Meet Brianna Blige of Anna Bee Collection in Conyers

Today we’d like to introduce you to Brianna Blige.

Brianna, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I started my business in August 2016, eight months after forcefully doing the “big chop”… and by “big chop”, I mean shaving my head completely bald. My hair was one of the few things I valued and so having to shave it all off, due to an allergic reaction I had to medication, I was an insecure mess! I couldn’t stand to look at myself in the mirror for months. One day, my college roommate, Jada, told me it wasn’t a big deal that my head was shaved because I could cover it up with a wig. Wig making was her thing. She made plenty for herself and they were cute, so I was like why not give it a try? So, you know, desperately needing to feel beautiful again, I asked her to teach me… and that was the start of it all. I didn’t plan on actually starting a business, honestly. I was only making wigs for myself as a way to cover up the insecurities that I had from being forced to get rid of all of my hair. I guess God had other plans though because eventually, people started asking who did my hair. It started to make me feel good because most people assumed that I was getting sew-ins. At the time, they had no idea that it was actually wigs that I was wearing. Eventually, I turned it into a hobby and I started making them for friends. I got good, and I mean really good, at it. From there, I turned my hobby into a career.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Starting my business definitely has not been smooth. When I started, I went all in, without having an actual game plan. I didn’t know what I was doing, I just knew I was to own a business. I had no idea it would be so hard becoming a CEO because everyone else made it look so easy. For about a year after starting my business, I was barely getting clientele. I mean, I was getting some, but it was only like one to two people a month. Then some months, I went without any at all. Back then, I was very lazy and gave up on things easily. So, I stepped away from the whole idea of owning a business. Then, I don’t know… probably about three-four months later, business started picking up heavily. So, I’m sure you can guess what I did? I got back into that whole “boss babe” mentality and decided this second time around was gonna be it. I laugh every time I tell my journey because this second go-round set me, straight honey. My biggest struggle was finding a vendor that sold good hair. I lost about $1600 in looking for quality hair. That’s not it though. I went through about four different logo changes because every time I would have a designer make me one, I would end up being told from previous and current clients that it was too “childish” looking. I wanted everything involving my company to be sleek and elegant. So that was about $400 going down the drain within only a few months. It was just a lot. Point black, I was losing a ton of money on a business that I wasn’t even sure was going to actually take off.

Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Anna Bee Collection – what should we know?
Anna Bee Collection is a luxury hair company that specializes in custom machine-made lace frontal and lace closure wigs, along with luxury virgin and raw extensions. We are mainly known for our custom wigs because they are some of the most realistic on the market. We create the most realistic hairlines on our wigs, and that’s what catches everyone’s attention. No one wants a wig that actually looks like a wig, you know? We just give clients what they’re looking for: bomb hair and wigs that look/feels like their own.
We are different from other companies because we actually have a mission behind the wigs that we create. Every custom wig we make, we deliver with the intention to make that person feel their bossiest, sassiest, sexy, and beautiful self. Don’t get me wrong though, our units don’t “make” anyone beautiful, though. They enhance what’s already there.

I am most proud of the customer service that my company presents. I mean it’s one thing to sell a product for profit, but it’s another thing when clients are praising you for the connection they end up building with you throughout the process. I love my clients and I love giving them the best service from my company. It’s just heartwarming knowing that people can brag on more than just the products. They brag about everything else revolving it, too.

Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Being humble, being firm, and being patient are the main qualities that have made my business a success. I had to learn though, especially being firm and patient. Those were two things that I most certainly lacked: a backbone and patience. When I started out, I let clients walk all over me: getting away with not paying beforehand, talking me down on my prices, a lot. I remember when I first started, someone told me I was charging too much, and my crazy self fell victim to that and started charging on $50 for constructing wigs. I laugh about it now because I’m so firm on my prices that can’t nobody talk me into anything. One thing’s for sure, I learned that my prices are certainly not in everyone’s price range. However, they are in somebody’s. As far as patience… whew, honey… I had to learn… the hard way, at that. I tried rushing so many things at the beginning of my venture, and it was all failing. I prayed daily that God placed patience in my spirit. Once I obeyed him, stood still and let him handle my business, everything started falling place.

Pricing:

• Lace Frontal Unit Construction $350
• Lace Closure Unit Construction $300
• Wig Installation $80 (ABC Units) , $250 (non ABC Units)
• Color services and bundle pricing varies

Contact Info:

• Email: annabeewc@gmail.com
• Instagram: annabeeco

Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.