We recently connected with Heather Graves and have shared our conversation below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Heather with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I have always had a strong desire to make my own money and be independent from a very young age. I was always looking for odd jobs I could do until I was old enough to work. I was the youngest person in my town to take on my own paper route. I had seen the job listing in the newspaper and called on my own at age 10 and I remember they requested to speak to my parents. They agreed to an interview and with my parents in tow I scored my first legitimate paycheck. I think the desire to purchase the things that I wanted and to not be told what I could and could not buy was very big for me! I loved the freedom and independence I could exercise with money in my pocket. I have always had my own ideas and my own wants and desires. I watched an ad for feed the children and decided I would adopt a child, on my own! So I took my money from my paper route and walked to the groceries store to get a money order. I remember when my child came in the mail my parents were quite beside themselves that I had done that with the little money I had. So I suppose my work ethic has always come from within. That being said I have very old school parents. We always had chores and an allowance. They both worked very hard and had the things they desired because of it. They taught us to be like them. I always remember my mother telling me she had always wanted to be a PE teacher and was not allowed. She was told to be a secretary because that’s what women do if they work. She always wanted me to be able to be what I wanted to be. I appreciate every day the strong independent woman she raised me to be. My father was a very high up manager for the government, and he was always promoting women into jobs they had not held before. I am so blessed to have a natural strong work drive paired with parents that taught me I could be anything if I worked hard enough.
Let’s take a small detour – maybe you can share a bit about yourself before we dive back into some of the other questions we had for you?
I started my career as a hairstylist over 20 years ago. I absolutely love doing hair and creating all day every day. I apprenticed and worked at one of the top salons in the US in San Diego California before moving to Topeka Kansas. When I moved here I saw the opportunities to grow in a way I never thought possible in California. I had worked my way up to owning my own business inside another business. There I was so busy I had an assistant that I trained and mentored. I absolutely loved being a teacher and empowering women in this career. My partner Pedro Concepcion suggested that I think big and do what I was doing on a bigger scale. Owing my own salon had been a dream but the risks did scare me. My partner having opened many businesses encouraged me and taught me the ropes. In 2017 I bought a building and by 2018 I opened my first salon. Onyx quickly grew and 6 months later I bought the building next door and expanded the spa side of our services and added a wellness cafe. We filled out both spaces and in August of 2022 we opened a second location in downtown Topeka. Onyx is now the home of 24 women who work and or own businesses here. In addition, all of our vendors are local female business owners so there are 7 other women that also find financial independence through Onyx. That is 31 talented WOMEN we get to celebrate every day! It blows my mind how blessed I am to get to be a part of their story and witness their growth into entrepreneurship.
There is so much advice out there about all the different skills and qualities folks need to develop in order to succeed in today’s highly competitive environment and often it can feel overwhelming. So, if we had to break it down to just the three that matter most, which three skills or qualities would you focus on?
I think the most important thing you can do in business, or any job is to be a hard worker. entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. We don’t clock our hours, there are too many. It is a lot of work especially in the beginning but also you have to stay committed all the way through. This is the hardest yet most rewarding job I have ever had. Its so important to be able to think on your feet. You will make 200 decisions a day as a business owner. Some days more, some days I make so many decisions my head is spinning. But you commit and you do your best. Problem solving skills are just as important as people skills. Never underestimate the power of thinking outside of the box! I have to say though the best and I mean absolute best thing that you can do to ensure success is the team you build. Weather that’s 1 person or 40 people. Having a team that you can trust, that thinks differently than you do, that bring their own skillset. That is of upmost importance, I have an amazing team. I am terrible at technology and my manager is amazing at it. I have a manager at my second location that has amazing organizational skills that I lack. Every woman I work with brings their own wealth of knowledge and abilities. I am so grateful to learn from them and to have them on my team helping Onyx reach its highest potential.
All the wisdom you’ve shared today is sincerely appreciated. Before we go, can you tell us about the main challenge you are currently facing?
I would say the biggest challenge I face at this time is balance. I fight for my free time. I am not very good at it but I do try to have some balance. I remember a few months back I wanted to go to hot yoga. It’s my favorite exercise and I had not been able to go in almost a year. I woke up determined. Today I will go and relax and unwind while getting a great workout. I woke up, my son was having a difficult morning, my manager called we had a worker call out at the cafe I had to help her juice to get the shop open. I was running around trying to get all the things done before hot yoga. I am going to hot yoga! I rush out and speed across town (so zen). I pull into the parking lot just as there about to close the class and I’m yelling to myself I just want to relax at hot yoga.. lol.. I made it for anyone concerned, but this is a real life example of me taking time for me. As sad as that seems I am getting better or at least trying to get better at having balance. Im not sure what I did with all of that free time before a child and 3 businesses but now I am working hard to find it.
Contact Info:
- Website: onyxsalons.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onyxsalons/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onyxnototopeka/
Image Credits
Studio Bloome by Shelley
