EP #20 Beyond Styling: How Insure Beauty is Changing Hair Care

Natural hair gets the spotlight in this illuminating conversation with Marie Williams, founder of Insure Beauty salon in Fredericksburg, Virginia. Marie shares her journey from a biracial child experimenting with hair techniques on dolls to a successful entrepreneur creating a sanctuary for chemical-free hair care. Her story resonates with authenticity as she describes feeling voiceless in the beauty world growing up, which ultimately fueled her passion for creating inclusive spaces.

What makes Insure Beauty stand out is its holistic approach to beauty. Marie eloquently explains how the pandemic revealed a deeper truth about hair care – it's not just about appearance but fundamentally connects to self-perception, confidence, and how we engage with others. This realization drives her business philosophy, emphasizing natural beauty through protective styling like braids, crochets, and twists while completely avoiding chemical treatments.

The conversation takes an innovative turn when Marie reveals her partnership with Rebundle, offering vegan-friendly hair extensions made from repurposed banana stems. This sustainable alternative eliminates the itching and sensitivity many clients experience with traditional extensions – just one example of how Marie stays true to her mission despite the challenges of starting a business in a new area. For entrepreneurs, her advice is refreshingly practical: don't get caught up in social media metrics; instead, stay consistent and true to your purpose. Whether you're interested in natural hair care, entrepreneurship, or sustainable beauty alternatives, Marie's wisdom offers valuable insights that extend far beyond styling techniques. Connect with Insure Beauty at www.insure-beauty.com to experience their transformative approach to natural beauty.

Marie Williams

Insure Beauty

insure-beauty.com

571-491-7188

[e-mail]

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:01):
This is the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
, the place where localbusinesses and neighbors come
together.
Here's your host, Dori Stewart.

Speaker 2 (00:12):
Welcome to the Fredericksburg Neighbors Podcast
, where we love introducing goodneighbors to great businesses,
and today we're talking to MarieWilliams, owner of Insure
Beauty.
Marie, welcome to the podcast.

Speaker 3 (00:26):
Thank you so much, Dori, for having me.
I really appreciate it.

Speaker 2 (00:29):
I'm looking forward to learning more about your
business.
So let's start off by sharingwith the listeners a little bit
about what you do.

Speaker 3 (00:36):
Sure, sure, sure.
So Insure Beauty actually is asmall boutique hair salon based
out of Fredericksburg, Virginia.
We specialize in privatechemical free, so that means
like we don't provide anyrelaxers or color services.
We focus just on natural beauty, natural hair, protective

(00:57):
styling, such as braids,crochets and twists, as well.

Speaker 2 (01:03):
Nice, nice.
Well, thank you for sharingthat.
So I'm curious a little can youshare a little bit about your
background?
Tell us, tell us, how you gotinto this.

Speaker 3 (01:11):
Sure, yeah, absolutely so.
Actually, I am biracial.
I'm by descent, and so growingup, I really just never felt
like I had a voice in the in thebeauty world.
It was a little bit of astruggle for us, but I started
experimenting on my own.
I would work with my dolls.
I started practicing on myfamily, any time or anyone I can

(01:36):
get my hands on.
As far as braiding is concerned, that's kind of where it
started from, and then later onin life, after the pandemic, I
really started to see how peoplealso felt disconnected with
beauty themselves, and it reallyreminded me that in the beauty
world, it's so much more thanjust getting your hair done.
It's really about the way wefeel, our personal connection

(02:00):
within ourselves and our overallconfidence with people in the
world, and that's what inspiredme to start Insure Beauty in
2022.

Speaker 2 (02:08):
That's amazing.
That's amazing, and I'm sureyour clients are so happy that
you did.
You're providing such animportant service.
So tell me, do you find thatthere's any myths or
misconceptions about yourbusiness or the industry in
general?

Speaker 3 (02:25):
Actually I do, and this is a big one for me,
actually, okay, that not a lotof stylists, or not a lot of
professionals, may be licensed,and that's a big one for us
because, and honestly, in somestates licenses may or may not
be required, depending on thespecific needs or the specific

(02:47):
type of style the stylist isperforming.
And so that's important to usbecause clients don't always
have that information andsometimes this can cause a
little bit of conflict, I wouldsay, between the stylist and the
client.
However, that's why I thinkit's important, it's really
important to me as a stylist, asa business owner, to be up

(03:09):
front excuse me, up front withour clients, professional, and
let them know of not just mybackground but also to my
stylist's background as well.
And I think that's where theeducation comes from, and I
think all stylists, whetherlicensed or not, should have
some form of training and alsoto education to back them.

