We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Va’nese & Keisha. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Va’nese & below.

Va’nese & , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. One deeply underappreciated facet of entrepreneurship is the kind of crazy stuff we have to deal with as business owners. Sometimes it’s crazy positive sometimes it’s crazy negative, but crazy experiences unite entrepreneurs regardless of industry. Can you share a crazy story with our readers?

As we all know, owning a business is not for the weak. Keisha and I found out the hard way.

We leased out salon suites to 10 stylists and one small boutique owner. We were understanding to everyone’s needs because we know that everyone has to start somewhere. We allowed the boutique owner to have their packages with inventory delivered to our the building. The owner of the boutique seemed to be doing very well. They had a lot of clientele, and new inventory arrived weekly. One day, Keisha was in the salon alone, and FEDEX came to deliver the boutique owners’ weekly package. Keisha was engaged with her guest and asked the gentleman to leave the package on the receptionist desk. Approximately 30 min after the FEDEX delivery, Keisha finished up her guest and locked up the salon. As she was leaving, she was apprehended by 5 FBI agents! She was handcuffed, her car was searched, and the agents kept asking her where the package was that she had accepted. Crying hysterically and still not knowing what was going on, Keisha proceeds to explain to them that the package was left at the receptionist desk and that she left it because it was not hers it belonged to one of our tenants. Long story short.. the agents finally took her word, unhandcuffed her and explained to her that they been watching our business for months, because the packages that were being deliverd contained drugs and they were trying to aprehend the boutique owner. Embarrased, afraid, and confused, Keisha and I followed the instructions of the agents to help them aprehend the boutique owner. We cried together that evening, reflecting on how we could have lost everything we worked so hard to achieve. Needless to say, we do not allow anyone to have packages delivered to our business, and we do thorough background checks on everyone that leases a space from us. Lesson learned we must protect our investment even if it means turning someone away.

Va’nese & , 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?

eisha Meeks, Co-owner and founder of The Salon & Company, The Trichology Company Med Salon, Beautiful Sleep Sleepwear by TS&Co. and, Beyond the Chair. Keisha is a licensed Cosmetologist, and a Certified Trichologist, HLP(Hair Loss Practitioner). Keisha’s mentality for business started in High School where she was named Vice President of DECA Inc. (Distributive Education Clubs of America). Having a strong desire to help others she went on to receive her CNA license from Wake Technical Community College, Raleigh, NC. Her passion for hair care started while being a shampoo technician at Lakim’s Beauty Salon, in Raleigh NC., where she sites Kim Bradley as being her inspiration and mentor for her career as a cosmetologist. Keisha then focused her attention on the industry and continued education and went on to graduate from Miller Motte College, Raleigh, NC with an Associates degree in Cosmetology.

Keisha’s mission was to marry her expertise in business with her passion for cosmetology and her formulas for holistic medicine. She has created a platform, her love for the industry has grown into a role of leadership exemplifying what hard work and determination can do.

Va’nese Winborne was born in Brooklyn, NY and raised in Raleigh, NC. She holds a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing. Va’nese embraced her passion in the beauty and hair industry over 15 years ago, and became a licensed Cosmetologist, and is now a Certified Trichologist and Hair Loss Practitioner. She is the Co-Owner and Founder of The Salon & Company, Beautiful Sleep Sleepwear by TS&Co., Beyond the Chair and The Trichology Company Med Salon. She encourages her clients to embrace their natural hair and focuses on education, research and analysis of hair and its connection to the scalp.

Va’nese has redefined a tailored professionalism that provides attention to detail, giving a unique experience to every client. She has combined her extensive experience in hair care with their educational background to provide quality service and insightful solutions to hair care needs.

How’d you meet your business partner?

Keisha & I met at a former salon. I was the salon manager, and Keisha hated me. Lol. After a few years of being a manager, I decided to get back behind the chair. At that time, my styling chair was positioned next to Keisha’s. After months of us trying to ignore each other. We finally gave in, and to our suprise, we had so much in common. We are both Leo’s without birthdays being 4 days apart. We are both loving and passionate. The rest is history. We are inseparable now!

Have you ever had to pivot?

I think this is everyone’s story… COVID-19 was a time in our business that we thought that we would not survive. We went from being completely booked for the year to waking up one day and being told we were going to be unable to operate indefinitely. We did not operate for 6 months, and during this time, we rebranded and came up with a contingency plan that we never knew that we needed.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.thesalonandco.com/
• Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/thesalonandcompany
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheSalonandCompany
• Other: https://www.ttcmedspa.com/