Today we’d like to introduce you to Bethany Nché.
Hi Bethany, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My family won the lottery to come to America when I was five years old. Entering the U.S. as immigrants with nothing but ourselves really shaped the way I valued life. I attended a school whose demographics were different from mine. These differences made me more self-conscious of my physical appearance and cultural differences. My peers would tug on my hair and question why it presented itself as such. Through these encounters, I taught myself to do my own hair so I wouldn’t burden my mom to pay for my hair. She is a hard worker and takes care of everyone, so that was the least I could do. I would braid my sister and cousins’ hair in primary and middle school, in the progression into high school, I was confident enough to start braiding my friends’ hair for practice. When high school came along and I started doing my peers’ hair in my free time until college and officially built a client base. I’ve done my hair myself my whole life up until recently. I am most proud of how far I’ve come with my new brand. I’ve started it from the ground up and as an entrepreneur, I love making connections with beautiful people while traveling around the states.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Growing up, I wanted to do EVERYTHING… and I always thought about ways to keep busy and improve my assiduous mindset. I knew the direction I wanted to go but I kept being told to “stay in one lane”, or “focus on one career path”. I wouldn’t pay any mind to those comments because I knew with my structure and ADHD, I had bigger goals in mind. I got my first job at 15 to help support my family & was expected to do a lot by my family. I come from a very religious background with parents who are pastors, so I had to keep a respectable reputation while supporting my family. This was what was expected of me, which neglected my own wellbeing at times. I’ve learned how to manage a family, two jobs at a time, being a full-time student through my teen years. I don’t play about my work. When I was denied service because of my hair texture, it made me understand what my fellow natural hair community goes through on a daily basis. I pride myself with being able to service and work with all types of hair textures. I specialize in working with beautiful girls who have limited opportunities in society due to the tone of their skin and hair type.
Hair is how I express myself as an artist and I pride myself in that. Other services I did include drawing, tutoring, henna, piercings, makeup, and some hair from time to time. I started to focus more on doing hair my first year of college because I needed another form of income to support my family and I. I worked at Wendys and my neighborhood beauty supply whilst being a full-time student and still managed to fit clients into my schedule. I’m currently in University of Maryland as a public health science major and I plan to attend Medical school to become a Pediatric Doctor. I currently have a non-profit under construction and I plan to use my skills and work ethics throughout my 19 years of life to teach and navigate fellow young entrepreneurs.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I create Art…through Hair, my models are my portfolio. I provide affordable prices for my skills and I am one of the most Versatile Hairstylists in Atlanta and the DC, Maryland, and Virginia area. I’m known for my Butterfly Locs, Bratz Twist, Passion Twist, Curly & Freestyle Knotless Braids, Butterfly Passion Braids (Inspired by SlayedByVEE), Soft Locs, Tribal Braids, and literally any new ideas I create. I also have a “Creative Idea” booking option, where I’m down to do any Unique New styles you may think of, so just bring your idea and let’s do it! I make new looks for Creative shoots, Music Videos, and Magazines with other extraordinary artists. I hope to inspire other young upcoming entrepreneurs, Don’t allow the opinions of others devalue your talents. Do what YOU want to do.
Contact Info:
- Email: donebybethany@gmail.com
- Website: donebybethany.as.me
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCpytNqcceB0NtPxDRmfMvIA
Image Credits:
@donebybethany
