Today we’d like to introduce you to D. Sharrieff Massenburg.
Hi D. Sharrieff, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
It’s been almost seven years since I landed in Atlanta, GA. Upon the decision of moving from Raleigh, NC to Atlanta, GA in 2018, I’d been in the Hair Care industry for 19 years. Supporting and renting booths from other salon owners, servicing a clientele of predominantly women in the Raleigh area. I received an opportunity to move from Raleigh to Atlanta to work in Child Behavioral Health (CBH). I was excited about breaking from the Hair Industry and doing something different. I made the move to Atl and worked in CBH for approximately six weeks. I really thought I was about to put some distance between me and the hair industry. Things shifted in my living arrangements which discontinued my job within CBH. To maintain my income, I immediately returned to my first love however, I had to build a brand new clientele here in Atl.
When I was 15, my first clients were my mom and her sisters, ladies from church, and friends connected to the network. I was performing services out of my mom’s kitchen because she didn’t cook often lol. Upon graduating from Cosmetology School and obtaining my license as a stylist, my clientele grew from family to my fellow stylist, clients of the school that fell in love with my work, and word of mouth. At that time, I had a weak social media presence, if any at all. I was booking clients through phone calls and texts. I didn’t realize how exhausting & energy-depleting that was until I didn’t have to do it anymore.
Here I am in Atlanta, in a different demographic with different style preferences. Away from my home base, where it feels like everyone knows that you do wonderful hair, to a new city where no one knows your name. There are hungry stylists everywhere in the city, and now you have to stand out from them and prove yourself. That was a challenging place to be. In 2019 I went to The Bronner Bros hairshow and took a class with Gocha Hawkins who at the time was a celebrity stylist & cast member of the show… L.A. Hair. I interviewed with Gocha at her salon in Midtown and landed a job with her team. It was there that I learned I needed to adapt to the culture and styling of the Atlanta area. My styling at the time was considered amazing in Raleigh, NC but here in Atlanta….it was considered KUNTRY! It was then that I understood the analogy about a fish being in a bowl versus a fish in an aquarium. I had so much to learn and adapt to. Honestly in that season, I felt like my career in hair was over. I was doing relaxers and shortcuts in NC. In Atlanta, the women were natural and wearing lace fronts. I had experience and skill in neither. I immediately went from walking to crawling and relearning how to stand on my 2 feet again. I learned a lot from the Gocha experience but later determined that I needed to switch lanes.
I landed a position with Jason Griggers, a Serial Brother Bronners Competition Winner & Owner of Salon Escape in Mableton, GA. It was there that my career in Atlanta began to bud. It was there that I wrestled with whether my career in hair was over because of the difficulty in getting the Georgia community to trust me. I was also having a difficult time with adapting to the style preferences here. It was in that struggle that I went and got a Full-Time job in a warehouse and moved ‘doing hair’ to part-time. God had a plan, and I didn’t know it. Everything that I was processing through was encased in a controlled-environment with a guarantee to win in the end. I worked that warehouse job for a couple of months and received little pay. My time was filled with manual labor but barely making enough to survive.
Needless to say… I quit the warehouse job……ordered me 5000 business cards and put them in hair stores, gave them out in grocery stores, did free hair & discounted hair all to get my name out there. I built my social media platforms and booking systems and showcased my artistry as often as possible. I had to confront my fears of social anxiety and walk up to strangers to perform elevator pitches about my business. I had to confront releasing my old antiquated ideas and skills to embracing new ones. I had to utilize Fresh Faith for a New Season. In the fall of 2018, I quit that warehouse job and put all of my energy into establishing a clientele. In 90 Days, God breathed on my efforts. January of 2019, I was officially established as a Hairstylist in the area with reoccurring clients. It was in that season that I learned how to work a Flat-iron. I learned how to Braid. I evolved in Haircolor. I took a leap of faith became really good at crafting manweaves and male units for those dealing with hairloss. At that time, my best friend Jerome Hoskins 20+ years was sponsoring me with room and board until I got established in the area. I am eternally grateful for the support of my Friend and Family established at Salon Escape with Jason, DeAntonio, Nicole, Chloe, Toshi, Donneika, Troy, Dee Dee, YShekah, Carla, & Jaz.
In 2020 is when Covid hit the scene and the salons closed down. Ironically, the month that the salons closed was the same month in which I moved to my very first apartment in the city of Atlanta. I had to update my Faith and get innovative because the rent in my apartment had to be paid. I turned my living room and kitchen into a Salon Suite. I vowed not to cook in my kitchen just to ensure that my client’s experience was A1. It was in that season that I built a personal clientele aside from the salon. I had the esteemed privilege of servicing Essential Workers during the Covid season. I serviced clients in my apartment for a year. From there, I moved to my 1st salon suite with the Encore Salon Suite family owned at the time by Patrice “Sway” McKinney. From there, D.Sharrieff Hair Image Consulting was born. Trusting in the Lord and Doing Good will establish you. Being Skilled, Being Kind, and respecting people’s time and money will get you a long way in the industry. It has blessed my life exponentially!!!
I am Dennis S. Massenburg from Youngsville, NC by way of Raleigh. I have three brothers and three sisters with my mother and father combined. I have been in the Hair for 26 years. I am the Family Stylist, the one-stop shop. I can do Women, Men, & Some Children. My superpower is Braids and Male Hair Replacement Units. I’ve been blessed to serve quite a few prominent people, including Lecrae D. Moore, an American rapper & Tremayne Anchrum Jr. of the NBA LA Rams.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has been challenging. New opportunities some times compel you to evolve into a new and improved version of yourself. That metamorphosis process is not easy to undergo. You have to break old habits to learn new ones. You have to vet and examine your circles and the people you surround yourself with. Alot of that time is spent alone. Weathering that process is a beast, but it’s rewarding in the end.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a Hair Image Consultant. I enjoy meeting new clients. Assessing their hair goals and collaborating with them to create a vision of how to enhance their look while maintaining healthy hair. I have a lot of years of experience under my belt, which has afforded me to be a stylist to the family brand. I can service wife, husband, daughter and son. I can do Natural Hair, Silkpresses, Shortcuts & Color, Braiding & Barber services. One of my Specialties that has gained traction recently are Male Units. According to my customer reviews, the thing that sets me apart is that time spent with me is an experience. I am punctual for appointments, I provide a clean, safe, and aesthetically pleasing environment, The client leaves ready for photo opportunities. I am most proud of the love given and received. I need the clients as well as the clients need me. No one is expendable.
Can you share something surprising about yourself?
On my free time, I enjoy making Neckpieces (jewelry) for fun.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://DsharrieffHairImageConsultant.as.me/
- Instagram: The_Hairconsultant
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@dsharrieffTv
