We recently connected with Santoria Lee and have shared our conversation below.

Santoria, thanks for taking the time to share your stories with us today Risk taking is something we’re really interested in and we’d love to hear the story of a risk you’ve taken.

In entrepreneurship, I’ve learned that you will make some sacrifices to get to where you want to be in life and you will have to take some risks. In 2020 during the pandemic, I stepped out and decided to move forward with starting a new business. I had no idea how this would work out considering the world was suffering at this time including myself. I was laid off from my 9-5 job. I transitioned into working from home which was extremely stressful due to it being inconsistent. The companies I worked for was losing contracts which led me back to square one of being laid off. I was so frustrated during this time. I started losing faith. I craved something new, a fresh start, and simply freedom so I decided to make a change with my hair. At the time, it felt like it was the only thing I had control over changing. I spent that entire day installing Microlocs in my hair. I uploaded the photos on social media, a few people engaged and were interested in me installing their Microlocs. Fast forward a few months later, I decided I’m going to search for a salon space and start doing Microlocs. I had no idea how I would pay for my salon space at the time, I had no idea where my clientele would come from, and I had no idea how it would work out considering lots of people were dealing with job loss and Covid-19 during the pandemic. As of today, my business (The Home of Microlocs) is a 6 figure business, servicing world-wide clients, and I’m blessed to say I’ve been booked and busy. My advice to anyone that’s thinking about taking that risk is to GO FOR IT, be confident in your decision, believe in yourself, and put no limits on your success. That one risk may just be the risk that can be life changing for you.

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

I’ve been in the hair and beauty industry for 10+ years. I’ve always had a passion for creativity and doing hair since I was a young girl. Growing up my family always told me I would be in the beauty and hair industry. I’ve tried many other paths but I’m always led back to the beauty industry and as of today, I can truly say that I feel I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I started my brand The Home of Microlocs in 2020 during the pandemic. I service in Twists Microlocs, Braid Microlocs, Traditional locs, Palm rolling, and Interlocking. My top priority with my clients hair is neatness, proper foundation, and healthy hair. This is key to any healthy loc journey. I’m most proud to have a brand that services world-wide clients. This is a major blessing and achievement for me. I’ve always spoke over my business and told people I will have a brand that touches multiple states. I highly believe in speaking your goals into existence. What I love the most about my brand is that it’s so much more than just hair. It is connection, freedom, a journey, and a fresh start for many. My advice to anyone thinking about starting a loc journey is to trust your own journey. In other words – do not compare your hair to others and embrace the journey.

How did you build your audience on social media?

My advice to anyone that’s trying to build their brand on social media is to simply just show up. Show up every single day for your brand. It doesn’t have to be perfect. It doesn’t need the perfect caption or hashtags. You just simply need to show up and be consistent. Starting The Home of Microlocs, I only had 3 clients in the beginning. I did not let that deter me from showing up and promoting myself. I showed up by posting everyday, creating reels, and uploading the same content with different songs/captions. I decided to just be creative to put some type of content out there regardless if it’s the same photo or video. I knew that eventually it would pay off. Fast forward a few months later, one of my reels video went viral and that is how my brand expanded. I gained a ton of new clients, my books became over-filled, and my page was consistently growing. I did not let this excitement distract me from continuing to show up. I continued putting in the work and my brand has consistently been growing ever since. In today’s society, social media plays a huge role in the success of your brand in my personal opinion. It’s so many platforms, methods, and tools you can use to get yourself out there. Use them to your advantage and show up.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

A huge lesson I had to unlearn and still unlearning in entrepreneurship is the saying “The bigger the dream, the harder you should work.” I believe in working smarter not harder. I believe in being healthy in every aspect so you can show up for your business every day as your best, healthiest self. I believe in balance and rest. A lot of people love to express working hard in your business but resting is just as important. Working harder can lead to burn out, mental health issues, physical problems, and more. Focusing on being your healthiest self is the best thing you can give to your business.

Contact Info:

• Website: thehomeofmicrolocs.as.me
• Instagram: https://www.Instagram.com/thehomeofmicrolocs/