Today we’d like to introduce you to Rashida Bey.
Rashida, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Ever since I was a little girl, I knew being in the beauty industry was for me, specifically hair. I wasn’t the typical little girl who played with barbie dolls to dress them up or play with them, but more so to do their hair. It was always, “What can I do to enhance this doll’s look”? It was to the point to where my mother would only buy just the dolls head because she noticed my interest in just that. It went from that to doing my friend’s hair, to doing my neighbor’s hair at the age of 13. Hair Care was such an important factor growing up.
My mother always use to say, “Your Hair is Your Crown”. Even though I knew I had an interest in hair, I believe what really sparked my interest was one summer, I was visiting my Aunt and she was in hair school at the time. She had these mannequins, cosmetology books, tools, etc. I felt like a kid in a candy store. My senior year in high school, I was a hair assistant to both of my cousin’s salon. I thank them so much til this day because they taught me the concept of hair care. From there, I just knew this was for me.
Fast forward to college, I would always do the girls hair on campus. I’ll never forget $25 for a press and curl, wow. You couldn’t tell me anything. I had at least ten girls a week in my little dorm room. Looking back, I’ve always been a hustler at heart. I was in college for business, but I wasn’t genuinely happy there because I knew exactly where my heart was, which was in the beauty industry. I came back home in mid-semester, my second year in college and told my parents I want to go to hair school. They supported me 100% along the way.
Fresh out of hair school, I was trying to find my way in the industry so I joined a salon team who was already established. They taught me so much and helped me enhanced my skills to the next level. I was able to build a clientele and learn the business side of the industry. After 4 1/2 years with them, I decided to branch off on my own and Hair Care By Shi (She) was developed, now I have my own business at 27 yrs old. The name “Hair Care By Shi” was always an ideal business name that I knew I wanted to bring to light. Hair Care is my specialty, and “Shi” (She) is obviously in my name, Ra”Shi”da. “She is feminine, a woman”. Ten years in this industry and here I am servicing beautiful women all around the world. Never thought I would’ve made it this far in my career. We have plans for our lives, but God’s plan is always bigger.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Absolutely not, but I wouldn’t change this entrepreneur’s journey for anything. I truly believe I was made for this. This journey is full of ups and downs. A HUGE emotional roller coaster. It takes consistency, motivation, dedication, and most importantly Faith. There were times where I wanted to give up completely, but you have to keep pushing and keep going. I have to continue to remind myself that I’m not where I want to be yet to keep me motivated, but I’m closer than where I use to be to keep going. You have to understand what we do is bigger than us. We were put on this Earth to serve, we have to know our calling. For the young ladies out there, you got this! I know it’s hard, but you got this. Never take those mistakes too lightly, learn from them. Be confident in yourself and in whatever it is that you were anointed to do. I know it’s hard to believe in something you can’t see, but believe me, Faith never disappoints.
What should we know about Hair Care By Shi? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
Hair Care by Shi (She) specializes in natural hair care, which also provides an extension services of color and microlinks. Anyone can style hair, but hair care is the foundation of any hairstyle. I honestly believe no matter what new style or trend of hair comes about, it always falls back to hair care. My clients always say I have “growing hands,” which is something I’m very proud of because your hair is an investment, and with an investment, you want to see results.
At the end of the day, hair care is so important. Extensions and protective styles is a nice alternative for hair, but being able to wear your hair is a whole different level of confidence, your crown. Outside of hair care, I absolutely enjoy hair color. It gives the hair personality and sometimes we can all use a nice change. I like to give my clients options when it comes to their hair, which is why I also provide Microlinks extensions. It is the only type of extension service I provide because it’s also a healthier alternative as well.
Looking back on your childhood, what experiences do you feel played an important role in shaping the person you grew up to be?
Honestly just making mistakes. Which I don’t consider mistakes, I consider them life lessons. Life isn’t perfect, things happen. Just make sure you learn from those lessons. I feel as though everything we go through in life is for a reason. We may not understand it then when we’re actually going through it, but trust me later down the line, you’ll have a better understanding of why everything happens in the way they did. I also believe that every experience molds us to be successful in life. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes on your journey to success.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.styleseat.com/rashidabey
- Email: rashidabey@gmail.com
- Instagram: @rashida.bey
Image Credit:
@jaxonphotogroup
@kingdomofkia
@malakaderstyle
@liztwotimes
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.
