We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Mae W. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Mae below.
Mae, we’re thrilled to have you sharing your thoughts and lessons with our community. So, for folks who are at a stage in their life or career where they are trying to be more resilient, can you share where you get your resilience from?
So many things come to mind when I think about the word resilience. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines resilience as the capacity to withstand or to recover quickly from difficulties. Well, I would say, resilience could be my middle name and it was passed down, from my mother. Some may take life’s difficulties and use them as “why me” moments. However, the way life has unfolded for me, I didn’t have an opportunity to wonder “why me?” Instead, I had to use the moments to figure out, what’s next, and quickly, before the next thing happened.
Watching my mother maneuver through life, after the passing of my father, was a very eyeopening experience. While knowing she was in pain after losing her husband, of 20 plus years; she managed to keep going in a way some may not. Watching her take life head on in the years after; I knew, if nothing could stop her then nothing could stop me. More recently, she was diagnosed with stage 4 Her 2 Positive Breast Cancer. I was also 4 and half months pregnant. A time, that supposed to be filled with joy, quickly turned into a “what’s next” moment.
As her oncologist began explaining the diagnosis, I broke down. Seemingly, she was there, ready to discuss what’s next. It’s her life we were discussing and she was worried about the baby and I.
Her resilience, in that moment, took me back to 4 year old me watching her continue on, after my father passed.
My sister-friend, Kay, and I always talk about how life is like one punch away from knocking you down. After the punch, you have to decide – what’s next? Are you going to lay there in pity? Or get back up, dust yourself off, before the next punch happens. It’s resiliency at it’s finest.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
From a very young age, I have loved all things hair. From doing the hair on my dolls, my mom purchasing a mannequin head, or my friends and family letting me try a new style, I knew it was always a passion of mine.
Throughout high school, I would spend Saturdays with my cousin, Kim, at Renee’ by Boddie’s Salon, in Washington, DC. Kim, a master stylist, had a very diverse clientele. She brought me on as the wash girl.
Because I could braid, she would allow me to do the braid down for her sew-in clients. That’s where it all began. She began letting me do the majority of the process. One thing that always stuck out to me was that her clients would leave looking as if the hair was growing from their scalp itself.
I went to college and my dorm room was “Thee Salon.” I would be doing a little of everything from press n curls, and blowouts, to sew-ins. After college, I began my career in the criminal justice field, another long-term passion of mine. However, all things hair wasn’t too far away.
My friends who knew would book me for various styles but I was never committed to doing hair on a consistent basis. From proms to birthdays, and everything in between the job was mine. Fast forward to the pandemic. I had time to really sit down and map things out. I finally birthed Hair by Mae, LLC.
I reached out to my friend turned family, Danielle. She too, a master stylist, taught me so much throughout the years and is still teaching me week after week. I knew that I had to take my talents up a notch. What started as me posting a few pictures on IG turned into a full business.
My main focus has always been providing women with great customer service and achieving healthy hair goals. What I didn’t plan for is the outpouring of love, support, and amazing clientele. I am extremely grateful.
Since being in business, I’ve met a lot of amazing people. I met Ashley, a few years back after my cousin, Christen and sister-friend, Kay, were wearing these amazing headbands – known as Halos. They are the perfect accessory for any outfit. From that moment on – my collection of ARRYLES halos began. In early part of the year, Ashley reached out about collaborating. I couldn’t have been more honored. The halos created are a part of me. They turned out more beautiful than imagined. The collaboration dropped, on August 18, 2023. The first batch sold out within 45 mins. The way everyone showed up and showed out was nothing short of amazing. I couldn’t be more grateful for the support.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Starting a business is never easy. I think I work double-time for the business as I do my career. The late-night hours are when I get the most done. There is always so much to think about or do.
Creating prices that match your skillset and cost to maintain a business. Having the customer service background has been extremely helpful. It allows me to navigate between various clients and convey my goal as their stylist. You realize, like with anything, everything isn’t for everybody.
Every stylist isn’t for everyone. So, adding consultations to my services was key in getting to know my clients as well as them getting to know me. This helps to alleviate any issues and adds cohesiveness to the business.
In addition to customer service skills, having interpersonal skills is extremely important when dealing with people. It allows the person to view you as more than a stylist and them more than just a client.
There is talk about culture of “Instagram Stylists” and the horrible customer service. The reality is that life happens… for everyone. We have rules in place, because yes, clients don’t always do as they say. However, neither do stylists. And the rules have to equally apply. Having interpersonal skills and open communication allows for clients to understand your position as as a stylists and you understanding their position as a client. Additionally, it saves you from having to create outlandish rules because you will rule out the rift raft and create a clientele that’s perfect for you.
As we end our chat, is there a book you can leave people with that’s been meaningful to you and your development?
A few years back, a friend of mine, Japera, was using this book to teach her students about being kind. After reading the book, she sent it me and said, “This book reminded me of you and I had to share it!” The book is titled, “Have You Filled a Bucket Today? A Guide to Daily Happiness for Kids” by Carol McCloud.
I immediately read the book and fell in love. It’s been years since she shared this simple children’s book with me. However, the takeaways have been used in every facet, of my life.
As previously stated, “life ain’t been no crystal stair” – Langston Hughes. I simple lesson I learned early in life was to be kind and treat others with kindness. We are all walking around with invisible buckets. We are carrying things that are not seen by the naked eye. Some things good, some things bad. Each day we are given an opportunity to be kind to the next person, not just because it’s the right thing to do but that we don’t know what’s in their bucket. The weight of life, a situation, or something else could simply being weighing them down.
One small act of kindness could change the way a person thinks or the trajectory of their life.
If you can be nothing else in this world – be kind.
No matter what I am going thorough, I will always choose kindness.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.hairbymae.com
- Instagram: @__hairbymae
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HairbyMae4/
- Twitter: @__hairbymae
Image Credits
Ashleigh Bing Photography @ashleighbing Thomas Kirk @thomaskirk_ Ashley Ryles @arryles Shauna Wright @nailsdonewright Kay Davenport @ohheyykay
