The Loft Hair Studio caters to women who have curly/ textured hair. We help educate and uplift a community that is under-serviced and not always uplifted or recognized.
Tell us about who you are and what you do.
I am Sharita a wife and Mom of 4 beautiful children. I’m not only a “Curl Specialist “ but the owner of The Loft Hair Studio in Medford MA. I’ve been in the Beauty Industry for 20 plus years. We are also excited to share that we have a new baby “Skincare” The Loft Beauty Spot where we have licensed Esthetician’s help women of color and beyond with their skincare needs.
Tell us how you created this brand and what was the sole idea behind it.
We have shifted a bit since we originally opened our doors. My vision has become very clear as more women sat in my chair unhappy with the state of their hair due to lack of knowledge and inexperienced stylist. It became an opportunity to offer what I was so passionate about. Especially having daughters. I wanted them to feel encouraged, loved, and educated about their hair as well.
Also were blessed in the midst of this pandemic to expand and create a Skincare business to add to The Loft Hair Studio.
Go in detail and tell us about how your brand works. You may keep this from the audience’s perspective.
Salon- We basically help women from all backgrounds, ethnicities, and every texture embraces their God-given hair. Each service is tailored to their own individual haircare needs. Every person should love their hair no matter the texture… we help to educate and bring awareness to the beauty of our curls.
Skincare- We create luxurious services and provide an atmosphere that is clean and calm.
Both brands empower and uplift women who feel underserved.
What is your giveaway idea through this interview?
Our business continues to grow and flourish due to our community and solid support! We are who we are because of the love and dedication of our clients. Everything we do…. is for them. They are a very important aspect of our motivation.
Explain the challenges you went through while you were working on brand creation. What are the challenges you go through on an everyday basis?
When I first opened the salon I had 3 children, one was about 15 months. I was still nursing her and bringing her to work as I built the business from scratch. A year or so later I had my youngest… so having two young children under 5 was very challenging. Thankfully I was able to create a separate space for them on the second level. I hired a babysitter on-site…so whenever I needed to go up and breastfeed and give hugs and kisses I was able to do so. Eventually, they would become school-aged which would give me a break and allow me to expand and use the upper level to hire more employees.
How do you manage your finances through the services you offer. Any fundings etc received?
I’ve pretty much done it all for years …. with the help of Paychecks ( payroll services), Square, and Acuity. But recently my husband who has a Master’s degree in Business Management lost his job, The Loft Hair Studio hired him as our new Administrator of Business, Growth, and Development. So he’s been a game-changer in setting up our LLC, applying for grants, and helping to get our finances solid. We started with just me… now we have 10 plus employees and growing.
Tell us your future vision about the brand. How far do you want to take it? What is your dream about taking it to the next level?
I would love to help women all over the world, everyone should have a “Loft Hair Studio” in their neighborhood! My goal is to establish more salons and branch out! Also would love to create our own products!
What message would you like to give to anybody who has a plan of creating something of their own and making a living through it?
Be patient and stay consistent!!! It took me a while before I saw an increase. There were many times my business account was in the negative… I did it all myself until I was able to hire help. And actually hiring help was a game-changer. If you are able to start with help…. start with help. I did it backward as I started with very little money. ( I don’t recommend that).