Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tiffani Lynch. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Alright, Tiffani thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. We’d love to hear about a time you helped a customer really get an amazing result through their work with you.
This was probably one of my biggest. I was in NC when Tee Grizzley reached out to me via IG. I was home for my best friends birthday dinner and I immediately knew I had to go. Tee Grizzley and I discussed over the phone what he wanted/needed and with my skills I told him don’t worry. I didn’t even know the condition of his hair but it’s nothing I can’t take on. Fast forward I took the first flight back to Houston mind you I lacked a sufficient amount of sleep over the past 72 hours but I was on a mission. I finally made it back home and had him meet me soon as I touched. He had a previous install by someone and wasn’t exactly what he wanted . I spent quite some time extending and thickening his existing loc extensions installed by someone else. Unfortunately I do not keep extensions on hand so this was the best option. I basically customized his extensions to his liking, width and length wise. This took me from about 6 pm to 1 in the morning. I finalize the extensions it’s time for me to wash his hair and I could have cried. The previous install was not done properly and each loc was slipping one by one. Was I upset? Not too much because this was a moment my skill set set me apart and I could send him off properly. I stopped washing immediately and basically did a whole new install. I finally finished around 6 am, with the style and all. If satisfied was a person it was him, in his own words “Shout out to the best hairstylist in the world.” Now I’m not just the best hairstylist but his hairstylist. He loved the fact I produced my own hair oil and took proper care in his crown.
Tiffani, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I got into doing locs back in 2019 just for fun making a little extra money as I had a full time job, I was a full time mother, and wife. When my life took a turn and it was just my kids and I, I had to go get the money. I didn’t exactly know where I was going with this or my full intentions or goals I just knew I had 2 people that couldn’t be let down. During the pandemic is when my clientele picked up I was in Fort Hood, TX at the time and I started taking things more serious. It was going too good I was encouraged to go full time and leave that federal job as this could provide for my kids better. I was nervous very much so, leaving stability to the unknown was wild to me. But what people don’t know is my well kept secret to my success is my faith and that’s what keeps me going. I grew up in a religious home and my father made me read the Bible, remember scriptures and the one that stuck with and I live by til this is Proverbs 3:5-6. And I can honestly say he’s been directing my paths ever since. Doing retwist was cool, but I’m never complacent or stagnant . When things really went up for me was when I learned how to use the crochet needle. I started out doing extension’s something I refused to do and when I first started I wanted to give up real bad, but I was determined. I used to stab my fingers and cut them up horribly . So when I say blood sweat and tears I literally mean that. It used to take me 12 or more hours for an install now I’m down to 6 for an average install. It’s crazy I actually used to be against extensions because I took locs personal. At the same time though I had to realize business was business and the market was growing for loc extensions. What encouraged me was seeing someone on IG saying they charged $2500 on an install on someone and that was all I needed to read. My crocheting skill is what sets me apart from a lot of locticians especially the way I crochet. This skill isn’t utilized for installs only but essential in providing another form of maintenance with longevity in comparison to just a retwist. It also allows me to make repairs, reattach existing locs one may have and combine existing locs from from root to end. Alongside my amazing skill set I provide an amazing product to all my clients as well as those that don’t even have locs. My hair growth oil consists of castor oil, jojoba vitamin e just to name a few key ingredients infused with peppermint oil, peppermint leaves, and lavender to aid in its amazing aroma. It’s to die for by my clients I even have ladies using it with alopecia and they’re swearing by it. I really care for every crown I touch as it’s more than just a trend or aesthetics but I love to give the best care to each and every loc I touch . My proudest moments were catching flights all 2022 to do hair some people want me and only me and it’s honestly a very heart warming feeling. The furthest I been this year was to Hawaii to complete an install on my very first day one client. She been rocking with me since I was in the garage better yet on the side of my living room couch using a fold up table . I’ve come a long way from my house , to starting over in a new city where I knew nobody, ending up on the Oprah Winfrey Network ,traveling, doing celebrities, teaching classes and this all happened within a year.
What do you think helped you build your reputation within your market?
To be honest I think it’s my authenticity. I only know how to be me. Me doing locs, I’m in my element. My clients always tell me they love my energy, my personality, the environment I create from the time they walk in the door until they leave. It’s one thing to be talented but a good attitude behind it goes a long way. Honestly I will cancel/reschedule if I am not okay mentally. I believe in transferring energy and I refuse to give that to them. I’m a reliable stylist and I do right by people. I don’t care if I had 10 clients that day I will get them in as soon as possible. I treat my clients how I want to be treated in any scenario . So many black businesses get a bad reputation just for being a black business by default and I keep myself set apart and hold a diff standard to not be in the labeled of black people don’t do good business . Granted you can’t satisfy everyone but I confidently can say 9.9/10 I have client satisfaction.
What’s been the most effective strategy for growing your clientele?
The most effective for me is social media, first things were good on fb and then I tapped into IG where I do most of my promoting. Every now and then I try with Tik Tok . Sadly content creating can take a lot of your time something I don’t too much have. I wish I could post all day every day different times of the day . Unfortunately it’s just me . By the time I do everyone’s hair try to take care of me and my kids forget creating i need sleep. This is where my clients come in clutch. Word of moth is still a thing so many people promote for me even when they don’t realize it. One of my old clients would go to Walmart after she got her hair done because she always gets stopped and asked about her hair. She kept my business cards on her and would faithfully give them out when asked. Social media and word of mouth has been my best one.
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