Community Highlights: Meet Marciana Wallace of The Natural Touch

Today we’d like to introduce you to Marciana Wallace.

Hi Marciana, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
I started developing a love for hair when I was as young as 5. I’ve always been a glamour girl! Around 11/12 years old I started to become interested in doing hair, and I decided that’s what I wanted to take on as my career. 

My grandmother’s hairstylist at that time told me no, it’s not a good idea, and I would eventually get tired of it and get burned out. I actually let her experience/opinion change my mind, so all throughout high school I thought I wanted to go to college for psychology!! I’m so glad that one day, while talking to my Aunt Regina about career paths she told me that I should choose a career that I love and could never see myself getting tired of doing! At that moment, I’m like duh!!! I need to be a hairstylist because that’s what I love! All things beauty! 

In spring of 2011, I had my son, who is now 12. I was a senior in high school, but I did not let that stop me from pursuing my dreams. While I was pregnant with him, I enrolled myself into cosmetology school. I graduated high school and started hair school immediately after. After I successfully completed my cosmetology program, I passed state board exam with flying colors and officially became a licensed stylist in October of 2012! 

Once I attained my license, I went to the salon where I my sister and I would 

get our hair done as teenagers, and I asked the owner if she would help me because I had just graduated hair school. She told me NO. Now I’d known this lady for a while and she kind of watched me and my sister grow up, so I was shocked to say the least, but I kept being persistent and I went back a few times so finally she just gave in and allowed me to work at her salon. I started out as a commission stylist. 

Commission is where the salon supplies you with all your products and supplies, and you give them a percentage of what you make. I started with 50/50 commission. 

Commission makes you work a lot harder because you only get a percentage of what you make so you ideally want to bring a large amount of people in to make a good amount of money. After 6 months, I became a booth renter, and after a year, I started working out of my own salon suite. 

The road to my success was not always easy. It took several years of building a solid clientele and learning my own worth as a stylist. I’ve always had amazing skill and technique, but it took me a while to learn the business itself and how to properly structure my business for success! It wasn’t until 2017 so 5 years of being a stylist… When I felt like I’d finally established a solid business model and was so booked and busy, I was able to close my book to new clients and focus on serving my current clientele. This was a huge blessing, and I still till this day, can say my demand exceeds the supply! I am excited to expand my business, and I am now working on educating other stylists on the art of natural hair and the silk press, which I specialize in. I am also looking forward to partnering with CPS to teach a girls’ hair club for younger students in CPS! 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Some of the struggles along the way were  

1. Being a young mom at age 18.

2. Trying to provide for myself and my son financially while trying to build my brand and clientele.

3. Having no knowledge of how to build a business and brand. These are the things they don’t teach you in cosmetology school. They pretty much only teach you the fundamentals

As you know, we’re big fans of The Natural Touch. For our readers who might not be as familiar, what can you tell them about the brand?
My business was named “The Natural Touch” because I truly have a love and passion for natural hair, and I take pride in assuring that each of my clients attain all of their hair goals! I specialize in what I call “The Ultimate Silkout,” which most would refer to as a silk press. Healthy hair is my main focus because a woman’s hair is her crown! Seeing my clients come in with little to no confidence in the health of their hair and leaving with a smile and feeling beautiful is everything to me! I love to see women find a new appreciation for their natural hair, and I love to see them discover that beauty that they may have not always been able to see. One thing that sets me apart is my patience and attentiveness to my clients. Each one is special to me, and I try to remember everything they tell me. I’ve done a lot of free and discounted hair over the years, even going so far as to picking up and dropping off my elderly clients simply because I care! I’m passionate about what I do, and I love people! I feel like if God blessed me with these ladies, I need to treat them right and take care of them! There are literally no limits to the lengths that I will go to provide beautiful and healthy results for my clients! My mission is to build strong relationships with my clients and to provide them with a relaxing experience away from their everyday life in a professional, timely manner. I also educate my clients on what’s going on with their hair and how to take care of their hair at home. I have my own hair growth and repair serum that is all-natural, and I have this available for my clients to purchase. I’m big on educating myself in my career field and taking classes that help develop me professionally. I also like to share my knowledge with 11 years in the industry! The Natural Touch is currently expanding our reach and gearing toward the education sector of the hair industry! We now have “The Natural Touch Academy” which will be us offering classes to young ladies at schools, one-on-one classes for stylists as well as home hair care classes for clients! 

What quality or characteristic do you feel is most important to your success?
One quality I feel is most important to my success is having great professionalism. I also make my clients a priority and provide an excellent experience. I provide complimentary refreshments and make sure no matter what I may be feeling I am upbeat, courteous, and kind to them! I engage with them in conversation, and I remember the important things they share with me! 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/thenaturaltouchofficial?utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheNaturalTouchofficial?mibextid=LQQJ4d
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marciana-w-78859a187?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app

Image Credits
Adam Delaney
Jamal Foster