-mom cut my hair off after a while due to my hair being matted together and I didn’t know how to properly care for my hair. So, unfortunately she cut my hair and I then began to look like a boy because she cut it down, only leaving about an inch or two and then she repeatedly tried cutting my hair…and me not knowing better, I allowed it. I felt powerless but then out of the blue, I gained my strength and learned how to say NO. I was already getting picked on by people inside and outside the house so that made it no better so I just learned how to suppress my feelings. No one taught me how to do hair so I stumbled upon myself to teach my own self. Fast-forward for my 12th birthday, my loc journey was re-started by my step-mom. With my first name being Neith and it meaning the ‘Weaver of Creation,’ my logo was created with an Egyptian message behind it….
We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?
What many refer to as “time management” is a lesson I had to forget because it is not feasible to manage time. You are the only thing you can control. You manage you through being able to discipline yourself, setting goals, making to-do lists, and maintaining organization. When I realized that I was no longer able to manage my time, my outlook on life improved. We should normalize “You-management”. I started examining my daily activities and observing my habits. This is essential to do if you have trouble meeting deadlines. I also had to unlearn the proverb “Knowledge is power,” which is another lesson. I discovered that knowledge is leverage, and that when knowledge is put to use, it becomes powerful. The background to these teachings is simply interacting with others, making connections, and working together through hair appointments, school and everyday life.
We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?
When I first started doing hair, I created my clientele by styling a few of my friends’ hair. During my early stages in business, my brother put me on and educated me on how he built his platform, his social media is doing a phenomenal job and so I listen to him. With all that I have going on, I do what I can when I can. I had to learn patience within my business and be at peace with my creations. Later, I realized that the next step was for me to make business cards so people could have all of my contact information and have something to remember me by if they misplaced my number or something similar. I wanted to create a unique business card, so one day in art class I let my imagination go wild and drew out my design. I wanted my business card to be ancient and depict my Egyptian Goddess and as a result, the correct customers started approaching me. My genuine clients invest in me and acknowledge my greatness. They truly treat me like family, and there is a sense that we have known each other for a long time. My clientele is my foundation. Without my foundation, there wouldn’t be a business so I have to treat them as I want to be treated. As a result of uploading my work on Instagram, I was able to grow my following. I have discovered that my followers like it when I post on my page rather than my story. They enjoy sharing my blogs and every image from those posts automatically uploads to my photo gallery on Style Seat, which has been incredibly useful. Style Seat also plays a significant part in my marketing; they handle it on my behalf so that I don’t have to if I don’t feel like it. When people see my images, they feel at ease booking with me since it reassures them that I’m a great choice. However, other people read my reviews and see the true love expressed and want to embrace that cycle. My recommendation to individuals who are just starting their businesses is to not taking advice from everyone and if you need to figure out what works for you and not letting people change that. You should also make business cards, obtain a trustworthy website that promotes you, make a business page and surround yourself with like-minded business individuals. Find people in your field that are doing better than you and people who have your best interests in mind where you can grow and succeed. I’m still discovering how important it is to create and adhere to a budget plan when spending money. It’s crucial to remember that not all money is good money. Even though I enjoy networking, not everyone can sit in my chair since I choose who sits there. The right people will come up as soon as you establish boundaries for what you will and will not tolerate.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.styleseat.com/m/v/locdinbykmonie
- Instagram: @locdinbynie @iamk.monie
- Facebook: Neith Reid-EL-Locdinbynie
- Other: Barber Shop is located at Soho Barber Studio. 8106 Old Kings Rd S. #6, Jacksonville, FL. IG | @sohojax
Image Credits
K’Monie (Neith R.) took all of these photos!