We were lucky to catch up with Shayla Moore recently and have shared our conversation below.

Shayla, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

I always wanted to be a business owner but at times it did seem so far fetched. After graduating from Cosmetology school I ran into so many young black women in business which increased my desire to have my own. What I would say to anybody in my shoes or wanting to start a business please don’t lose that hunger. While being in business for yourself is hard , it’s the most rewarding thing you’ll ever do for yourself. You owe it to yourself to try. Make that step to move the idea to reality with discipline and dedication. Never give up or forget the “Why” on why you started in the first place.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

My name is Shayla I’m 29 years old born and raised in Detroit , MI. I’ve always been creative, you couldn’t pay me to not draw in class. I decided to go to Cosmetology school and take that risk on my dream. Growing up I had an Aunt who owned her own salon and I always admired that. I knew I wanted to own my own business and get out of the corporate world I just never knew that the beauty industry could ever take me there. After years of working in other salons I decided to leap out on faith and rent my own salon suite. I am now a licensed cosmetologist specializing in structured manicures and acrylic enhancements servicing the Metro Detroit area.

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

One lesson I had to unlearn while being in a commission based salon was depending on my business manager to bring in clientele and training. My very first nail salon would always advertise on going training but sadly we never had those sessions. I also wouldn’t see much advertising from them and I later realized that would be up to me because even though the building was standing and they had a sign outside I needed to make myself a brand. As nail tech your not consider an employee so don’t adopt that mindset. Even if you’re in a commission based salon always promote yourself and dedicate time out to training.

Are there any books, videos or other content that you feel have meaningfully impacted your thinking?

One book that truly helped me in life and in business is by Spencer H. Johnson “Who moved my cheese”. This helped me to never get comfortable, always push to obtain more knowledge and more ways to advance my business. I would recommend this to anyone who is afraid of change or feeling stuck in whatever business or situation they’re in today.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://tr.ee/esNCAGyBS8
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nailedbyshay_?igsh=MWVlN2VwcjdvMzgxag==
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@x_shayla?si=5dzIluo_NPShFaRq

Image Credits

Photos were shot by Gabriel’s Loft Photography who is a black owned business.
https://www.instagram.com/gabriels.loft.photography?igsh=cnZrMzU4bTBib3Vo