Speaker 2 (03:30):
That's amazing, so I love that you are taking the
extra steps involved to educateyour clients.
I imagine they very muchappreciate that.

Speaker 3 (03:42):
Yes, Agreed For sure, for sure, absolutely very much
appreciate that.

Speaker 2 (03:49):
Yes, yeah, agreed For sure, for sure, absolutely.
So I imagine you are very busyrunning your business, so tell
us what you do for fun whenyou're not busy.

Speaker 3 (03:54):
You know, honestly, I'm pretty simple, I'm a
minimalist, and so I absolutelylove to garden, I love spending
time downtown, just you know,honestly, just taking a break
from it all.
I'm a mom as well, and so Idefinitely love spending time
with my daughter.
It definitely brings me a lotof joy, for sure.
Nice.

Speaker 2 (04:13):
Nice.
So can you describe a hardshipor a challenge that you've gone
through that now that you are onthe other side of it, you feel
like you're stronger or betterbecause of it?

Speaker 3 (04:26):
For sure.
Yes, starting a business is noteasy, moving to a new area is
not easy, and then when you aretrying to do them both
simultaneously, it definitelycauses a lot of challenges.
However, all of this has forcedme just to push through and
feeling more confident,resilient, knowing that I can do

(04:49):
this.
You know, someone like me in mysituation can definitely do
this and be successful.
It may take time, butdefinitely with patience and
time, you can definitely achievethis for sure.

Speaker 2 (05:01):
Yeah, that's so true.
Once you go through somethingand you come out on the other
side, you're you're unstoppable.
At that point, you know you cando it for sure.
Yes, yeah, love that.
So, uh, what is something thatwhen you started your business?
A piece of advice, or orsomething that you wish you had
known?
Or a piece of advice that youhave for someone who's dreaming

(05:24):
big and wants to start their ownbusiness?

Speaker 3 (05:27):
Well, it would be.
The truth of the matter is isnot to be so caught up in social
media.
I definitely think we get verycaught up in how many followers
we have and who likes each andevery post and all the things.
While social media is extremelyimportant for a new business
owner, I think sometimes itcould stun our growth.
Right, I would definitely saystay true to yourself, to your

(05:50):
mission, to your personalpurpose and your goals in your
business and just stayconsistent.
Stay consistent, and thatdefinitely would be something I
would offer to a newentrepreneur.

Speaker 2 (06:01):
I would agree with that.
That's such great advice.
Social media, too, can kind ofmess with your mind a little bit
, especially if you startlooking at what your competition
is doing.
It can like put you in a wholetailspin, right.

Speaker 3 (06:15):
Exactly, exactly, for sure.

Speaker 2 (06:18):
So what is something that you wish the listeners knew
about your business?

Speaker 3 (06:26):
that you wish the listeners knew about your
business.
Well, something I wish thatothers would know about my
business is that we actuallypartner with Rebundle.
Rebundle is a lightweight,vegan-friendly hair extension
brand.
Now, these bundles are actuallymade from banana stems and this
is like from repurposed bananastems exactly, and so it really
helps to eliminate the itching,the burning, the sensitivity

(06:49):
that a lot of clients are having.
And so just partnering withthis brand and being educated as
we talked a little bit aboutearlier to our clients what's
actually out there and thealternatives if they are dealing
with these type of conditions.

Speaker 2 (07:02):
That's amazing.
If the listeners want to learnmore about you and want to
connect with you, what's thebest way to reach you?

Speaker 3 (07:11):
Sure, yeah.
So it actually will be justgoing to our website, and our
website is www.
insured-beauty.
com, and you can go online andbook a free online consultation
or simply follow us on socialmedia at insuredbeauty.

Speaker 2 (07:27):
Excellent, marie.
Thank you so much for joiningme on the podcast today and
sharing Insure Beauty with us.
I imagine that your clientsjust love you.
Not only are you providing agreat service, but you're
instilling confidence, and Ijust love your business model.

Speaker 3 (07:45):
So thank you for joining me.
Thank you so much for having us.
We appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (07:50):
Thank you for listening to the Fredericksburg
Neighbors Podcast.
To nominate your favorite localbusinesses to be featured on
the show, go tofxbgneighborspodcast.
com.
That's fxbgneighborspodcast.
com, or call 540-534-4618.