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

Toniel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Looking back, do you think you started your business at the right time? Do you wish you had started sooner or later

If I could go back in time, I definitely wish I could have started my wig business sooner. I also wish that I would have had the mindset that I have today. When I started my business, it was really just a side hustle for me. I always had the skills to do hair from a very young age so it came natural to me.

I officially started my hair business in 2015 while I was also in my career job as a school teacher. I’ve always had a passion for teaching, and changing the lives of others, but making wigs and changing women confidence became a passion of mine as well. Prior to truly focusing my business, I was like any other typical college student. I partied, hung out with friends and work a 9 to 5 job. Then after college, I went on to teach abroad in South Korea, where I continue to travel, party, hang out with other teachers from all over the world and just enjoy my life and cultural experiences. I don’t regret any of those experiences, however, if I had a more business mindset, I would have utilize my opportunities traveling abroad to actually source vendors and really take my business to the next level. I sometimes think about where my business would be if I started a lot sooner.

I look at a lot of young entrepreneurs in today’s society, and those that have the entrepreneur mindset and the ambition they have the potential to go so much further so much faster, especially with the resources available today. Overall, I think that everything happens for a reason and I am grateful and blessed to be where I am today. I’m sure if I would have started sooner I may not have had the same life-changing experiences and life memories I have today. It was all God’s plan for me!

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 Toniel Garner also known as Tee from Valdosta Ga. I’m a wife, boy mom, educator, entrepreneur and so much more! My passion for hair started at a very young age. I began doing my own hair at the age of 7 then started doing friends hair in middle school. From there I realized not only am I good at it, but I LOVE doing it. I did hair all throughout high school and college. I decided to pursue a career in teaching because making an impact on others’ lives is also something I absolutely love! I was fully committed as an elementary school teacher for 3 years but hair was still something I did as a hobby. In 2015 I decided to take my passion for hair and talent more seriously. I didn’t have a plan but I knew it was what I needed to do! I began selling bundles and launched my first company known as Stylish Styles by Tee. I would promote my brand every day and research other companies in the industry. Things were great and my brand was becoming known locally, fast. However, being a military spouse, we move frequently so I would start over building my brand from the bottom everywhere we moved. Just selling hair and doing hair wasn’t satisfying my desire to be more than just a local business. I hated leaving my local customers without a reliable referral so in 2016 I started learning more about wig making.

The wig industry was a whole world alone that I NEEDED to be a part of. In November 2016 I began making my own custom wigs by hand. Learning the convivence and benefits of wigs became an obsession. I would stay up all night, researching wig making techniques, vendors, terminology, etc. I would then put what I learned to work. I taught myself how to use the sewing machine to make wigs faster and haven’t looked back since.
I managed to get my customers into wigs before we relocated and soon realized I wanted my company to offer wigs all over the world. I began to see 5 figure months and I knew that it was time to elevate from my present state. I decided leave my career as a first grade teacher and pursue my wig business full time.
Today Stylish Styles by Tee is a wig company that offers custom and ready to wear wigs to women all over the world making them feel confident and stylish!

Creating custom wigs is doing well for me but teaching STILL has my heart. Once I mastered my wig making craft and techniques, I began sharing my knowledge with the world. Starting my Youtube Channel sharing business tips and techniques opened a new door and opportunities for me. Receiving all the positive feedback and building a community that wanted MORE from me. In 2018, I began teaching women how to make wigs on the sewing machine and THAT fueled me! I’ve taught over 500 women how to make wigs on the sewing machine through my online wig courses. I knew that learning wig It was just the push I needed to launch Stylish Boss Academy.

With my newest business known as Stylish Boss Academy, I am able to incorporate both of my passions in one! I can confidently say that this is my purpose in life! Stylish Boss Academy offers wig making courses and resources to help other wig businesses get started and continuously grow. SBA is under a year old and already headed on the path to making 6 figures within the first year. I am JUST getting started and super excited for the future of this new business adventure! Stay tuned for the #1 Wig Business Resource Academy in the World!

We’d love to hear the story of how you built up your social media audience?

Building an audience on social media is not easy, but it’s possible and worth it. Back when I started my business, social media wasn’t a big thing for entrepreneurs. I was more locally known for my products and services and that work great for me at the time. I started to notice more businesses showcasing their work on platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and YouTube and I thought, “maybe I should give it a try”. In the beginning it was slow and I was not consistent. To be honest, I didn’t really think it was working for me.

I started to post on my work more while studying other businesses within my industry and how they would present their content. It was discouraging to not get any likes or interaction but I never gave up. I continued to post and encourage my local clients to support my business pages and they would. I realize the power of social media when I begin to attract people from all over the world that liked and wanted my products and services.

My advice to anyone building a social media presence would be to not give up. Consistency and self discipline is the key to your success. The thing about social media is people are always watching even if they don’t acknowledge you. You have to truly get over your fears, get out of your comfort zone, and believe in your dreams.

How’d you build such a strong reputation within your market?

I think what helped me build my reputation within my market was just me being my authentic self. I always try to be open and honest with my audience, as well as show my wins and losses, and that’s what attracts them to me. The way that I display myself and the confidence I have in everything that I’ve put out says a lot to other beauty professionals. One thing about me is I stay in my own lane and I only attract positive energy around me, and I truly believe that people can sense that. Being professional has also helped me build my reputation in the industry.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.stylishbossacademy.com
• Instagram: Stylishbossacademy
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/stylishbossacademy
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Stylishbossacademy
• Other: Tiktok: Stylishbossacademy

Image Credits
@thecapturequeen @capturequeenphotos