Meet Kionna Cooper of Hair by Ki Meishon in Jimmy Carter Blvd

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kionna Cooper.

Kionna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I’ve always had the gift of transforming hair deep-rooted in me. It was passed down from my grandmother who was a beautician. I started braiding hair and taking clients at the age of 12. Doing hair helped the financial burden that my mother carried being a single parent. It was that very experience that brought me back to doing hair full-time five years ago. I quit my corporate job and stepped out on faith, to provide for my then (two) daughters. Fast forward to two years ago, I visited Atlanta and met my now Life partner who is an ATL native.

Shortly after, I decided to relocate from my hometown of Los Angeles. Leaving all of my clients that I had built rapport with and starting from zero was one of the biggest fear facing decisions I had to make in my entire life.
When I arrived in ATL one year ago, I did my famous “knotless braids” on a client and noticed that the hashtag in the south didn’t exist for this style. I had been doing the knotless braids for the past four years here and there, but when I started doing them on clients in the south, it started trending and went VIRAL! Within the first three weeks of me relocating from the west coast, I was overbooked and what seemed like overnight went from 1500 followers on Instagram to over 8k followers! I now open my schedule one month at a time on the 15th of each month and I am fully booked within the first 60 seconds! When I am out and around town, people randomly notice me and let me know they follow me and they love not only my work but my spirit. I truly believe that my life purpose is to encourage other women and inspire healthy change which is why I share a lot of my personal life, and beliefs on my platform. I believe that because I am an open book, I promote a healthy lifestyle and I am authentic, knotless braids has just been the vehicle to expand my influence.

I am currently now a mother of three daughters, ages 10, 5, and three months and have signed on to be a co-host for “the modern motherhood podcast”, I teach my personal knotless braid technique classes and continue to mentor my students, I share and create healthy plant-based recipes which will soon be shared in a visual cookbook series on YouTube, and last but not least, I have just created a brown girl empowerment brand “Three Little Queens” inspired by my three daughters. I owe so much to my supporters. My platform has opened my mind to different ways to share all things that make up who I am and has shown me the beauty of community and support. I came to Atlanta assuming that uprooting my life would cause me to lack in family and inclusion, but my followers have turned from clients to friends, and a few have even become family.

Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Like any success story, the road has not always been smooth. Uprooting my life from Los Angles to Atlanta with two children was a huge transition. On top of recreating a new home and life for my children and me, I had to restart my business from scratch without knowing anyone. As soon as I began that rebuilding process, I became pregnant with my third daughter. Even though bringing another life into the world was one of my biggest blessings, I struggled with the feeling of needing to slow down after I had just begun. As a result, throughout my pregnancy, I worked ten-hour days for six days a week in efforts to keep the momentum that I had built. My strenuous work schedule caused me fatigue and anxiety but resulted in me learning the importance in balance. Although I love my clients and the women I continuously meet, I now made it a priority to keep my personal life and my business in balance so that I can maintain my happiness.

Please tell us about hair by Ki Meishon.
I am a hairstylist and I am most known for my knotless braids. I have been doing this particular technique of knotless braids for the last four years. When I relocated from Los Angeles this technique went viral. The thing that sets my technique apart is that it is a protective style that focuses on providing less tension to the hair, it’s lightweight, promote hair growth and retention.

What I am most proud of as a company is the rapid growth of my business. Starting from scratch after relocating to Atlanta from Los Angeles and building my brand to what it is today. I am also proud I am able to train other stylists in one on one classes that I provide on this special technique of knotless braids. I am thankful that I am in such high demand that I continue to stay fully booked each month and I am able to pass my students the overflow of clients that I am not able to reach.

What sets me apart is my technique within itself, my consistency, and my customer service. I am able to provide the same results for each and every client no matter the difference in hair texture. I also provide a personable relationship with my clients. Clients come to my chair and we talk and share stories which gives them a close relationship as we are friends at the end of each appointment. Every appointment is a new experience for me.

If you had to go back in time and start over, would you have done anything differently?
If I had to start over, I would have created a healthy work-life balance from the beginning. Instead of allowing work to consume and as a result having to realize I needed healthy boundaries and separation to be fulfilled.

Contact Info:

• Website: kimeishon.as.me/
• Phone: (404) 618-6638
• Email: hairbyki.meishon@gmail.com
• Instagram: @Ki.meishon

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