Today we’d like to introduce you to Lanicia Sharfner.
Lanicia, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I honestly don’t believe I was tender headed as a child, but my mom was super heavy handed! I watched my mom braid hair as a child. I studied her techniques, and I practiced what I saw on my little sister. My mom’s heavy hands peaked my interest in hair when I was about 7 or 8 years old. Ever since the day I put my hands in my little sister’s hair, hair had become my happy place.
In middle school and high school, doing hair had become a hustle for me. Our circumstances weren’t the best, so hair had become my money maker. My love for hair had grown so much. I decided to take up cosmetology as a trade while in high school. I LOVED COSMETOLOGY!! I had no issues passing that course. After all of that work, I did not go to take my state board test. Ikr, shame on me.
When I moved to Alabama, my first job was at a hair salon as a Shampoo Assistant. After opening up to the owner, telling her about my experience, she told me about how Alabama’s State Board of Cosmetology offered a Natural Hair license without me having to go back to school. Praise God!! I paid the license fee and sent in all the information required, and I’ve been a licensed Natural Hair Stylist for the last five years.
I called myself quitting hair at one point. Over the last year, my desire to start my own business had grown like wildflowers! So, that has been my mission. Hair, just like my family, means everything to me! I have a little sister who recently passed away. Her name is Lillian. I wanted something that’ll always spark my memories of her, for fear of forgetting what she meant to me. That is how I came up with the name; Lilly’s Natural Hair.
Has it been a smooth road?
This journey hasn’t been as bad as I try to tell myself. Lol! I have a very solid support system. The only struggle that I really have is questioning whether I can actually do this. Whenever the thought creeps up, I have to ask myself, “Why not me?”
Tell us more about the business.
Lilly’s Natural Hair is a natural hair care business. While I have quite a few services in my arsenal, I tend to get more braid clientele than anything else. I’m known, not only for my services, but for my welcoming atmosphere, my personalism and professionalism, and my love for hair. When I’m doing hair, I have to tell myself not to zone out so much. HAIR REALLY IS MY HAPPY PLACE! When someone is sitting in my chair, they can’t help but to notice that I really love what I do. It’s not about the money. That’s just an added bonus!! It’s about being able to spread my happiness and help someone to worry less about their hair. It’s also about experiencing my client’s satisfaction when the climb out of my chair!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
I’m looking forward to watching my industry BLOW MY MIND!! Another passion of mine is mentorship for women of all ages and races. I haven’t quite put the puzzle together yet, but I believe God is going to use Lilly’s Natural Hair as a means to start up the mentorship program.
Contact Info:
- Phone: (256) 361-9238
- Email: lovenicihair@gmail.com
- Instagram: _lillysnaturalhair
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