Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Taquisha Jallah. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Taquisha, appreciate you joining us today. How did you come up with the idea for your business?

I started my permanent makeup (brow) journey all thanks to one IG post I saw back in 2017! There was a beautiful young lady in Los Angeles who’s Instagram page I came across, and was performing the microblading service. I instantly I became so very intrigued by the process that I stalked her page and became obsessed with all things microblading! I was already a business owner selling luxury hair extensions and knew how to leverage my researching skills to learn all I could about microblading. As I began to learn more about the service, I just couldn’t believe how women could now go from thin, sparse, uneven brows to full, natural, beautiful brows instantly that lasted from one to two years without any down time or severe damage to the skin. Additionally, to my surprise, I also discovered that microblading was not yet a popular service in Minnesota, nor did I see that many (if any) women of color, specifically Black women, represented in this industry and I knew I wanted to invest in myself to become one of the first if not the first black fully licensed woman in Minnesota to provide this trailblazing service to my communtiy

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

I began my entrepreneurship journey in 2015 selling hair extensions while working my full time job as an IT business analyst. At that time I was an avid hair extension wearer, and would spend countless hours on YouTube and Google, to learn and try new hairstyles which quickly evolved to me transforming my mindset and endorse my own hair products instead of any others. Soon after I secured a quality hair vendor and launched my hair extension business, Hair Love. I had some success with selling hair, however after about two years, I felt myself falling into more of a rat race; and noticed that customers prioritized price over top quality hair products, and it was at this point I knew I needed to pivot.

In 2017 while scrolling through Instagram, I came across a new eyebrow technique called Microblading from a popular social media influencer and became very intrigued in this new technique. I was so intrigued that I booked a flight and took her Microblading training in Chicago a couple months later. Upon my return back to Minnesota I completed 200 hours while in my apprenticeship and became one of a select few black female fully licensed body art technicians aka Microblader in the state of Minnesota. Since obtaining my full tattoo license in 2018 I opened my own small studio suite, in addition to providing Microblading services and I began offering training as well, and out grew this space by the beginning of 2020 . In the midst of looking for a new studio, and not knowing exactly where my next location would be, the Covid-19 pandemic broke out. In hindsight, for my business this was a blessing in disguise, as it allowed me more time to find the perfect new studio space for my expanding business. Since the entire state was on shutdown for four months, I was able to take my time and find a commercial studio at a modest rate, and as of just this last May I’ve moved to my own storefront studio in downtown Minneapolis! At the Bladed Love studio I now offer Microblading and Ombre Powder Brows, Henna Brow Tint, Lip Fillers using the hyaluron pen, Lip Blush and Lip Neutralization. I also host regular Powder Brow training, apprenticeship programs along with mentorship and coaching for artists looking to get started in the permanent makeup industry! I love that I’m able to provide customizable, beautiful, full, natural brows and lips to clients so they are compared to no other! I 100% stand by my motto; In everything, do it with love which I strive for with each client!

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

I began my journey into entrepreneurship initially with selling luxury hair extensions as mentioned prior, and was very serious with this business; however after two years my drive and passion for selling hair slowly began to decline as in my opinion I noticed the industry clientele in Minnesota prioritized cheap prices and convenience over quality and integrity (think of Walmart’s business strategy) which did not align with my business model for a luxury hair experience. At times I found myself in what seemed liked a rat race in competing for potential customers via social media whenever a post went up with someone looking for cheap same day hair extensions. The last straw was when I launched a huge hair bundle sale and priced a single bundle as low as $14 because I knew it would get the attention of new customers, however I did not take into consideration how many people would actual buy nor the total cost of how much I was truly paying per bundle, which included shipping, tax, and my time and labor to inspect and wash each bundle prior to me shipping it out. In short my profit margins were upside down. In the end, I got a surplus of orders which at the moment I assumed as a good thing but when it was all said in done, I did not make a profit and ended up paying out of pocket to purchase the hair and ship out. Le’ts say I learned my lesson very quickly with profit margins, and transitioned from hair extensions to the permanent makeup industry and haven’t looked back since.

Do you have multiple revenue streams – if so, can you talk to us about those streams and how your developed them?

I believe that is very important to diversify my revenue stream within my business, and therefore have multiple streams of income in addition to providing brow and lip services. At my studio I rent out booths to other beauty entrepreneurs at a weekly rate, I host regular brow training courses on a monthly basis and in the near future will have online courses available as well to reach a larger demographic. I offer body art technician apprenticeship, as to become a full licensed artist in Minnesota one must complete 200 hours under a supervised licensed technician, such as myself. I am currently in the process of creating a beauty brow product line and as of just recently I’ve partnered with a Cherry, a point-of-sale finance company to offer my clients the affordability to have their services and training completed at the moment yet pay the service or training investment overtime through equal monthly payments; a win-win situation for both parties.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.bladedlove.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/bladed_love_
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/bladedlove