Episode 217

Building a Beauty Business: Planning, Research & Finding Your Niche | Ajia Minnis Cruz Lanham | CEO+ Owner & Founder | Thrive Hair Bar

Tune in as Ajia shares her insights on business planning, funding, customer experience, and creating a niche in the beauty industry.

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KEY TAKEAWAYS:

đź”…From Tech Sales taking her around the country, Ajia always had a challenge finding someone to work with her natural hair, so she opened Thrive Hair Bar to fill this gap.

🔅If you want to open up your own business, make a plan and do your research. Who is your target audience? How are you going to fund it? Have you looked into grants? Google: “government grants” and use that to start your research!

đź”…The difference between a salon and a suite is that a salon is a team and cohesive experience, while a suite is a one-on-one experience with walls separating everyone. These are very different customer experiences.


đź”…Thrive hair bar does not do any chemical work or extensions. So, stylists who want to do those services are free to work elsewhere or have a suite to do those services.


đź”…Creating membership and unique experiences creates stickiness for customers through brand loyalty and ecosystem inclusion


đź”…Funding your business can come from grants, savings, 401k loans to yourself, investors, and loans. Make sure you are asking for enough money for a runway. If you are taking a loan or hitting up your 401k, make sure you calculate the ROI first to make sure this move is worth it.


👉Follow Ajia on IG here.

👉Follow Thrive Hair Bar on IG here.


The Hairdresser Strong Show is all about Salon Owners, Rising Stylists, and Seasoned Stylists sharing their experiences, successes, failures, and advice to inform, educate, and empower their Fellow Hairdresser. We won’t stop until we are all: Hairdresser Strong.


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The views and opinions of our guests are theirs and important to hear. Each guest's views and opinions are their own and we aim to bring you diverse perspectives, career paths and thoughts about the craft and industry so you can become Hairdresser Strong! They do not necessarily reflect the positions of HairdresserStrong.com.

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About your host

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Robert Hughes

“I THINK HAIRSTYLISTS ARE THE COOLEST, NICEST, AND MOST FUN GROUP OF PEOPLE ON THE PLANET! I AM PASSIONATE ABOUT USHERING IN AN EMPOWERED-STYLIST FUTURE, AND I ABSOLUTELY LOVE GETTING STYLISTS FROM ALL WALKS OF LIFE TOGETHER IN A NON-COMPETITIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE WE CAN LEARN, LAUGH, AND GROW TOGETHER.”
-Said by ME!
Robert started his hair journey as a kid in rural America offering haircuts on the street to kids in the neighborhood, not realizing, one day, he would find himself working the front desk at a hair salon while in high school. From there, his experience from salon-to-salon has included the front of the house, back of the house, stylist, educator, and consultant. It was during this movement through various salons he developed a passion to empower stylists and educate owners on how to raise the industry standard of excellence, mutual respect, and professionalism amongst stylists, managers, owners, and clients. Robert currently is the General Manager and a Master Stylist at Violet Salon in Georgetown, DC.