Today we’d like to introduce you to Gigi Lewis
Hi Gigi, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I’m a long ways from where I started but my story begins as a child. As a little girl I’ve always had a creative spark! Expressing my creativity was a non-negotiable, there was never a dull moment where I wasn’t coloring, dancing, playing dress up, playing in my dolls hair, playing dramatic play with friends and my sisters, painting..all the fun and creative things little girls like to do. On the other side of my creativity was my business mindset and hustle—at 8 years I was the top seller of Girl Scout cookies in my troop as a brownie and in middle school I would sell snacks to my classmates so at young age I understood how to make money and ways of making money. Watching my mother raise 3 daughters on her own instilled a hustle mentality in me. Now let’s jump ahead and fast forward to 2013 I graduated High school where my academic pathway was business and arts. I took every marketing, business, fibers, photography and art class my school offered. Once I was done with school, honestly college was projected on to me so I thought that’s what I wanted to do but after about two semesters and issues with my financial aid I knew in my spirit that college wasn’t going to be the path to my success so I’m what most people would consider to be a “drop out”. That didn’t stop me though, I knew I wanted to be my own boss and own a business I just didn’t know at the time how I was going to make that happen. Being a multifaceted creative there are skills that I just naturally possess and hairstyling happens to be one of them! I never saw myself as a hairstylist but little did I know that having gifted hands would jump start me into my entrepreneurship journey. I wanted to be as professional as possible so I went to cosmetology school (The Aveda Institute of Atlanta) back in 2015-2016. Due to life’s curveballs I didn’t officially get my master cosmetology license until 2018 and my 1st registered LLC in 2020 -Astra Hair Studios. I built the bulk of my clientele in 2020 during the pandemic which is nothing but GOD in my opinion. I was blessed to be the 1st person in my family to make 6-figures as an entrepreneur off my business alone! A few years went by and things were going really well until about 2023 when the economy changed. I was actually blessed to have my own salon suite in 2023 but due to the economy dropping my clientele bookings slowed all the way down so I had to make a tough business decision and let my salon suite go because I was losing more money than I was making at the time. Though I was still servicing clients my business took a hit and that’s when I knew it was time for me to pivot. While still learning about business credit and other ways of gaining funding to substain my brand I knew I had to switch things up regarding the services I offered and the industry I was in. I’ve always been asked questions about “how I built my social media platform” “how I edit my videos” “how to keep viewers engaged”—so that motivated me to create my 2nd brand -HerContentExperts. A social media marketing and creative consulting business teaching small business owners how to create content, grow a social media platform and scale their business using social media. Since launching I’ve mentored 20+ students through my program and online courses, which I am very proud of! Fast forwarding to present day I still offer my hair care services to returning and new clients as well as create content for brands who love how I edit my videos and keep my viewers engaged with my creativity skills. I have also tapped into a new passion of mine—Creative Direction for photoshoots, video shoots, content creation, podcast sets and creative events. I work alongside a professional photographer, wardrobe stylist, and makeup artists to bring the entire vision to life for our clients. Building sets and expressing my creativity through visual arts has been very rewarding physically and spiritually.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It most definitely has not been a smooth road. I have faced many many adversities along my journey from abandonment issues during childhood, to surviving a house fire literally losing everything I’ve ever owned, to being homeless for months living/sleeping in a car, to being scammed by clients in my business, to heartbreaks within relationships but I am a true believer that everything happens for a reason and everything adds to your growth. It’s just all about how you view the things that happened to you. Life is not linear, there are going to be major ups and major downs but it’s not about what happens to you it’s really about how you decide to overcome the obstacles you will face. There was a time I wanted to walk away from the hair industry completely because it wasn’t serving me financially to my standards, but I would always seek gods guidance and it has always led me back to hair, and beauty. As I’ve matured as an entrepreneur I’ve realized that there are many different avenues that I can take within the beauty industry where I can still make an impact, make the money I want to make and still be success all without being behind the chair. It’s been a long road but I am honestly grateful everything that I’ve experienced so far because it has molded me into the woman I am today.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
As I mentioned earlier, I am a multi-faceted creative. I love expressing my creativity through many different mediums. I am a master cosmetologist and I specialize in natural hair care and hair extension services including quick weaves, braids, tape ins, silk press, sleek ponytails/updos, all things luxury hair experiences. I am also a content creator of over 10 years. Understanding how to edit videos for different social media platforms was very interesting and fun once I got the hang of things— now I can film and edit a video in my sleep within 30 minutes or less depending on the length! (That does include: editing clips, sound effects, adding text on screen, recording the voiceover, adding music/audio, adding overlays, adding transitions, adding animations and more!) As an expert content creator, I offer 1-on-1 content days and content packages where I teach students how to capture, edit and design content as well as filming content and editing it for clients through my brand: HerContentExperts. I am a self taught graphic designer, knowing how to create my own graphics for my business was key to my growth and marketing strategies. Starting in 2022 I started to tap into my passion for creative direction for hair/makeup, project management and set designing. I also love making custom items like handbags, belts, hats, jackets, and shoes for fun! I am known for amazing hair care services and protective styles(faux locs, knotless braids, passion twists) in Atlanta Ga —servicing over 600 clients. On top of all that I am also a bartender and manager at PLT here in Atlanta Ga so when I say I express my creativity through all mediums that does include cocktails! I love creating beautiful and tasty drinks for my customers and clients. I had the pleasure of bartending my first private event for an influencer party just last month so that was very exciting seeing that I started my bartending journey in 2024! I am most proud of being the 1st entrepreneur in my family building my brand Astra Hair Studios/ Astra Hair Pro from dust and scaling to 6-figures within 1 year using my bare hands literally. The thing that sets my apart is my energy and professionalism. As well as the quality results I deliver to my clients everytime, I truly take pride in giving excellent customer service and luxury experiences.
We love surprises, fun facts and unexpected stories. Is there something you can share that might surprise us?
Surprisingly I am actually an introvert. I am naturally a quiet and reserved person, very low key out the way type of woman. However because I am a creative and business girly I had to break out of my shell and become more social. Especially when I started doing hair professionally as the hairstylist I had to be the one to break the ice with my clients because I wanted to build rapport and build trust with them so I had to talk. I know it may seem like I’m a social butterfly, but I really do enjoyed peace and quiet and my solitude. But as Ive matured Ive learned that having a healthy balance of being social and being in solitude is a good thing.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/astrahairstudios
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/astrahairstudios/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15yyboTyMm/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@astrahairstudios
- Other: https://www.instagram.com/theycallhergigi/
Image Credits
Photography shot by: Image Cinema Photography LLC
HairStylist: Astra Hair Studios LLC
