Meet Trailblazer Lanisa Brown

Today we’d like to introduce you to Lanisa Brown.

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today. You can include as little or as much detail as you’d like.
Honestly, being raised by my mom who absolutely had no clue how to do hair forced me into my love for it. In elementary, I used to sneak my mom’s curling irons to flip my hair. Yes honey, flips! Fast forward to high school, I started taking Cosmetology classes. Funny because when the teacher introduced us to sew-ins and braid patterns, I was already taking clients in school and around my neighborhood. When I got to college, everyone on campus knew me as “the girl from Atlanta, that does hair, with the “nasty bang”. To be honest, I never imagined I’d transition into making wigs as I am now. Anytime I heard the word “wig” I would cringe, because the first thing that came to mind was the typical, synthetic, beauty supply store wig. But after a trim gone wrong, wigs became my life. To my surprise, in February of 2018 I finally decided to turn my side hustle into a business, Krowned Tresses Hair Collection, LLC. Initially I wanted to pursue my dreams of going to cosmetology school, but I went on to college and got my Masters in Social Work. I don’t believe hair is my calling, but I do believe uplifting women and making them feel good about themselves is. Hence the reason I started Krowned Tresses and co-founded the Sistas With Degrees women’s empowerment brand (@sistaswithdegrees). My ultimate goal is to be able to merge both my career in Social Work and love for hair in one.

Has it been a smooth road? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way? Any advice for other women, particularly young women who are just starting their journey?
Is anything ever a smooth road? Definitely not! I honestly feel like the year I started my business, was the roughest year I’ve had in my life. I went through so many changes and everything seemed to be happening all at the same time. I lost money, friends, and sometimes questioned my journey which ultimately comes with entrepreneurship. The one thing that really brought me the most happiness during those tough times was the positive feedback I was constantly receiving. To be completely transparent, I realized that God was trying to make me uncomfortable to elevate me, which in return made me a stronger woman. Juggling a full-time job while running a business has been a struggle within itself but, the ending results have been so rewarding. Being in an oversaturated market initially had me discouraged, but I’ve learned not to compare my business or journey to others.

We’d love to learn more about your work. What do you do, what do you specialize in, what are you known for, etc. What are you most proud of as a brand, organization or service provider? What sets you apart from others?
Of course, I am the owner of Krowned Tresses Hair Collection that offers 100% Virgin hair extensions. Not only do I sell hair, I also make machine made Custom Krowns (wigs). When I first launched my business, things were slow. I would make a sale here and a wig there, but now sometimes I am forced to close my books for my Custom Krown orders. When customers order, they will be able to choose from three different options: 1. The BYOB Krown, Bring/Provide Your Own Bundles which is self-explanatory 2. The Krowned Experience, which will be my custom orders with hair provided 3. The Signature Krown Collection, which will be my ready to ship units. The ready to ship units will be a combination of some of my favorite/most requested units varying from short to long. I call them “Krowns” because I want my customers to feel and look like a queen when they wear their unit. You know what they say, when you look good, you feel good.

What’s the most important piece of advice you can give to a young woman starting her career?
My advice to young women wanting to start a business would be:

Love what you do, do it with passion, or don’t do it all. Trust the process and never lose faith in God. There were many times when I wanted to give up, but I didn’t simply because I know worked too hard to get where I am. I flipped that negative energy and used it to my advantage. I hate that Social Media has people thinking entrepreneurship is easy, because it’s far from it. You legit have to love what you do, because if not your business will not flourish. People don’t speak about the L’s that entrepreneurs take, and although it’s a rough journey it’s worth every headache.

 Pricing:

• The BYOB Krown(Bring/Provide Your Own Bundles) Starts at $145
• The Krowned Experience(Custom Wig Orders) Starts at $370 *hair provided
• The Signature Krown Collection(Ready to ship Units) *coming soon

Contact Info:

• Email: krownedtresseshair@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/krownedtresseshair/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/KrownedTresses/

Image Credit:
Byron Brown (@emptycanon)

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