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

Osheema, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Have you been able to earn a full-time living from your creative work? If so, can you walk us through your journey and how you made it happen? Was it like that from day one? If not, what were some of the major steps and milestones and do you think you could have sped up the process somehow knowing what you know now?

I have been fortunate enough to not only earn a full-time living with my creative work but thrive and make long lasting connections. In 2014, I graduated from beauty school and began working at various hair salons. This early day hustle was where I learned to perfect my style and art. It also allowed me to learn about the inns and outs of the business world. After a few years, I was surviving and making connections and funding my lifestyle but I didn’t feel free in my creative mind to do the things in the hair industry that I was passionate about and really wanted to do so I made the decision to start my own business. I started small, building my business up one client at a time, having to supplement my hours with picking up shifts at various salons and gigs but when started working for myself, despite all the struggles, I have to say it was the best decision I’ve ever madeI It was very nerve-racking and scary in the beginning. To this day, I sometimes still get a little anxiety over certain situations. It’s hard being an entrepreneur and having to not only market your craft but yourself as well but at the end of the day, I can say that I built something, I created this from a single dream and I am living that dream every day and I wouldn’t change it for the world!

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

Growing up on the warm islands of St Kitts & Nevis, in the Caribbean, braids were the main hair style for young girls to wear to school. By the age of 9, I began braiding hair around the neighborhood for a small fee and continued to do so until I graduated high school. And thus, an entrepreneur was born. I went on to complete beauty school in Manhattan, New York , in 2014, where I then went straight to work as an assistant for a full service salon. After a month of working there, I left to work for the world renowned salon, Dry Bar. Within 6 months I was promoted to shop educator, and then to a Manger position one year later. In 2018, I moved to Sanford, FL to be closer to family and I transitioned to working at “Blo “, blow bar salon in Orlando as a Trainer/Stylist. After a year in Florida, I began accumulating clients for personal stylings and events, I was booking so many clients that I decided to turn my side hustle into a mobile hairstyling business- fast forward to now, I am the CEO of Touch of Oshie LLC, and breaking glass ceilings one blow dry at a time!

Can you tell us about a time you’ve had to pivot?

Pivoting from a career in the fast pace city of NYC to moving to Central Florida, having to start from scratch and how it turned into one of the best decisions because this is where Touch of Oshie was born.

Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?

Social media was originally just to post your work and hope to book clients, now its a full blown business platform. It always starts out small but I worked hard, one client at a time,
best advice is to make friends with photographers on shoots and at events and always try to find a way to collaborate
Be transparent and always always always communicate.

Contact Info:

• Website: Touchofoshie.com
• Instagram: @touchofoshie.llc