We’re looking forward to introducing you to ALICIA IGESS . Check out our conversation below.
ALICIA , really appreciate you sharing your stories and insights with us. The world would have so much more understanding and empathy if we all were a bit more open about our stories and how they have helped shaped our journey and worldview. Let’s jump in with a fun one: Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
A recent moment that filled me with both joy and pride was allowing my 16-year-old nephew to attend my alma mater’s homecoming, Tennessee State University. From the vibrant parade to the electrifying band performances and the game, we were captivated by the undeniable TSU spirit. Walking those familiar grounds stirred up so many memories: friendships, lessons, and transformative experiences that shaped the person I have become. Seeing him enjoy homecoming for the first time created somewhat of a profound full-circle moment. If he chooses to attend, I along with my sister, brother, aunts, uncle, and cousins will be passing on a legacy of pride, purpose, and limitless possibility to him, our next generation.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Alicia Igess, an award-winning hairstylist, educator, and entrepreneur based in Atlanta, Georgia. I’m the founder of Urban Tangles, a private, appointment-only hair salon; Urban Tangles Textured Hair Extensions; Alicia Igess Weddings, specializing in luxury bridal hair and makeup; and Untangle University, an online academy that helps beauty professionals master both artistry and business. My work is about confidence, empowerment, and purpose. I had the pleasure of expanding my education platform through hosting a retreat entitled “The Girlfriend Experience” where women could recharge, connect, and make new friends. I look forward to hosting the retreat again. I would also like to host something for my peers focusing on best business practices and increasing their skill level.
Okay, so here’s a deep one: What relationship most shaped how you see yourself?
The most important relationship that has shaped how I see myself is my relationship with God. Jesus is my Savior, and everything I am flows from that truth. My faith has carried me through seasons of loss, transition, and success. It has taught me grace, patience, and purpose. Knowing who I am in Him keeps me grounded, no matter how things look on the surface. It’s the reason I can show up for others through my work and still lead with peace and confidence. Every accomplishment, every brand, every door that’s opened has been a reflection of His faithfulness and favor in my life.
What did suffering teach you that success never could?
Suffering taught me things I never would have learned through success. It taught me how to slow down, how to listen to God when I didn’t understand what He was doing, and how to find peace in places that didn’t feel peaceful at all.
There were moments when I felt like life had knocked the wind out of me: losing people I loved, facing disappointment, and still having to show up when my heart was breaking. Those seasons changed me. They taught me that strength doesn’t always look strong. Sometimes it looks like tears, prayer, and getting out of bed when you don’t want to.
Through it all, I learned that God never wastes pain. Every hard season revealed more of who I am and more of who He is. Now, when I see someone walking through their own storm, I can look them in the eyes and say, “I get it and you’re going to make it.” Because I did.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. What are the biggest lies your industry tells itself?
One of the biggest lies we tell ourselves in this industry is that talent alone will carry us. When you are gifted, it is easy to believe that is all you need. But here is the truth I have learned the hard way: talent might get you in the room, but it is consistency, hard work, and integrity that will earn you a seat at the table. Your skill can make someone stop and look, but your character is what makes them trust you, refer you, and come back.
I also think we have been fed another lie: we are all in competition with each other.
People think someone else’s win somehow takes something away from ours. But that is just not true. We are stronger together. There is so much power in collaboration, in being generous with what we know, in celebrating each other’s growth, and in creating space for all of us to thrive. The beauty industry does not have to be cutthroat. It can be a community: one where we lift as we climb.
At the end of the day, talent gets you noticed. But integrity, generosity, and real connection? That is what builds a legacy. That is what sustains you through the slow seasons and the breakthroughs. That is what makes this work mean something beyond just a paycheck.
We are better when we do this together.
Thank you so much for all of your openness so far. Maybe we can close with a future oriented question. What will you regret not doing?
My deepest regret would be standing at the end of my life and realizing I never fully stepped into the purpose God wove into my very being. There is a calling on my life – one that whispers in quiet moments and roars in seasons of clarity – to touch others through my gifts: through beauty, through teaching, through the way I see people and make them feel seen. I refuse to let fear win. I refuse to let grief paralyze me or distraction steal what God entrusted to me alone.
Life has a way of reminding us, often through loss, just how fragile and fleeting our time here really is. That truth haunts me in the best way. It keeps me awake to what matters. I do not want to leave this world with my hands still full of things I was too afraid to give. I do not want my voice to go silent before I have said what needs to be said or my hands to stop creating before they have built what they were meant to build.
I will regret leaving even one ounce of my talent, my strength, or my faith unused. I will regret not pouring everything I have into serving others, into sparking hope in someone who has forgotten how to dream, into being a reflection of God’s light in rooms that feel too dark. At the end of it all, the only thing that will matter is whether I loved well, gave fully, and walked boldly in the purpose I was created for.
I am determined not to live with that regret.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.aliciaigess.com
- Instagram: AliciaIgess
- Linkedin: Alicia Igess
- Facebook: Alicia Igess
- Youtube: Alicia Igess
Image Credits
Tammie Peterson
Nady Delarosa
Jeff Amezqua
