We recently connected with Andrayah Parker and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Andrayah, so happy you were able to devote some time to sharing your thoughts and wisdom with our community. So, we’ve always admired how you have seemingly never let nay-sayers or haters keep you down. Can you talk to us about how to persist despite the negative energy that so often is thrown at folks trying to do something special with their lives?
When you create your own lane, you will always encounter nay-sayers. There will be many people who do not believe in you or your dream. It’s up to you to believe in yourself. I would be lying if I said imposter syndrome never crept in, but I have serious faith in my abilities and instincts.
I am a huge believer in manifesting and setting clear goals. I write vision statements. I write out the steps to achieve my goals. Writing it all down holds me accountable and makes it easier to stay on track despite any unsolicited negative opinions.
I surround myself with supportive individuals, Folks who are positive influences and who understand the intricacies of building your dream. My network is essential in providing constructive criticism and helping me grow my business and my team.
I use the naysayers as motivation. I love proving people wrong. I do not dwell on opinions, I focus on progress instead. There have definitely been ups and downs in my career and times when things went completely wrong. What I’ve learned is: There really are no failures only opportunities to learn. Staying focused on the goal is the key.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
In my profession, I specialize in Coily, Curly, and Wavy Hair Cutting, Coloring, and Education. The thing I love most about my specialty is the ability to empower my curly haired community. We have been a severely underserved market. For years, people with “textured hair” have been coerced into straightening their hair to fit European beauty standards. Our goal at Geometry Curly Hair Studio is to create a safe space for curly folks to be heard while learning how to care for and love their curls.
I am extremely excited to announce that we will be expanding into a larger salon location in early 2024. This new location will provide us the space to add more talented Curl Specialists to our team, broaden our natural hair styling service menu, and host a larger variety of Coily.Curly.Wavy educational events for stylists and the curl community. If anyone would like to contribute to our salon build-out we have a wish-list available on amazon: www.amazon.com/registries/gl/guest-view/XVBZEP8T9Z9B
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?
Three qualities I think have been most impactful in my journey:
Tenacity- Owning a business is challenging. Tenacity fuels adaptability and innovation, fosters a growth mindset, and inspires confidence in your employees and potential customers. Due to my upbringing, I learned to be tenacious before starting a business ever crossed my mind.
Effective Leadership- You need to have a clear vision for your business and know how to communicate it, know your strengths and weaknesses, know how to delegate and know how to build strong relationships with your team. Lead with a servant’s heart.
Humbleness- No matter how successful your business is monetarily, no matter how many “wins” you have under your belt, you are not “better” than anyone. Treat people with kindness. You do not know everything and never will. There is nothing wrong with asking for help. If you want to be successful, kill your ego.
Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?
Our new salon build-out will provide the space necessary to add new curl-specialist talent to our team and more opportunities for hands-on educational events. I would love to hear from:
*Parents and guardians interested in hairstyling classes with their children.
*Curl enthusiasts looking for distance learning.
*Licensed cosmetologists interested in live and virtual education.
*Educators interested in hosting a class within our space.
*Out-of-town barbers and stylists interested in pop-up events.
*Cosmetology Students who are focused on becoming Curly Hair Specialists.
Send an email detailing your interests, including your full name and phone number with the subject line “NEW SPACE” to [email protected]
Curlies in need of a curly cut, haircolor, or one-on-one instruction. Book using this link: https://www.vagaro.com/geometry/book-now
Contact Info:
- Website: www.geometrycurlyhairstudio.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/geometry.curlyhair.studio
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/geometryhairstudio
Image Credits
Professional Group Photos by The Slim Creative
