Inspiring Conversations with Shannon Sherrell Baker of SSBbeauty Bar

Today we’d like to introduce you to Shannon Sherrell Baker.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Hair By Shannon Sherrell began in 2009, and what started as my passion for doing hair has grown into so much more than I could have ever imagined. In 2018, I took another major step in my journey and founded SSBeauty Bar, my brick-and-mortar hair salon. SSBeauty Bar gave me the opportunity to not only grow as a licensed cosmetologist, but also as a business owner, leader, and entrepreneur.

After opening my salon, I realized that I did not just want to own a successful business. I wanted to become the best entrepreneur I could possibly be. I wanted to truly understand business, leadership, marketing, strategy, and what it takes to build something that can grow, evolve, and last. That desire pushed me to go back to school and earn my Master of Business Administration degree. At the time, I was operating a three-location brick-and-mortar business while also attending school full time. Balancing the responsibilities of running multiple locations while being a full-time student was not always easy, but I knew there was a bigger purpose behind what I was building and the knowledge I was gaining.

Today, I am a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Candidate, currently halfway through my doctoral program. For me, education has never been about simply adding another degree behind my name. I genuinely want to become as educated and knowledgeable as possible about business, entrepreneurship, and research. I want to take the knowledge I have gained through both education and real-world experience and use it to contribute meaningful research, ideas, and strategies to the cosmetology industry, as well as other industries and areas of research that I am passionate about.

I am proud to be a licensed cosmetologist and entrepreneur, but I also see myself as a lifelong learner, researcher, businesswoman, and future scholar-practitioner. I believe that my experience as an entrepreneur gives me a unique perspective because I have had the opportunity to not only study business, but to actually live it. I have experienced firsthand what it takes to start a business, grow a brand, operate brick-and-mortar locations, serve clients, lead others, and continue evolving as both a professional and entrepreneur.

Hair By Shannon Sherrell started my journey in 2009, and SSBeauty Bar was another major part of that vision when I opened it in 2018. However, I have always known that my purpose extends beyond standing behind the chair or owning a salon. I want the businesses I have built, the education I have earned, the research I conduct, and the experiences I have gained to eventually help other professionals and entrepreneurs build something meaningful of their own.

I am extremely proud of everything I have accomplished so far, but I also know there is so much more for me to build, study, teach, research, and contribute.

SSBeauty was just the beginning.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely has not always been a smooth road, but I truly believe that every challenge I have experienced has helped shape me into the entrepreneur and woman I am today.

I started Hair By Shannon Sherrell in 2009, so I have been in this industry long enough to experience many different seasons of entrepreneurship. There have been seasons of growth and success, but there have also been seasons where I had to make difficult decisions, adjust my vision, start over, and figure things out as I went. When I founded SSBeauty Bar in 2018, I was no longer responsible for just myself and my clientele. I had a brick-and-mortar business to operate, additional locations to manage, other beauty professionals depending on the environment I created, and the everyday responsibilities that come with being a business owner.

One of my biggest challenges has been learning how to balance being the hairstylist, business owner, leader, marketer, and visionary all at the same time. As an entrepreneur, especially in the beginning, you wear so many hats. There is no manual that prepares you for every situation you will encounter. I have had to learn through experience, make mistakes, adjust, and continue moving forward.

That is actually one of the reasons education became so important to me. After opening my salon, I realized that I did not want to simply say that I owned a business. I wanted to understand business. I went back to school and earned my Master of Business Administration degree while, at the time, operating a three-location brick-and-mortar business and attending school full time. Balancing entrepreneurship and graduate school required a tremendous amount of discipline, sacrifice, and determination.

Today, I am a Doctor of Business Administration (DBA) Candidate and currently halfway through my doctoral program. Even while continuing to operate and grow my businesses, I have remained committed to furthering my education because I know my purpose extends beyond being behind the chair. I want to use both my real-world experience and academic research to contribute to the cosmetology industry and other areas of business that I am passionate about.

The road has not been perfect, and neither have I. However, I have learned that entrepreneurship is not about everything going according to plan. It is about having the ability to adapt, learn, remain consistent, and keep going when things do not go according to plan.

Every version of my journey has taught me something. Hair By Shannon Sherrell was the start in 2009, SSBeauty Bar became another part of my story in 2018, and I still believe SSBeauty was just the beginning. There is so much more that I plan to build, research, teach, and contribute.

As you know, we’re big fans of SSBbeauty Bar. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
What truly sets me apart as a hairstylist and salon owner is my commitment to healthy hair and my ability to maintain the integrity of my clients’ hair over many years. I specialize in natural hair care, and while I love creating beautiful and trendy styles, healthy hair will always come first for me. My goal has never been to simply make a client’s hair look good for the moment. I want their hair to remain healthy, strong, and manageable long after they leave my chair.

One of the things I am most proud of about Hair By Shannon Sherrell is the longevity of my brand. I started Hair By Shannon Sherrell in 2009, and more than 15 years later, my brand has continued to grow, evolve, and create new opportunities for me. It ultimately helped me build SSBeauty Bar, which I founded in 2018, and has allowed me to establish a clientele in both Tallahassee, Florida, and Atlanta, Georgia. Being able to take a brand that I started years ago and successfully expand it into different markets is something I am extremely proud of.

Hair By Shannon Sherrell has always been about healthy hair first and trendy styles second. I believe that a beautiful hairstyle should never come at the expense of the health of a client’s hair. That is why one of the most important parts of every service I provide is the treatment and preparation of the hair.

For me, shampooing and treating the hair are not optional add-ons. They are part of the service. I make it a priority to include a professional shampoo along with a deep conditioning or protein treatment with my styles because the foundation of any great hairstyle starts with properly cared-for hair. I want my clients to know that when they sit in my chair, I am not only thinking about how their hair will look that day. I am thinking about the condition of their hair months and even years from now.

I have had clients trust me with their hair for many years, and being able to maintain the health and integrity of their hair throughout different styles, seasons, and stages of their lives is one of my greatest accomplishments as a cosmetologist. Trends will always change, but healthy hair will never go out of style. That philosophy has been the foundation of Hair By Shannon Sherrell since 2009, and it continues to be one of the biggest reasons my brand has been able to stand the test of time.

Can you share something surprising about yourself?
Something that may surprise people who primarily know me through Hair By Shannon Sherrell or SSBeauty Bar is that my creativity and entrepreneurship extend far beyond the beauty industry. I am also a published author, the founder of a nonprofit organization, and a recording artist.

I published my book, God is the Recipe, as another way to share my faith, experiences, and perspective with others. Writing has always been another creative outlet for me, so becoming a published author was something that allowed me to express a completely different side of myself outside of being a hairstylist and business owner.

I am also the founder of LADIES, a nonprofit organization created with the purpose of making a positive impact and pouring into others. Giving back and creating opportunities for people has always been important to me. Entrepreneurship is a major part of who I am, but I have always wanted my work to extend beyond simply building businesses for myself.

Another part of my story that many people may not know is that I am a recording artist. Music has always been another passion of mine and another way for me to express my creativity. I have never believed that I had to limit myself to one talent, one industry, or one title.

People may know me as a hairstylist, salon owner, and entrepreneur, but there are so many different layers to who I am. I am a cosmetologist, business owner, author, nonprofit founder, recording artist, and DBA Candidate. I truly believe that all of these experiences and gifts are connected, and I am excited to continue seeing how they all become part of the bigger vision for my life.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannonsherrellbaker?stkn=MWo5MHdhOWp5NWJ6OA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19YzBAFmCC/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@shannonsherrellbaker?_r=1&_t=ZP-99XIqHwQzAE