Today we’d like to introduce you to Alesia Dunn
Hi Alesia, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My name is Alesia Dunn, and I am the proud owner of Ideal Beauty Supply & Suites LLC. I am deeply honored to have been invited by Vogue ATL to share my story, and I want to extend my gratitude to everyone who made this possible.
My journey began in the small town of Warren, Ohio, where I was born and raised alongside my older sister by our mother. Despite the challenges of being a single parent, my mother always prioritized education, attending school to better herself while working a full-time job. After I completed the ninth grade, my sister had already enlisted in the military, and my mother and I moved to Atlanta for a year so she could attend mortuary school. It was during that year that I fell in love with Atlanta and vowed that one day, I would return to call it home.
At the age of 24, as a single mother, I moved to Columbus, Ohio, seeking better opportunities. It was there that I met the love of my life while we worked in the same building. We married a year later. Around that time, I enrolled in cosmetology school and completed the program. Shortly after, we welcomed our third child, which prompted me to rethink my career path. I took a position with a major car manufacturing company because the pay and benefits were excellent for our growing family. For the next 15 years, I worked hard and raised our children, but I often felt unfulfilled.
One day, during a meeting with a financial advisor, I broke down in tears and admitted to my husband that I was deeply unhappy at my job. The long hours, 10-hour shifts, and inability to transfer to the day shift after a decade of service were taking a toll. My husband was shocked but supportive, and he encouraged me to leave the job and assured me we would figure things out. Taking a leap of faith, I submitted my resignation the next day.
We decided it was time for a fresh start, and we relocated to Atlanta. After taking a year off to regroup, I worked various temporary jobs before landing a position at Delta Air Lines. I was employed at Delta when the COVID-19 pandemic struck, and the company offered employees a buyout option due to the economic impact. The timing couldn’t have been better, as I had already secured a location for my business and was waiting on products and fixtures to arrive—a process that was delayed due to the pandemic.
Once again, I took a leap of faith and left Delta to pursue my dream of entrepreneurship. Now, nearly four years later, I have built a successful business, and it has been an incredible journey. I truly love what I do, and I am excited about the future. One day, I hope to expand my business and continue making a positive impact in my industry.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There were struggles along the way because I open my store during the pandemic. Delays in shipments took 9 months to get everything I needed to open my store.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
I own and operate my own beauty supply store. I specialize in customer satisfaction. I assist customers with making the right choices for their hair type. This is what makes me different from most beauty supply stores because the owners are usually not African American and have no idea what their customers need.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
Moving to Atlanta when I was going to the 10th grade for one year with my mother. To see so many successful and educated African American people in positions like doctors, principals and lawyers. Really made an impression on me. That was not something you saw often in my home town.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Idealbeautysupplysuites.com
- Instagram: @idealbeautysupply.suites
