Meet Mary McClane of Hair Magic in Buckhead

Today we’d like to introduce you to Mary McClane.

Mary, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My name is Mary McClane. I’m a 26-year-old licensed beauty professional originally from the Westside of Detroit. I’m also an experienced business consultant. I’ve never worked a job. Literally lived and breathed hair since an adolescent. Started accepting clients at 14 and it’s been on since. I studied cosmetology at AVEDA.

Hair Magic actually started when I was only 16, still in high school. I was making it with natural products for a friend who abruptly lost her hair due to illness. After it worked for her, I just began to give it away to all my clients and friends. When I graduated high school, my friend Asia suggested that I start selling it, at this time I only had the Hair Magic Grease, Hair Magic Oil and Hair Magic Leave Conditioner. I participated in a “sip &shop” and actually had 360+ people in line waiting to purchase my products.

Unfortunately, I only had 50 products of each so I had to turn so many away. One person stepped out of line to say, “That magic hair grease saved my hair.” She showed us her breast cancer scars & said how Hair Magic helped her hair grow back after undergoing Chemotherapy. I guess you can say that’s how the company was birthed. Above all the many things I’m involved in, I aspire to be that voice, that resource, that support, that advisor for the young black people in business who face some of the same hardships I did, starting out.

Has it been a smooth road?
Most definitely not a smooth road. However, if I could do it all over again, the exact same way, I would. To be honest, I still have daily struggles but that’s just the business. I could really name a ton, but I’ll keep it brief. I’m sharing this experience with you guys first. This literally almost broke me, but it didn’t. So I think it’s important to share.

I first began selling Hair Magic on Valentine’s Day 2014. Strictly in-salon pick up only. However, rather quickly in my opinion, my company blossomed. Many people around the world started to inquire about ordering online. So I created a website on GoDaddy and created my own website. Wasn’t the best but it worked. I had my very first online sale Black Friday 2015. Best and worst day of my career. At the time of my online sale I was also hosting an in-store sale. Both were only 60 minutes long, so it was crazy in-store online! I had about 200 people standing outside the salon, literally wrapped around the corner. Only eight minutes into the sale people kept saying I was sold out online. I’m like “no way, I added 1,500 products. Allow me to finish up in-store and I’ll check out the site because it must be a glitch”.

After the sale I go check the site… not only did I sell out. But I oversold. I sold 10,000+ products. Over 1,100 orders. Most would be excited. They’d think it was a good thing. It’s not for a small business owner that doesn’t have all of that product in stock. Don’t have a team to control the countless emails, and don’t have the manpower to get this much product off in two weeks. Me being the amateur web designer that I was, I didn’t know to click the “stop selling when out of stock button.” If that wasn’t bad enough, just the next day so got an email from PayPal stating they’d be holding my funds in “reserves” for 120 days. Yes, $126,000.00.

I was devastated. Of course, I didn’t have 126k laying around to get these orders off, but I made due. Literally working 16 hour days doing hair just to make and ship products. I couldn’t tell my customers because people really don’t care and I get it. I never wanted the sympathy vote. I knew I’d figure it out. I was broke. Flat out broke. I couldn’t afford to ship every order so any local orders me and my sisters would have “shipping Saturday” and hand deliver all packages. It took me 3-4 months go get all those orders off. I even had to refund nearly 400 people. I was dragged every day. I couldn’t get online without seeing “scammer”. For a while after that, I became so depressed I just stopped selling products.

I couldn’t tell my customers because people really don’t care and I get it. I never wanted the sympathy vote. Literally working 16 hour days doing hair just to make ship product. I was broke. Flat out broke. I couldn’t afford to ship every order so any local orders me and my sisters would have “shipping Saturday” and hand deliver all packages. It took me 3-4 months go get all those orders off. I even had to refund nearly 400 people. I was dragged every day. I couldn’t get online without seeing “scammer”. For a while after that, I became so depressed I just stopped selling products.

It took a lot of hard work and team building to get out of that headspace and back in the game. Yet, I did it. I will say I’m just happy I made these foolish mistakes earlier on in my career.

We’d love to hear more about your business.
I’m a licensed cosmetologist and certified instructor. I also make and sell my own products, made fit but not limited to people of color, the infamous Hair Magic line. I’m most proud of my longevity in the game. It’s easy to create a buzz, you know? But it’s extremely hard to keep one. Still being able to sell out in-store and online daily after six years in business speaks volumes. I think me being so personable and relatable set me apart from others. However, although that’s what I love most about myself and my company’s mission, it’s kind of a weakness of mine too. People treat you different when they feel you’re easily accessible.

Is our city a good place to do what you do?
Atlanta is the best place for a beauty professional. Honestly, in this climate, if you’re just starting out, this may be your best move. Sounds cliche, but Atlanta is a resourceful city. It’s so so so much clique stuff going on here in Atlanta, especially in the beauty community unknowingly that we make way more if we just connected more.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.hairmagicproducts.store/
• Phone: (248) 595-4286
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @hairmagicbymary
• Twitter: @hairmagicbymary

Image Credit:
Brandon Parker
Que Ross

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