We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Tedaka Hill a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Tedaka, appreciate you joining us today. Have you ever had an amazing boss? What did you learn from them? Maybe you can share a story that illustrates the kind of boss they were or maybe you can share your thoughts on what you think made them an awesome person to work for?

The best boss I ever had in the beauty industry would be Elisha Monique. At the time I worked with her I was fresh out of cosmetology school and had already had a valuable lesson in choosing the right salon to work in. The salon was set up to where I had my own room, with dryer, chair and other things that I needed to do hair. She offered continuing education, she showed me about how to advertise, more importantly how to be a high value stylist. I had the entire blueprint at my fingertips. What hindered me at the time was me. There are times when another person can sense so much potential in another but ultimately it has to be you who can put all the golden nuggets to use. She didn’t give up on me, no matter how much I resisted lol. I ended up moving out of state and it actually wasn’t until then I realized how she molded the way I looked at the beauty industry and how much more I valued what I was doing. I have had the talent of doing hair since I was 13. To do it on a day to day basis gave me much more appreciation for all cosmetologist. It can be rewarding and challenging

Tedaka, 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?

I was 13 or maybe even younger than that when I started doing my own hair. By 15 I was doing weaves. At the time I would only do my family and closest friends. Fear really kept me at bay. I ended up moving to Hinesville Georgia and decided to get my cosmetology license. What I love about my profession is putting a smile on my clients face and also setting them up on the right path to healthy hair. What I’m most proud of is my ability to let go of perfectionism, it’s not highly recommended. We all want to deliver what our clients are expecting but you have to deal with the downside..that everyone is not your client and to be able to take criticism and turn it into a lesson to do better. For future clients, I am more concerned about the health of the hair, so if anything is going to put that in jeopardy I will not do it. I love what I do and I love helping having a hand in making my clients beautiful

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

The best strategy for me would still be word of mouth. Yes there is social media and its great but nothing beats word of mouth. People are actually able to see the results, no filters.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

My advice would be to be open to opinions and not to be closed off to learning. Your team should be a reflection of how you want your business to operate. Weekly meetings or monthly, as long as the information that needs to be communicated is. Communication is definitely key. Knowledgeable on products and state board policies. Creativity, it’s good to have incentives to keep the team motivated

Contact Info:

• Instagram: tedakasharal_

Image Credits
Jon J Photography Phase One Photography