Today we’d like to introduce you to maria okpeh.
Maria, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
I started Nia Soule Salon® (Ouchless Hair Braiding®) in the basement of my home during the 2008 recession.
The salon has grown to its third retail location around metro Atlanta and plans to open a 4th in Dallas, Texas from March – April 2018.
We are on our way to becoming the first braiding salon to transition into a franchise.
I am a single mom to a 9-year old boy.
The vision to be an entrepreneur started brewing while in college (typical Nigerian parents wanted me to be a Medical Doctor).
A couple of factors motivated me:
1. All around me there were no black owned business that had longevity beyond 3years or a major employer of labor like Walmart.
2. Businesses in Nigeria really had no customer service focus.
Not knowing what kind of business, I had a vision to change these two views if I ever owned one.
In 2007, I moved to the U.S to join my now ex-husband.
Without a driver’s license, no money or being pregnant none of that was going to deter me
I stumbled on Craigslist in 2008 and started posting for would be clients. The phone began to ring in the house. I was 7 months pregnant and with my unique technique of not pulling tightly hence, the brand Ouchless Hair Braiding® the word spread.
A year later, I was out of the basement renting a salon suite. I kept dreaming and working hard, the vision I saw of the salon was a retail store front. The next 18 months, I had several transitions the back of a beauty supply store, back to the home basement,an office building in August of 2010.
Three months later, my marriage collapsed. With no family other than my 2-year old son, I made a decision to beat the statistics of a single black mom. I threw myself to the vision. I worked as early as 5:30 am I wasn’t going to give up on me.
14 months later, the vision of the retail store front materialized in November 2011. I invested all of my life savings, maxed my credit cards for this vision. My faith was stretched. We have about 14 stylists today, yet I know the journey ahead of us is still a long shot.
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?
First being a young female immigrant entrepreneur.
Secondly, going through a major family and life change like a divorce in the midst of starting the business.
Thirdly, starting a business in 2008 in the midst of the 2nd worst world recession and housing market crash
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Nia Soule Salon story. Tell us more about the business.
As a company, Nia Soule Salon (I) started the ” Ouchless Hair Braiding (R)” trend. We have set ourselves apart from other hair braiding salons by being able to install braids on clients without necessarily pulling tightly on their scalp which was a major complaint I kept hearing from clients about other places they will visit in the past. The tension and unnecessary pull from other braiders typically leads to hair loss but for us we have seen clients return with them reporting hair growth.
Secondly, we went far above by providing great customer service to our clients which was almost non existent
We are proud to say we have been the first braid salon that has successfully being able to cut the time of installing braids on our clients to under 4 hours or less. In the past, we have heard clients report that their hair service took 7 hours or sometimes next day visits.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I really won’t say its bad luck more like when you are the bottom, there is no other place to go but up.
For me, being faced with separation and then divorce being in a new country in less than 3 years and being faced with divorce with no family members close to me… I was determine to not be statistics of the struggling single mom. I knew it was going to be tough but I was ready to have a story ending that had a different narrative.
I will rather say mine was a story of faith in God that my situation would change. In a sense, where divorce would have made an average woman bitter or depressed, I used my experience to leverage my talents in braiding and also encourage clients of mine as well at the time who were going through their own difficult places in life.
Pricing:
- Individual Box Braids $160 and up
- Senegalese twists $190 and up
- Kinky Twist $165 and up
- Havana Twists $240 and up
- Cornrows $35 and up
- Kids Braids $45 and up
Contact Info:
- Address: Nia Soule Salon(R)
Ouchless Hair Braiding(R)
5316 Buford Highway
Norcross, GA 30071 Suite 102
6789494231Nia Soule Salon(R)
Ouchless Hair Braiding(R)
108 Banks Crossing
Fayetteville, GA 30214 Suite 108
6789278405Nia Soule Salon(R)
Ouchless Hair Braiding(R)
2400 Wisteria Drive
Snellville, GA 30078 Suite G
4703537860Nia Soule Salon(R)
Ouchless Hair Braiding(R)
5316 Buford Highway
Norcross, GA 30071 Suite 102 - Website: www.niasoulesalon.com
- Phone: 6789494231
- Email: info@niasoulesalon.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niasoulesalon/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NiaSouleSalon/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/niasoulesalon
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nia-soule-salon-norcross-4
- Other: https://www.yelp.com/biz/nia-soule-salon-snellville-2
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.
