Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelsey Brown.
Kelsey, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
It all started when I was a little girl. From the young age of ten years old, I was fascinated by all the creative ways I could style my hair and express myself. I didn’t have anyone in my family that could teach me how to do hair and YouTube tutorials were not popular in the early 2000’s, or at least I didn’t know they were, so I began to teach myself how to style and braid hair.
I did friends and family’s hair at no charge for practice and realized early on it was something I enjoyed doing. I have always been creative and I expressed my creativity through styling hair. Although I enjoyed doing hair, I never saw it as a career so I pursued a college education in 2010 and did hair as a stream of income on the side. I did this for a few years. I went to college, did hair and worked a full-time job. I was grateful to have several good jobs after graduating with my first degree at Georgia State University but I never felt fulfilled or completely satisfied. I begin to feel like I was selling myself short and I was supposed to be pursuing something else.
For years, I put it in my mind that I would never pursue a career in cosmetology. I told myself that I wasn’t that great of an artist to stand out. I told myself the market was too “saturated” in Atlanta to be successful. I planted several negative thoughts about why I couldn’t do it when I should have been focused on why I can.
In 2018, I began to take my craft more seriously and started to focus on building my clientele. I started as a home-based stylist and took advantage of social media resources to display my work to see what type of feedback I would get. I was still working a full-time job and going to school part-time while I was doing this. Slowly but surely, my clientele started to pick up more and I began to educate myself on marketing and focused on my brand. I learned new techniques and was determined to be the best stylist I can be.
By 2019, I was more confident that I could become a successful stylist in an oversaturated market. I believed in myself. I would hear the way by clients spoke about my work and extreme work ethic and I was proud. That was the push that I needed to take a leap of faith. So I continued to market my work the best way I knew how.
While still working in corporate America, I had a wake-up call and I decided that I was going to quit my job three months prior to the pandemic. I saved a significant amount of money just in case things did not go as planned to cover my living expenses. I literally was about to take a leap of faith to see if I could be what I aspired to be.
In February 2020, I quit my full time and decided to dedicate my time to my business and do what I love. I got my LLC, set up a business bank account and legitimized every aspect of my business. I was still taking clients in my home while I was figuring out my next step. By May 2020, I became overlooked to overbooked and made another executive decision to lease a salon suite. I have been happy ever sense.
Has it been a smooth road?
I would say the only struggle has been not knowing what will happen next. Now that I am working out of a salon suite, it is a possibility that the salon could close due to COVID. We have been open since May but things could change.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
I decided on the name Crowned by Kelsey because I see all woman as queens and their crown should be a representation of that. As of now, I specialize in protective styles such as braids, twists and locs but I plan on expanding my services in the near future. I am most proud of genuinely caring about the growth of woman’s hair and each clients needs. I think what stands out the most is the quality of my work and great customer service. I have heard too many stories about hairstylist that do great work but do not respect their client’s time or concerns. I take pride in knowing what my clients expectations are and knowing that they are satisfied after their service. I wouldn’t be where I am today without my clients. Great customer service is key for any successful business. I am launching my hair care line, Royal Essence Hair Care, in late October.
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
What I love about Atlanta is that there are endless opportunities to be successful. Whether it’s owning your own business or getting a degree to become a doctor. There are a plethora of resources for everyone to succeed as long as they have the ethic and dedication to pursue that dream.
What I dislike the most is traffic. That is the only negative thing I can say. I am from the east side of the city and I love where I am from.
Contact Info:
- Address: Phenix Salon Suites
5450 Peachtree Parkway
Peachtree Corners, GA - Website: https://bookcrownedbykelsey.as.me/
- Email: crownedbykelseyllc@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crownedbykelsey_/?hl=en
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