Meet Mulan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mulan.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Mulan. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I always knew that I had a passion for hair but I never imagined it taking me to the places it has. When I started doing hair in 8th grade, I had no experience whatsoever. My bestfriend Ja’quala that stayed up the street from me would let me practice anything I wanted to on her. I took advantage of that. Every new style that came out that she was willing to wear, I was practicing it on her. It was important for me to work on my craft because I knew that it was what I wanted to do. The first sew-in that I did on her was completely horrible. The hair we used wasn’t good, the foundation was just as bad, I didn’t even know how to braid properly. Nonetheless, she stuck by me through the good and bad. Once the good finally came, I was doing almost half of the girl’s hair at my school! It took a lot of hard work, dedication, and sacrifices to get to where I am today.

I become one of the most popular hairstylists in my city and surrounding areas. I loved what I was doing and that showed in the looks that I provided my clients. I even caught the attention of a popular dance team the Dancing Dolls of Jackson MS from Lifetimes Hit TV Show ” BRING IT!”. Although I started off just doing one doll over the years, I have become the hairstylist to a lot more girls on the team and still am today. I was even asked to be the hairstylist for 2019 BRING IT LIVE TOUR. I am still so grateful and thankful to Dianna for giving me an even bigger platform than what I had and for trusting me with her girls. Going on a national tour is something that i will never forget and always cherish. Getting to this point was far from easy but worth every obstacle.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Saying it was easy getting to this point would be a complete lie. I would definitely have to say that moving to Atlanta was one of the hardest things ever. Leaving my family, friends, and clientele behind to get my education and make myself better in every aspect. I moved to go to the Aveda Institute of Atlanta, one of the top hair schools in the country. I had to go through a long application process and finally got accepted. I got accepted, packed my bags, and moved to Atlanta without hesitation. I started school and everything was great for the first two months, then life hit. I wasn’t able to work during the week because I was a full-time student. I was paying for school out of pocket, I had rent, car note, and other bills that had to be paid. I had hair videos going viral all over Instagram but that wasn’t paying the bills. I was eating up my savings for the first few months just to get by. Facing eviction two times and getting my lights turned off. I knew I couldn’t go on like that or I would’ve been homeless. I would drive six hours home every weekend to Mississippi, just so that I could do my hometown clients so that I could have money and make ends meet. I was broke, depressed, exhausted, and alone trying to chase my dreams.

Things started to look up after a while. While I was still in school I started doing Dianna Williams hair coach for the Dancing Dolls. I was dead broke when I became her hairstylist and I owe so much to her. She got her hair done so often I was able to start getting back on my feet. I started doing clients in Atlanta here and there while in school but it was never enough unless I went to Mississippi to work. To this day, I don’t think she knows how truly thankful I am for all that she has done for me. On the bright side, I met some amazing people while I was in school. My friends Nia and Trechelle always had my back and I had theirs just the same. My teacher Celena that taught me many things and life lessons that Aveda didn’t. We were there for each other the entire time. I’m so grateful to have people like them in my life.

I would still have to say that the hardest thing I went through was losing my grandad who was like a father to me. He taught me to always go after what you wanted, no matter what anyone had to say. He always had my back no matter what. I often think about how proud of me he would be if he could see how far I have come. Although the family loss wasn’t all I went through. I lost “friends” because I refused to give away free services. I lost mentors and people I looked up to over jealousy. I’ve even had to sue someone for slander and defamation of character because of jealousy. I had to find out the hard way that everyone around you isn’t meant to go to the next level with you. We expect going after our dreams to be so easy but in reality, it’s hard. You have to believe in yourself and know that everything happens for a reason. I’ve lost a lot of things and people on this journey, but one thing I never lost was myself.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I am a hairstylist with my own hair company and wig line. I started my business while I was in High School but never took it seriously until I got older. As a hairstylist, I specialize in sew-in installations and wigs. From traditional to closures to frontals, I do it all. Haus of Mulan is the epitome of luxury hair extensions. We sell everything from bundles to lace wigs, with 150 products currently in our store. We are always looking for new items to add to our website.

Haus of Mulan is mostly known for our custom wigs. When I am making wigs, I think of a look that is eye-catching, grabs the audience’s attention and something that I can market really well. My strategy for marketing is me! I make the wig and do an entire glam look on myself to promote it. I’ll install the wig on myself, get dressed up, get my makeup done and have a photoshoot. I don’t wear wigs out in public, but when it comes to wearing a wig to promote my hairline, it’s getting done. I know that when I create looks and post them for my followers to see they love it! It definitely is an amazing way to push sales for whatever wig it is that I am promoting.

I am proud that I am finally taking my business seriously. It’s my brand and I am glad that I am at the point where I treat it like it’s my brand. From the products we have to the excellent customer service we provide is one of the main things that sets us apart from others. Haus of Mulan has some of the best products on the hair market. We are a small growing company but it will only get better over time. The best is yet to come.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was very spoiled by my mom and my grandparents. Spoiled in a good way, though. I never wanted for anything while I was growing up but at the same time, I got everything that I asked for. Well, almost everything. I knew that nothing would just be given to me, so I knew I would have to get out and work for it. Not just work for it, but work hard for anything that I wanted. I knew early on that I had a passion for hair it was always obvious. I would play with anyone’s hair that would let me in their head. I even took my mom’s holiday Barbie dolls out the box just to play and cut the hair on them. As you can imagine, that didn’t end well for me or the dolls. I always loved hair for some reason but I didn’t realize why until I was older.

I am a very funny, goofy, family-oriented person. I love to laugh and just have fun with the people I love the most. Rather than be family or friends. I am definitely the friend with a dark sense of humor that is going to make jokes at any given moment. I like to make people laugh, even myself. Growing up, I was definitely an introvert. I always liked to be by myself, I was shy around people I was unfamiliar with, I also didn’t talk much until I got older. I can definitely say that I have different personalities for different people. If we are close or friends, then I would be my complete self around you. If you are someone, I just met or an associate I might not be as open around you.

I can say that me staying to myself when I was younger definitely followed me into adulthood. I have let some of the things that I have been through as an adult, put up a wall to guard myself, on top of already being an introvert. I’m always mindful of who I let get close to me. I’m really big on energy. So if I don’t have a good feeling about something or someone ill be the first to remove myself.

Contact Info:

• Website: hausofmulan.com
• Email: hausofmulan@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adoremulan/
• Other: https://www.instagram.com/hausofmulan/

Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.