Today we’d like to introduce you to Nakesha Forney.
Hi Nakesha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
My earliest memory of wanting to become a Cosmetologist was in the third grade. I couldn’t tell you where I got the idea from because no one in my family worked in the industry or did I know anyone personally who worked in the field. I felt intuitively connected to the ideal of being a Hair Stylist. I often tell people it was a God-inspired idea. Yes, even at that young, He was inspiring me. By the time I reached High School, I was comfortable with doing hair for others. Just like many inspiring Hair Stylist, I remember doing hair for my friends and family in my mom’s kitchen. My Mother didn’t automatically agree with the thought of me going to hair school. So, after I graduated from high school I went to college and attended Northern Kentucky University. My entire time there all I could think about was enrolling in Cosmetology School. After I finished college, I worked my first “real” full-time job and after 6 months I got let go. I took that termination as a sign to [overcome my fear of following my dreams] and I enrolled into hair school attending Paul Mitchell The School Louisville. One day after I completed the cosmetology program a hopped on a Greyhound headed to Cincinnati and two weeks later, I married my now husband of 10 years. He was the first person who invested in me. He believed so much so in my skill, that he transformed our spare bedroom in our then, 700 sq ft apartment into mini salon room. After the birth of my first son in 2014, many friends supported my dream and helped obtain my Ohio Cosmetologist License. After I received my license, I worked part-time in salons around area for seven years. In 2021, about a year and a half after the pandemic I decided to take a year hiatus. The seemingly lasting effects of the pandemic affected my morale for the industry negatively. I needed a break to recharge and rebrand. In October 2022 I relaunched with fresh energy, a solid vision, and greater appreciation for social media marketing.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Entrepreneurship has not been a smooth road for me, rewarding but not smooth. I’ve faced a number of challenges over the years and if I am honest, I’m still facing some of them. One of my greatest struggles has been home work-life balance. Trying to maintain a growing family while devolving business led to some stress. There were a times my dream had to take a the backseat to my family (respectfully). It took some years before I got the hang of time management and proper boundary setting. I’m sure there are many entrepreneurs who can relate to the stress on home work-life balancing. Some of the more common struggle that I’ve faced is coming up with funding, being told no, denied loans, and having to work part-time to invest in my business idea. Changes in my business model and business identity, trying to relate to my target audience through social media, I could go on with personal struggles but the truth is on this path you have to have the will to be relentless. The chances of be knocked down are high, very high. You have fine the strength to believe in yourself and get back up learn from your failures and put in the time and put in the work. I didn’t say it was easy, I said it was rewarding.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
NF Beauty Est is an emerging beauty brand that consist of cosmetology, cosmetics, and merchandise. My brand is for women who are ready to bring forth their best self without the overwhelming feelings that sometimes overshadow the beauty industry because of the many options, being that there is so much choose from. The beauty industry is saturated with a lot of good products and a lot of bad products. Not to mention the rise of YouTube gurus who are often times promoting brands and products for a non-professional disposition. I’m here as a professional stylist who helps to make the beautification process comfortable and simple for those who want a more simplified and authentic approach. NFB is beautification made simple. I can go on to say that I am specialize in hair care and product knowledge. I work with clients to discover their hair needs and create hair regiments that support realistic hair goals.
Do you have any advice for those looking to network or find a mentor?
My advice would be to follow your industry pioneer(s). Find them on Facebook find them on Instagram, YouTube joined their communities, and tag along for the ride. Often times than not, they have memberships groups and coaching calls waiting for us. They flood their channels with information and tips abord as much of it as you can. This is the approach that has worked for me. As for networking, I’m learning that I have we have to be visible to the community/city. Showing up to networking events is half the battle. Lastly, continue to pass your business cards, brochures, and hot flyers. I say that because I had to recon with the false idea that I was going to find all of my clients with a hashtag.
Contact Info:
- Website: nfbeautyest.com
- Instagram: http://www.instagram.com/nfbeauty.est
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nfbeauty.est
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@nfb.est21
Image Credits
TonyTribblePhotography
