We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Brianne Atkinson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Brianne, appreciate you sitting with us today to share your wisdom with our readers. So, let’s start with resilience – where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience generates from my faith in God, I have experienced more failures than I have experienced success, but to sit in failure for me is not an option. I also give myself grace to grieve my losses, but there is a time limit for me and then it’s time to move forward. I have a responsibility to my family and to those who are watching from a distance and rooting for me. I also have a responsibility to the generations before me, who have worked so hard to pave the way for opportunities for me and others that look like me.
Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?
I’d like to call myself a serial entrepreneur. I love the art of business! I’ve been a licensed cosmetologist for over 25 years specializing in color care. But for me, this industry has opened up so many doors to utilize my creativity, and focus on not one but many gifts. There is something in me that just cannot fathom that as big as God is, he would only pour one single gift in us, and not many! I’ve created so many different things that I’ve never thought were possible. Including publishing a book in 2021. I’ve had to start from scratch many times, and then I finally realized that there is a strategy to doing it successfully! That encouraged my book titled “So you’ve graduated now what?” it serves as a guide for newly graduated cosmetologist entering into the professional world, or for those that have had to start from scratch and don’t particularly know how to build that business from nothing. In previous years, the business has experienced some rough patches and with being a single parent, money was sometimes tight during slow seasons. In spite of those situations, I still had to run a business and purchase inventory for the business. That gave me the idea to create A PIECE OF MINT hair care line which received an overwhelming amount of support, and has been fortunate enough to been shipped to all 50 states.
Now that I am older, I recognize the call to educate. My passion lies in educating beauty industry individuals about business.
I’ve realized that in the earlier stages of my career, I’ve had to figure out solutions to problems blindly and with little resources. Now my mission is to mentor and give strategy to those that are in need of direction in business.
In the next year, I’m looking to expand my platform to an international level, helping people to realize that in business, your gift is the solution to the next person‘s problem.
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?
You should have a PhD in your business! Not the degree that one would earn in college. (Unless you choose that route). But you should have a degree in your business from educating yourself and honing your talent. You should know how your business is run from top to bottom. You should always keep track of what is going out and what is coming in. No one should know more about your business than you.
Secondly, utilize all of your resources. When I first started my cosmetology business, resources were very few. Now we have social media, a vast array of
programs and books to help you get started. Take advantage of them all!
Third, Network, Network, net work! Every place that I have traveled or every state that I have lived in, I always meet new people and keep in contact with those individuals. The people that you meet or become in relationship with will carry you to the next level in your journey. Always remember that people NEED people.
To close, maybe we can chat about your parents and what they did that was particularly impactful for you?
The most impactful thing that my parents have done for me is to support all of my endeavors. My parents are a part of my circle and any idea that I come up with, they are always open and willing to listen and give feedback. If I informed them that I was flying to the moon for research in my businesses, their response would be “make sure you send us contact information so we know that you’re safe” LOL
Contact Info:
- Website: Apieceofmint.com
- Instagram: @ThehealthyColoristBrianne
- Facebook: HealthyHairColoristBrianne
- Youtube: APIECEOFMINT LLC
