We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Recquel Mack-Randles a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Recquel, appreciate you joining us today. Risk taking is a huge part of most people’s story but too often society overlooks those risks and only focuses on where you are today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – it could be a big risk or a small one – but walk us through the backstory.
The risk aka leaps of faith I will be discussing is the ones I took when embarking on my journey as an entrepreneur. As a single mom, it has been quite challenging being able to keep a steady job due to a number of obstacles, but I have never been the type of mom to let anything get in my way or keep me down. Seeing that it is very important that I continue to work so that I can provide a roof over my son and I head, I decided to jump into entrepreneurship. My journey as a business owner first started in November 2022 when I had the amazing opportunity to become apart of a business entrepreneurship program called “Equity in Entrepreneurship”. This was a 6–8-week program that gave us an opportunity to learn all the beginning stages of entrepreneurship, how to get our business legalized in the state of Florida, getting our ideas on paper, etc. This program really helped to push and challenge me in the best ways possible and helped me to get where I am at today. If it wasn’t for me taking these risk and huge leaps of faith, I would have never been able to see this beautiful but still developing version of myself. And guess what, I am absolutely loving me, flaws and all.
Recquel, 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?
Of course! I would love too! Hi CanvasRebel readers, my name is Recquel Mack-Randles. I am a 31-year-old ministry worker, mom and professional hairstylist. I got into the hair industry because it is something I have always been very passionate about. I remember being a young girl and was always obsessed with playing in my mothers beautiful black curly hair. Then I would always give my dolls a hair makeover which normally resulted in them having most of their hair (lols poor dolls) cut off. Then after getting into foster care and being displaced quite a few times, my sister and I was adopted by a hairstylist. Her daughter was also an inspiring hairstylist and often times would take me with her to her hair appointments. I got to help assist her with her clients, set up, clean up and really got a feel for what it would be like to be a hairstylist. I knew before but without any doubt in my mind, I knew God created me for this. I guess it was just in my blood.
The types of services we provide at G + g Salon is something for everyone no matter their hairs texture. If an individual hair is feeling a little dull, we offer color services to help livin it up. If an individual is feeling gray at the roots, we will color those too! If an individual is looking to keep their hair protected from hot tool use or environmental settings, we offer protective styles that will help to give those luscious strands a rest. If an individual hair is feeling super dry and just needs some TLC, we can take care of that too! We here at G + g Salon are always looking to grow our skills and help our clients to get the best experience possible when booking their hair appointments with us.
At G + g Salon, we hope to solve the problems associated with individuals not being able to keep up with the cost of looking their best. Most times, I have found clients being only able to visit a salon a few times a year because finances might not always scream “hair appointment”. We here at G + g Salon pray that with keeping our skills high and our cost low, we can help individuals to feel and look their best all year long. We strive to offer high quality hair services to individuals no matter their income level.
We here at G + g Salon are most proud of the ways that we are able to heal hearts through our clients hair appointments. It can be as simple as helping a stressed mom relax for a few with a really good scalp massage and deep conditioning treatment. Those little moments of self-care helps to remind the individual that they are just as important as everything else. The main things that we want potential clients/followers/fans to know about G + g Salon is that we are not only styling hair but we are healing hearts too! Every hair appointment that is booked at G + g Salon, it helps us to be able to go out into our communities and do the hair of homeless women and children. The more hair appointments we can book, the more opportunities we have to give back to the communities. Nevertheless, we will continue do all that we can to help our clients look and feel beautiful while at the same time healing the hearts in our communities to. At G + g Salon, Styling Hair and Healing Hearts is what we do!
Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?
A story from my journey that illustrates my resilience is recently, I almost stepped backwards. Again, I am a single mom so this means that I am literally responsible for all things having to do with my home life and my business life. I am already responsible for myself and my child, then my child’s things, then my things, then there is the typical adulting bills etc. and then I decided to tack on a whole other aspect and that is becoming an entrepreneur and business owner. Now things were going good until the summer hit and I notice business was starting to slow down. Not only was I freaking out because I was having more bills than funds but I was starting to lose faith in myself and if this is something that I can truly do. However, I thank God for loving me so dearly. During that season, He began to place these amazing individuals in my life on my entrepreneurial journey and because they helped me to open my eyes and keep my eyes on the bigger picture, I kept stepping forward. Honestly, I was ready to put my business on pause, go back to working a regular full-time job and just become miserable again. Rather letting these life experiences get the best of me, I began to pray, pray, pray more and use the wisdom I was gaining from sermons, books, podcast, etc. I decided to overcome my challenges and keep on stepping forward because at the end of the day there is nothing in going backwards but there is only hope found in going forwards.
Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?
A lot of individuals may not realize this but the Bible is an amazing resource and has significantly impacted my management and entrepreneurial thinking and philosophy. Since life was doing life, I needed something that can help me to gain wisdom not only on the outside but the inside. While reading the Bible and looking at the lives of the individuals in the scriptures of times when they overcame the Red Sea, was freed from their enemies, wasn’t burned by fire, was able to beat a feminine, found love in difficult times, etc. my Spirit was coming alive. I honestly believe because I was able to get my inside to become uplifted it started a chain reaction that allowed me to become joyful on the outside. I know individuals have their doubts but trust me, the Bible it really does work. Don’t believe me? Just try it and you will see.
I also love listening to Sarah Jakes Roberts sermons because she keeps it real! She has an amazing testimony and her story inspires a lot of us women to continue to move forward despite what we see ahead! God will always be there so we are never alone, is something she always references.
CanvasRebel Readers, my prayer is that as you read my story, my testimony, it begans to light a fire in your Spirit that can not be contained. I know that there are times when life seems to be completely against us and throwing all it has at us but if you keep pushing forward, You Will Win! I believe that long as you have faith, keep praying and keep pushing, you can expereince a victory like never before. It does not matter where you come from in life and what you have been through, I believe if God did it for me, He can do it for you too! I pray this motivates, inspires and encourages you to step out on faith and start developing into that beautiful version of yourself too!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.gplusgsalon.com
- Instagram: g_plus_g_salon
- Facebook: G + g Salon
- Youtube: G_plus_g_Salon_LLC.
Image Credits
All the photos uploaded are photos that I have taken on my personal cell phone. We can say that the image credits goes to G + g Salon