We recently connected with Tiara Hines-Abraham and have shared our conversation below.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers

I am Tiara Hines-Abraham aka CreativiTEE I am a Licensed Cosmetologist and owner of “The Creative Brand by CreativiTEE. I have been a licensed Cosmetologist for 10 years. Aside from offering hair styling services, I am a hair care specialist. I provide restorative and preventative maintenance. I am told what sets me apart from other stylist is the care I put into my clients hair, the attention to detail, the products, the research if necessary and the results we see. Two years ago, I starting thinking about branding. On August 28,2020 ( as a birthday gift) I established The Creative Brand. I am most proud of my brand. Over the last two years I began to add on additional services: Creative Faces (Makeup Services), Creative Cosmetics (HairCare Products), Creative Care Academy (Classes) The Creative Closet (Personal Styling Services). As I grew i realized I needed space to bring my visions to life. In June of 2022 I stepped out on faith and relocated The Creative Brand to a private suite in Midtown Baltimore. I named it “The Creative Corner”. It’s my little slice of peace and happiness when I’m there I’m in my creative element. SO FAR MY CLIENTS AND I LOVE IT !! Everyday that I go in to work, I’m doing something I totally enjoy. There are my loyal clients whom I look forward to but I also get to connect with new people regularly, we have great conversations during service. Lately there have been some very ambitious, driven, professionals to come through my chair. Doctors , lawyers, teachers etc entrust me with their hair. While some have said I’ve motivated them to take better care of their hair, Those conversations have motivated me with business. Being a business owner allows me the freedom to pace myself to not become overwhelmed. Those kinds of freedoms don’t come with working for someone else. Since launching The Creative Brand i want to always work for me …….so that I can do what I love, be creative and feel free!!

Alright, Tiara thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had started you own firm sooner?

I became interested in the beauty industry at age 12, I knew early on that I wanted to become a hairstylist. Ever since my teenage years there has been no other dream job for me. Hairstyling was something that came natural to me. I wanted to go to a trade high school where I could participate in the cosmetology program and graduate with my State License. The plan was to go right to work in a salon upon graduation. With that in mind I chose the best vocational high school in Baltimore at the time “Edmondson Westside High”. However my mom had a strong difference of opinion. She wanted me to attend college and was firm on her decision. A family friend had a failed salon which lead my mom to feel doing hair was not a career. In hindsight I know that she just wanted what was thought to be the best for me , she wanted to protect me from hurt or failure, therefore I was pulled from the cosmetology program. After graduation I attended Community College for 2 years. Dream deferred, I lost my passion for hair for awhile. I would even say I grew a strong dislike towards my gift because I wasn’t allowed to pursue what I loved. I would not even mention that I could do hair or had an interest. I worked 3 jobs, staying at each them for a few years at a time. At some point my passion for hair was slowly restored and my coworkers became clients. I would do hair at home on the weekends. My clientele began to grow. Around the time that I was 29, I got married, I was on the last job for 10years ,I had become complacent toward pursuing my license. I was making decent money but I was absolutely miserable on my job. One day my husband said to me, “Im tired of seeing you unhappy with work. What are you passionate about that you would do everyday”? I replied “HAIR”!!! The rest is history, from that moment on we pursed my dream!! I will always appreciate him for the encouragement, support. and finding a great school for me.

I enrolled in Empire Beauty School in Glen Burnie, Md. and after 10 years with the same company, I was terminated 3 weeks into hair school. I was told that the company felt I was going in a different direction and they no longer needed me. I wasn’t even upset about it I knew it was time to close that chapter.
The best piece of advice was given to me as I started my new journey, “FORGET EVERYTHING YOU THINK YOU KNOW ABOUT HAIR AND JUST LEARN”! I did just that!! I was challenged, humbled, yet elevated during those 10 months. I knew I was finally going after my dream and this time nobody would be in my way except me!!

The beauty industry can be very up and down at times, especially if you are self employed. To be completely honest there were times when I became frustrated with my progression, adjusting to self employment, then having to rebuild what I started. I questioned everything. I thought that after all it may not be for me. Especially at those times when I struggled financially. I couldn’t help but to wonder, had I been given the opportunity early on to pursue my career what life would have been like, how far would I have gone with my career? But then there’s that dose of reality, I say to myself ANYTHING WORTH HAVING IS WORTH WORKING HARD FOR! Everyday I remind myself that WHAT GOD HAS FOR ME IS FOR ME IN HIS PERFECT TIMING!! That’s the gratitude that keeps me encouraged even when things aren’t happening as fast as I think they should!!

I can remember I was told by an educator that I’d never make it in this business because I am plus size, so I’ve been doubted before. Because I started my professional career later than most hairstylist usually do, I was called out dated so I’ve been laughed at. I’ve struggled financially and I’ve even been homeless while pursing this dream. Sometimes People close to me didn’t believe in me’!! But Every lesson has been a blessing and every loss has made me my own boss. It has all prepared me for NOW!! I’m not yet where I would like to be but I’m certainly not where I was!! Today I am doing what I love my brand is evolving, business is thriving and can honestly say that I have reached a point in my career where I am happy and happiness won’t ever again lead to complacency.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Following hair school I worked at a store front salon on the outskirts of Baltimore City for seven years. As a new stylist establishing clientele I often offered discounted rates and undercut myself a lot with pricing. While I was happy to be working in a salon, we were like family there, but financially I was suffering. I knew something had to change. I needed to restructure and change my demographic. I decided to go downtown Baltimore a Barber/Salon in the Art District. The new salon was more professional and upscale , called for expressive stylist dress code, and it encouraged a higher price point, the same as surrounding competitors. The move was risky because it almost doubled my pricing. It was one the best decisions I’ve made. It was a pivotal point in my career, I lost 90% of my clientele. With the 10% remaining clientele I focused on rebuilding by taking classes to increase my skill set, customer service: making: booking 24/7 accessible and checkout paperless which all lead to customer retention.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Atmosphere is important!! Hair Care and styling has always been a priority, but when I discovered that most clients come to the salon to unwind. While focused on professionalism, I also focused on providing an experience. The music is always tasteful, I added mimosa mornings, wine down Wednesday , spa like packages and other small amenities. I wanted to ensure my clients leave the salon looking good and feeling refreshed!! Through reviews and referrals my business started to grow.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/TheCreativeBrand
• Instagram: @thecreativebrand22
• Facebook: TheCreativeBrandbyCreativiTEE
• Youtube: TheCreativeNetwork1