Today we’d like to introduce you to Dameshia Days.
Dameshia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
For as long as I can remember, I’ve always referred to doing hair as my “hidden talent.” I say that because, I started young, but I kept it in the family. I’m the second oldest of five girls, coming from a low-income household, so of course, someone had to learn. I didn’t know I could braid until I was in the 4th grade and I did my little sister’s hair. I got in trouble because I wasn’t supposed to. In my parent’s mind, I was being grown and didn’t know what I was doing, but in my heart, I knew if I kept trying I’d get better.
So, I kept trying, got better and it followed me. Braiding generated my very first source of income in the 9th grade. Saved me too, for I’d been taking care of myself since a teenage girl. My family and friends were all shocked and supportive. My late grandfather who was a businessman, always told me when I was in high school, “my gift was in my hands.” He had owned several businesses in his younger days and wanted at least one person in his family to keep the dream of black ownership alive, he said it would be me and I believed it to be true. However, at the moment I wasn’t driven to manifest it. I didn’t think I had that look that people wanted, so I didn’t promote myself.
I was working, motivated by a consistent paycheck, which was all I needed at the moment. Since my first job at 16, I’ve withheld a management position everywhere I worked. At one point in time, I thought it was for me. I joined the army part time and kept working to maintain myself during school, leaving little to no time for anything else.
Through it all, my “hidden talent” stuck with me. I kept doing my family and friends hair as well as my own when I could. As the hair industry evolved, so did I, learning as much as I could to keep myself and my clients up to date. I told myself at 19, I would learn to make wigs and start a wig line and I did. Then I realized, it was my will to create that I loved, not clocking into a job every day like a robot. Nonetheless, I’m humble and grateful for employment that pays well and worked cohesively with my school schedule. I wanted to fully let go of my job and take a new direction in life. However, at this point, it was too late for an easy transition. I found myself trying to balance school, and army life all while transitioning from a state of full employment to a state of self-employment. Soon, I realized the key was to play the cards that were dealt, use one stream of income to invest for the next and to not only trust the process but embrace it. Which is where I am now, a college student, first, army girl, who has finally set out to walk in her purpose. Dayli Crowns isn’t just a wig line, it’s a starting point for all that God has set before me.
Has it been a smooth road?
Nothing worth having comes easy. I remind myself of this very often. I’m naturally good at styling hair. For me, my biggest obstacle was myself, I’m big on accountability. I always doubted myself, I thought I was too far gone in another direction of a basic routined lifestyle, to do what I really loved. So, I didn’t market or promote myself. Now, I train myself to be consistent, attentive and learn along the way. My main focus now is strategizing and marketing.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Dayli Crowns story. Tell us more about the business.
Dayli Crowns is the name of my wig line. A wig is a day to day thing, often switched up according to a Queen’s mood. Everyone knows a girls hair is like her crown. My last name is Days which is how I came up with the name Dayli Crowns. It keeps my grandfathers legacy alive.
I provide handmade custom laced units with top raw virgin hair from overseas. In addition to making the unit, I also install them per your demand. The units are made to fit and are worn with or without glue. The goal is to provide a crown that protects your hair, like a shield. Though I specialize in wig making, I am also an advocate of healthy natural hair. Sticking to how I started, I also do braids both on natural hair and wig units. I love challenges, so often times, my clients come to me with braid and wig ideas and I bring them to life! I originally learned to do hair because, just like every other queen, I love to switch my hair up. However, I couldn’t always afford to pay others to switch up my hair, so I became a DIY (do it yourself) queen by nature. Being that, I know what it’s like to want to look as good as all the other queens, but not have the funds to do so, my goal is to provide hair services at the very best of my abilities for the most affordable price there is. Every queen deserves a crown they can afford, and it’s even cooler if you can switch it up Dayli!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The things I have in store for Dayli Crowns are far beyond me but are nothing short of attainable. Over the next 5-10 years, I see my brand with its own storefront filled with custom units for women of all shades and hairstylist on hand for installation and general hairstyling. I am working on an even bigger brand “All Things Dayli”, which is my way of interpreting all of my professional endeavors so that that work cohesively as a representation of me, my brand and my last name! Some you can expect to see in 2020!
Contact Info:
- Phone: 6785777292
- Email: dameshia.d@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/Dayli.crowns/
- Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/DameshiaD
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/DayliCrowns/
Image Credit:
Trevion Langford
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