March 14, 2017

Meet Ankita Shah of Horizon Henna in Northwest Atlanta

Local Stories

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ankita Shah.

Ankita, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Growing up in India, henna accompanied birthdays, engagements, weddings, births, baby showers, religious events, festivals and everyday life. I was always fond of henna and would jump on any opportunity to be adorned by henna. I would buy a cone from the local store and doodle with it all day long. It came quite naturally to me because from a very young age. At 15 years old, my mom asked if I wanted to pursue henna professionally and I started apprenticeship under a well-known henna and makeup artist in Mumbai. I starting going to bridal appointments with him. A few years later I moved to the United States to attend Graphic Design School. Being thousands of miles away from home, henna became a comforting aspect, almost like therapy. I would henna myself and it would help me miss home and friends and family a little less. After graduating, I went into the corporate world to work full time. I realized that I missed doing henna. One day, I went online and bought all the henna supplies and did henna on myself and it took me right back to my happy place. I would show up to work and my colleagues would ask me about henna and I loved sharing stories, and the art with them. I could spend hours doing and talking about henna. I decided it was time to turn Henna a passion project into a Business. And that’s how Horizon Henna got started. When I am applying henna to my clients I get to know them on a personal level, they share stories. For that moment it’s about the person and nothing else. I enjoy doing henna and it brings me so much joy to be able to spread this art. What started as a passion has now morphed into a profession that I absolutely love.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
One of the most common struggles for small businesses, is standing out from the competition. There are a lot of Artist out there that call themselves henna artist but do a subpar job doing the art of henna. There is also a lot of product in the market called “Black Henna” that is not safe to use on skin and that has led the FDA putting some restrictions on henna. Not all festival organizers will let you take part for this very reason. Not everyone wants to put their trust in the art of henna. I have sourced my own Organic Henna supplier from India, and use only all natural, organic where possible ingredients to make my henna paste. I hold my product to a very high level. Beyond simply avoiding artist who use Black Henna, anyone interested in hiring a henna artist should do their research. It’s always a good idea to meet up with the artist and get a sample done to ensure that they can do what they promise. Last thing the bride wants to worry about is the quality of henna on her wedding day Come wedding day, if the henna artist isn’t what they say they are, it could ruin the bride’s big day.”

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Horizon Henna story. Tell us more about the business.
I have been practicing henna for about 16 years now. I often can’t believe what has come out of a passion of a teenager. I put in a lot of time and effort to make sure i can provide the best quality products and do an amazing job at the art of applying henna. I take immense pride in the quality of products that i sell. In order to be the best, i make sure to practice henna almost everyday. After all practice makes perfect. Best part about running my own business is the people i get to meet. I have heard some amazing stories from cancer survivors and from people who felt like they have a spiritual connection with India and the art of henna. I have also proved to myself that with hard work and dedication anything is possible. I would like to tell any 16-year-old to go pursue their dreams. Don’t let anything deter you from what you want to achieve in life.

Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I have been lucky enough to grow up in a culture where henna was a part of everyday life. I also have a super supportive husband who always surprises me with how much he has learned about Henna from watching me run my business. He is one of the biggest reasons i can run this business successfully.

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