Meet Cynthia Pierre

We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Cynthia Pierre. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Cynthia below.

Hi Cynthia , so excited to have you with us today and we are really interested in hearing your thoughts about how folks can develop their empathy? In our experience, most folks want to be empathic towards others, but in a world where we are often only surrounded by people who are very similar to us, it can sometimes be a challenge to develop empathy for others who might not be as similar to us. Any thoughts or advice?

My upbringing has profoundly shaped my understanding of empathy. Growing up, I witnessed my mother pour her heart and soul into raising four children under challenging circumstances. Her resilience and determination were not just inspiring; they were foundational in helping me develop a strong sense of empathy. I learned early on that love and commitment can drive people to do their absolute best, even when the odds seem stacked against them.

Additionally, the support we received from community partners reinforced the idea that we were not alone in our struggles. This network of support demonstrated that sometimes, people just need a little push, encouragement, and access to resources to thrive. These experiences instilled in me a deep appreciation for the various paths individuals take in their lives.

Later on, as an entrepreneur, I would encounter a situation where a former staff member was facing eviction from her apartment. Having knowledge of this helped me to foster a more compassionate outlook taking into consideration we were in the middle of a nationwide pandemic with COVID-19. At the same, the staff member was not aware of resources available to her. At the very least, I knew that her performance at work would be bare minimum knowing that she was on the verge of being homeless.

Being the go-getter that I am, I made arrangement with the staff member to finish up at work sooner than expected. This allowed me to arrange a meeting with her apartment management staff to confirm and coordinate approval of COVID relief funds for my staff member. As an employer such efforts would be considered out of scope for other employers, but when you care about people, especially when they’re in close proximity to you there’s another level of commitment. This realization has helped me foster a more compassionate outlook and helped me to understand that the experiences I had growing up shaped my perspective on empathy and supporting others.

Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?

I graduated from Florida State University in 2011 with double majors in Accounting and Finance. My first job starting out was an Escrow Analyst and after two years I went to work for the state of Florida as a Sales Tax Auditor. I’ve been a numbers person for as far back as I can remember. With that said, I’ve also been a hair person for nearly as long. I started doing hair as a hobby at 9 years old and as I matriculated through high school this hobby would become the life line to buying all the nice things I wanted including payments for auxiliary activities at school. My mother was a single parent with no little to help outside the home. The additional income I was bringing in helped lightened the load at times. What caused me to fall in love with hair, however was watching someone light up when they saw their new hairstyle. Knowing I had something to do with that light gave me joy.

Although I continued to do hair all throughout my years in the corporate arena, in 2022 I answered the call to leave my third job as a School Financial Accountant and focus on my beauty business while simultaneously working to grow my second business in consulting. Through the ups and downs it’s been 100% worth it. I’ve gained some amazing clients, and I’ve had the opportunity to work with other phenomenal stylists. While working with others in the beauty industry, I kept hearing the same problems I did as a tax auditor: in that these ladies and gentlemen were doing great work, making good money; but nearly everyone was having tax problems, ie. Not implementing tax strategy throughout the year, not documenting expenses to properly offset 1099 income OR being in a position to purchase a home and tax returns are not current. YIKES! It dawned on me that I had to use my accounting experience to serve the industry as well.

So many of us in creative fields focus on our art. We focus on the beauty of what we do. I was fortunate enough to find my passion in beauty and possess a knack for numbers. This year will be 5 years of serving as a salon owner and approximately six to seven years of providing consulting and tax strategy services to business owners primarily in the beauty industry. I am beautifying the public’s crowns and giving small business owners peace of mind when it comes to managing. I help take the intimidation factor out of tax planning so small to mid-size beauty-preneurs can focus on their passions. I am beyond blessed and proud to do two things I love: hair and tax planning. I don’t know if you’ll ever hear that sentence anywhere else!

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?

Three of the most important qualities/skills that have been impactful in my journey and still is includes:

1. Maintaining effective communication with those I serve
2. Knowing the value of what I offer and how that value is perceived
3. Studying to show myself worthy for whatever assignment is assigned to me

Of course, all of these did not come to me all at once. However, the journey consists of twists and turns that often require the ‘reset button’ to be pushed. At that point, I had the opportunity to do an assessment on how a service was delivered, a customer’s perception on the end result and if there were any technicalities due to lack of knowledge it was critical that I engage in additional studying to strengthen the customer experience for the next opportunity.

We’ve all got limited resources, time, energy, focus etc – so if you had to choose between going all in on your strengths or working on areas where you aren’t as strong, what would you choose?

Drawing from my personal experiences as an entrepreneur, I believe it’s essential to leverage your strengths fully while also making an effort to develop skills in areas where you may not be as proficient. Establishing a set timeline to develop those skills is just as important, so you’re only focused on this agenda item during the allotted time. This perspective is particularly relevant for entrepreneurs looking to boost profit margins while minimizing overhead, especially in the early stages of a business. However, it’s important to emphasize that seeking help and finding talented individuals to complement your strengths and weaknesses should never be discouraged. You might be surprised at how valuable support can be when you need it most. On the contrary, if you ever find yourself without the right person to fill a role, you have the capability to handle the challenge on your own, even if it takes a bit longer.

As of recent, I hosted the first Fall Fashion Hair Show in Tallahassee, FL with Dillards serving as the corporate wardrobe sponsor. Although I had the skills and expertise to manage every aspect of the event, I realized that taking on all responsibilities myself was not the most effective approach. This recognition highlighted the important of delegating certain tasks to others who understood their designated roles.

Given the numerous interconnected components involved in such a show, it was clear that successful execution required a team effort. By bringing in additional personnel, I ensured that every part of the event ran smoothly and that all vendors and participants were well accommodated. This collaboration not only enhanced the overall experience but also allowed me to focus on my strengths, ultimately leading to a more successful show. Utilizing our strengths often necessitates delegating tasks, as it allows for greater efficiency and a higher quality of execution when multiple people contribute their expertise.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.be-braidbar.com
• Other: https://calendly.com/taxstrategy101

Image Credits

Photography credit- TruDream Photography, Rashada Turner
Makeup Artist- It Don’t Take All That, Stephanie Barnes