We recently connected with Sade Miller and have shared our conversation below.

Sade, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today To kick things off, we’d love to hear about things you or your brand do that diverge from the industry standard.

As a braider we are aware of the stigmas that are attached to that title. The braiding industry isn’t typically as valued as the cosmetology industry. The braiding industry isn’t taken as seriously and we are one of the most under paid, for the most work. On the flip side of that, just like any other industry, there are a few bad apples that spoil it for us that are known to be unprofessional, inconsistent, and terrible with communication. Because of that, I always pride myself on my communication skills, professionalism and innovative spirit. Apart from my passion for braiding, I knew that bringing those traits to the for front was going to set me apart.

Sade, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I began braiding at the age of 13 years old. I used to watch my mom braid her friends hair, and naturally learned the skill. Once I grasped the concept I began braiding my dolls, friends/family, and my own hair. I then started taking clients in my home, finally making profit. Once I built the confidence with my work and the amount of clients I was getting, I started to rent a booth at what was then DK Salon (Los Angeles). After that I worked at a few other salons, including one in Brooklyn, New York during the summer of 2016. Once I returned back to LA, I rented another booth at a previous salon, then went mobile for a few months. After being mobile, I rented a booth at Le Shoppe in Inglewood,Ca, and then an office suit following that. Not knowing at the time that that will be my last space I was going to rent. During COVID, I began scouting out vacant units to soon own my own salon. August 7th 2020, I received the keys to my now braid lounge, Sade Styles: Beauty Supply & Braid Lounge (Gardena, Ca). Currently, after 2 1/2 years there, my boyfriend and I partnered up to get a salon suites building, which is now known as Styles + Company: Salon Suites (Lawndale, Ca).

At Sade Styles, we are a full natural, braiding salon, that hosts 4 total braiding providing braid only services. We also hold products from our vendors Rastafri and Nena’s Organics. We have a few other partnerships in the works to soon provide more products that serve our audience.

We solve a few problems for our clients, both personally and professionally. Personally, I know that my clients are usually hard working woman that have a lot going on. So providing everything that they will need for their services is a must for me, i.e. braiding hair, products, etc. The convince helps them be able to maximize their time for anything they have to do outside of getting their services. Professionally, we cater to those looking to maintain healthy hair. Braids are known to be a protective style, but I take it up a notch. I vet every single product that I use and sale. Our vendor Nena’s Organics, which doesn’t include any preservatives and chemicals in their products, is a very important piece to my success with the results for my clients that strive to have healthy hair while they are in their braids, and in between them.

There are a lot of very talented braiders in the community that makes the industry look good, and at it’s best so I never want to discredit anyone as I say this, but I think what sets me apart from others personally is that I am helping to create alternative lanes for braiders to come after me that I haven’t necessarily seen before. Brand partnerships are important to me, growing from behind the chair is important to me, and ultimately creating community and a message is important to me. We have to be seen as more than just braiders, we have to change the narrative about our industry and let people know that we are as well essential. Braids are a lifestyle to me, and just like the loc community, I strive to make sure that we create unity in our space as well. My goal for the salon suites was just that, connecting all beauty professionals together to began to respect each others craft and build with one another.

I am most proud of how much I’ve grown not only as a braider but as a business woman in this space. I went from managing myself, my clients, to now other business owners that choose to partner with my in the salons I’ve built. It’s an honor to be trusted in such way, and I am proud that nothing that I have learned in my years of growing has been in vein.

The main things I want potential clients and partners to know about my brand is that I want to see you grow, no matter who you are and what you do. I love wellness, and entrepreneurship that much that it makes me happy when others are striving to be their best selves, no matter what adversities they face.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think what helped me build my reputation within my market was being myself. I incorporate everything that I love into my businesses. For example, I love all things wellness. Because of that during my services I incorporate products that are healthy to the mind, body and spirit, the design of my salon is inspired by the spa atmosphere, I write blogs about wellness, lifestyle, self-care, business and more. During services we majority watch podcasts that feed the mind and soul. Aside from that I always remain professional, communicative and up to date, consistently.

We’d love to hear about how you keep in touch with clients.

Keeping up with clients and building client retention has always been a must for me. I value relationships and building rapport with those you come encounter with. What has helped me do that is consistent social media posting, incorporating a little bit of my personal life into my posting so that my clients feel like they know me, which is important because naturally as a service provider you become apart of their lives in a very intimate way. Also my email newsletters have been a game changer lately, sharing updates and announcements, blogs, and discounts to my clientele. Aside from the communication, I found that hosting events were a great addition with keeping in touch with clients and giving them the opportunity to see another side of me and the brand.

Contact Info:

• Website: sadestylesnatural.com
• Instagram: @sadestylesbraidlounge , @styles_companysalonsuites , @heyyyysade
• Facebook: Sade Styles Braid Lounge
• Twitter: @heyyyysade
• Youtube: Sade Styles Natural

Image Credits
Dante Cutley, @djcvision Lee Porter