Community Highlights: Meet Monesha Hayes of Sistarz Beauty Salon & Spa

Today we’d like to introduce you to Monesha Hayes.

Hi Monesha, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I got my start as a 5 or 6 years old kid watching my older sister do hair in our living room in Hollywood FL, see me I am a visual learner so anything I watch I pick it up and I learn quickly. At the age of 14, a beautician by the name of Mecca Washington from Rochester NY had me sweeping up her shop making small money over the summer. I would never forget her words to me she said “I didn’t just put you in here to sweep the floor I’m going to need you to braid for me”. Me already knowing the art of braiding I knew exactly what to do and mecca being the only worker in her shop needed the helping hand. She said, “I feel I can teach you more in this industry of business because I feel you are hungry” so when a client would walk in she would tell me to come over and would teach me 1 on 1 the techniques of Sewing Extensions, Microlinks before they were popular (this was 2007 or 2008), Kinky Twist, How to do a Quick weave with no leave out and creating my own closure with the flat iron, also the ways of using a hot comb without burning someone. From there I was so intrigued in hair I had to prove to her I can do this. She let me take my first quick weave client I did great but I basically had the client tracks going everywhere lol mecca wasn’t hard on me at all she made sure I understood what I did wrong.

After that she let me start off my first sew-in although she finished the rest she taught me how to loop the thread so it doesn’t come out. I did so good that she let me take my first client on my own it was an individual braid client. I can’t lie I spent all night on that client’s head but I was determined to finish and come back the next day to show mecca what I did; she let me lock up the shop I was paid ($50) and at 14 that’s a lot of money I went to bed tired and Happy. I loved the fact that I was independent I can buy my own things like food, Movies and Music lol. My clients became repetitive with kid styles and I was able to make more money. When the summer broke, I was sad to have to go back to school because that mean I couldn’t be at the shop anymore. I still wanted to make money so I kept in touch with her throughout the summer I watched this lady go through so much in her own space of peace from robbery, fights and arguments with clients but she always kept her head above water. She kept her Loyal clients and smiled although she was hurting made her money and god always continued to bless her.

When I got out of high school I instantly went into college but not for hair I went for criminal justice and when that didn’t work out, I went to cosmetology school. The things I learned in cosmetology school didn’t quite peek my interest because the things I was taught about hair was totally different than what I was being taught in school so trust me it was a struggle. I kept my hair dream in my back pocket. I was always the call on person in my family when it came to doing hair so they became my practice I couldn’t just let that dream die down but couldn’t gain the clientele I wanted because you had to be popular in Rochester for anyone to take notice.

I felt as though every time I did hair, I was blessed in a way. When I moved to Atlanta in 2018 I had a goal to open my own salon I didn’t know how I was going to achieve it but I knew that working hard to get there I would eventually get to my ultimate goal. I worked at small serving jobs while paying a friend $50 a night to stay in their spare room. I got my first client through Facebook because I put out an ad she wanted a sew in she eventually introduced me to my first call center job here in Atlanta where I could make a better income and can eventually get my own apartment. That roommate situation didn’t workout so well so I used my serving jobs to pay for AirBNB after AirBNB until I started my call center job and eventually got my apartment. I didn’t give up on hairstyling when everything started falling in place perfectly I applied myself to 2 different salons and they did not work out as I thought they would (Non of them was like Mecca) I feel as though so many of these salon owners don’t want you to work for yourself independently, they just want to make the money and boss you around. I wasn’t taught that way I was taught independence inside a salon setting.

I didn’t let those situations stop me I stayed with my Affordable pricing because to me “Hair is an Art and I want to give more of my positive energy off to others rather than burn their pockets”. I started providing Mobile Hair services but even that became a hassle because of travel issues. I wanted to give up sooo many times but for some reason, GOD would not let me. Once again every time I did hair I received the ultimate blessing which made me realize the reason for me bringing my behind all the way from Rochester NY to Atlanta GA in the first place. I started doing hair out of my living room until my mother came to stay with me I thought that would be a stopping point for me but my clients was so loyal they didn’t care where I did their hair my personality & customer service kept them coming back.

I’m fast-forwarding to today and I am now a Successful Beautician / Loctician with an Amazing and Loyal Clientele. My Salon is now registered with the State of Georgia as “SISTARZ BEAUTY SALON & SPA” in Riverdale GA plus I Now Have my Own (Organic & Vegan Hair Care Products ) Apple Cider vinegar Loc Detox which I have some Samples in Stores (Annas Beauty Supply on Tara Blvd, Cova Beauty Supply in StockBridge and Zenallure Beauty Supply in Lawrenceville GA). I have my own Edge control and an Orgranic Avocado Hair Mask that is made by hand. I have a line of Flat Irons coming soon and with my Wholesale Private Label hair company, I help other Barbers / Beauticians produce and resell their own products by offering my vending services with over (23 Hair care products) we print and label the products free of charge which you can order from. My website at www.MOBETALLC.com/Shop.

I am forever evolving and when I eventually open my salon building, I want it to be the hottest topic in Atlanta, GA. I am on Instagram at: @Sistarz_Beauty.Salon, @StyledbyMonesha, @E_2M2C.Haircare on Facebook: (STYLED BY MO) and Tik Tok at @MobetaLLC follow me. My last words would be dreams do come true as long as you stay prayed up, Keep your faith and walk in the path that god has put in front of you because sometimes you were destined for greater things.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The struggles I faced came with being my own critique. I always felt I needed to be perfect or do things perfect when in reality I just needed to be my natural self. I had struggles with people telling me how to run my businesses so I decided to do it on my own. I struggled with building my capital and eventually took loss because of me giving out discounts and model pricing but it all worked out perfectly.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I am an affordable self-taught Beautician / Loctician. I specialize in Retwisting Locs, Microlink Itips, Ponytails and Kid’s Braids. The thing that set me aside from others is my conversation I’m not afraid to buckle down and have a Heart to Heart with my clients. When my clients step in my Home Based Salon, they don’t just see a salon space; they feel a connection, they feel my energy speaking to them while I fix their hair and we just talk and in that split moment, we instantly become family and I become their hairstylist for a lifetime. I do hair to make people feel good and that makes me feel good it’s not about being the best it’s about how my clients feel after leaving my chair. I would like people to know that I don’t just offer services I offer my ears as a listening tool and my mouth as an advice tool. I educate my clients on taking care of their Natural Crown while also providing organic products for them to purchase and take home.

We’d love to hear about how you think about risk taking?
I consider myself a Risk Taker. I risk myself each day by Letting total strangers in my home and by taking on their energy but I’m always determined to change any type of energy into something positive. I risk myself on making Investments for my businesses by trying to look for the best and give my customers Quality. I think risks are needed to be taken because they push you to unbelievable heights and the lessons that you learn from taking those risks either push you forward or push you back but yet you had to take that risk in order to figure out if it would work.

Pricing:

• Retwist and Style ($55)
• Ponytails ($35)
• Traditional Sew in ($65).
• Tape Ins ($150)
• ACV Loc Detox ($5) 16 oz Jar

Contact Info:

• Website: www.MobetaLLC.com
• Instagram: INSTAGRAM.COM/STYLEDBYMONESHA, Instagram.com/Sistarz.Beauty_Salon, Instagram.com/E_2M2C.Haircare
• Facebook: Facebook.com/StyledbyMonesha
• Other: Tiktok.com/MOBETALLC