Today we’d like to introduce you to Marsha Banner.
Hi Marsha, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
My name is Marsha Banner and I’m originally from Brooklyn, New York. I grew up getting my hair done in a Dominican hair salon off Broadway Ave. Seeing how active and welcoming the salon was, I knew I needed to have my own. One of my brothers taught me how to braid when I was about 7 or 8 years old. So after moving down to Kennesaw, Ga, I started flat ironing(I didn’t trust any salons here lol) braiding, cutting and coloring my own hair. As time went on, doing hair became one of my many side hustles in college. That’s when I knew I could really do this. After college, I decided to move back home in 2018 and started working for a Celebrity Hairstylist by the name of Chioma Valcourt of 34th St. Talk about a dream come true! Covid came and I relocated back down to Georgia. Summer of ‘21, June to be exact, I started my brand, my business, EsteOnie’s Flow. The name comes my middle names: Estella Leonie. I specialized in retwisting and styling locs, knotless/box braids and cornrows for the men! It’s been up ever since, lol. Thank God.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Nothing in life has been smooth. I was given the opportunity to work in this studio for a short duration but I wasn’t able to keep up with the booth fee so I started taking clients at the house I was staying at. Going into 2022, clientele started to pick up but with building a new business and being an entrepreneur, you know you’ll have good weeks, bad weeks, good months and bad months. To this very day, I’m still struggling with that but because this is something I prayed for years and years, I can’t and don’t complain. Word of mouth goes a long way and I’m grateful for every obstacle and adversity that has been placed in my way. I’ve had family, “friends”, and romantic partners that I thought were going to support me, that didn’t. I never allowed that to break me down, though. That was motivation and I’m happy about it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am a mobile* hairstylist located in Kennesaw and I specialize in cornrows, box/knotless braids, faux locs and so much more! What I am most proud of is seeing the excitement in my client’s faces after they see their hair. Feeling people’s frequencies is truly unmatched. Knowing that I made someone happy shows me that I’m fulfilling my purpose, my duty on Earth. If I can make you smile and laugh, I’m winning and that’s all I want! What sets me apart from others is not only am I your stylist, I’m your personal and mobile diary. The confidence and comfortability my clients and even first-time customers have with me is unlike anything I’ve encountered with my friends. I take their vulnerability and openness with me very seriously. I’ll do random check-ins depending on the severity of their situations. Everyone could use some extra TLC. Gotta be gentle with people, you never know what people are going through. Be selfless 💙
Is there any advice you’d like to share with our readers who might just be starting out?
My only advice to those who are starting out on their own is to never give up. It’s hard, depressing, lonely, stressful, etc.… but if you’re TRULY passionate about your gift, your craft, your skill? It won’t matter if your friends or family is there supporting you. You gotta love what you do and love doing it. Do it because it brings you joy. If you’re solely doing it for bread?? God be with you.
Pricing:
- Non-refundable booking fee $25
- Travel fee is mandatory**
- Faux Locs(small/above butt length) $180
- Knotless Braids(small/pasta butt length) $200
- Men small cornrows $65
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.styleseat.com/m/v/esteoniesflow
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/esteonies.flow?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
- Facebook: https://instagram.com/theerealmj_?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=
