April 8, 2024 • 25 mins
Hello Podcast Family!! Welcome to this episode of the Brothers In Company Podcast presents Creators Conversation. We are thrilled to have Shakeila Hickman, a dedicated stylist, certified Opalex professional, licensed cosmetologist, and the entrepreneur behind Simply Shakeila Beauty, as our special guest.
In this captivating discussion, Shakeila shares her journey from a beauty-crazed little girl to a licensed professional helping women manage their natural hair. She emphasizes the value of personalized services, and the necessity of choosing quality hair care products, shedding light on the importance of purchasing from authorized retailers.
Shakeila also reveals the origin story of her hair care service, Simply Shakeila Beauty. Propelled by tales of women struggling with their natural hair care journey, Shakeila resolved to improve this experience. She underscores her mission to uplift black women's confidence and create positive hair care experiences using customized techniques tailored to each client's hair type.
In addition to her work at local salon, MJM Salon & Co., Shakeila reflects on her future plans to go mobile, providing salon services at her client's convenience. Explore the inspiring journey of a professional cosmetologist set out to reshape beauty standards and enrich the hair care experience for women.
Follow along as Shakeila relives her transformation from a Psychology degree holder to a celebrated hairstylist, accounting for the years of determination and self-belief that paved her way. Be inspired by Shakeila's mantra to persistently follow your passion, regardless of societal pressure and boundaries.
Dive into this enlightening episode to understand the grit and tenacity required to balance a conventional job while courageously pursuing your passion. Rekindle the power of listening to your heart through Shakeila's triumphant narrative and learn how creativity, professionalism, and art combine to form Simply Shakeila Beauty.
For the best personal hair care services, check out the Simply Shakeila Beauty online at https://simplyshakeilabeauty.glossgenius.com/ and you can also contact her at simplyshakeila@gmail.com.
- Follow Simply Shakeila Beauty on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/simplyshakeilabeauty/
- Follow Simply Shakeila Beauty on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SimplyShakeilaBeauty?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Check out Brothers In Company Podcast at https://brothersincompanypodcast.com/ and listen on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and all other major podcast platforms.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:05):
All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another edition of the Brothers
in Company podcast presents Creators Conversation, where we showcase artists,
entertainers, content creators, professionals, and entrepreneurs.
Today's guest has all the aspects of creativity, professionalism,
(00:27):
and entrepreneurship. So I had the opportunity to meet this young lady here
at the Black Expo last month in March.
So here she is, a stylist, certified Opalex professional, licensed professional cosmetologist.
And she has her own hair care service called Simply Shakila Beauty.
(00:49):
So, ladies and gentlemen, we welcome Simply Shakila, Miss Shakila Hickman to the program. Hi, y'all.
Yeah yeah so there you
go so how you doing today shaquille i'm doing
well how are you ah doing good
can't complain another beautiful day here in the low country so i know i know
(01:13):
i gave gave a little bit of an intro so just tell us tell everybody about yourself
and where you're from okay sure i'm shaquilla of simply shaquilla beauty i am 32 years old.
I have been a licensed cosmetologist for the past two years.
I am originally from Florence, South Carolina, as well as Chesterfield, Virginia.
(01:37):
Born and raised in Florence, moved to Virginia when I was 14,
lived there until I was 29, and then relocated back to Carolina,
but here to the whole country all right
all right so let's let's
talk about how did uh let's talk about
what inspired you to become a cosmetologist and uh how long you've been been
(02:01):
doing it okay sure like I mentioned I have been licensed for two years but I
have been doing hair on myself self as well as my family ever since I can remember.
What inspired me to be a cosmetologist is that I've always loved all things beauty.
I started out loving nails as a little girl, then that transitioned to makeup and hair.
(02:27):
So I've always been one that loved all things glamour, all things beauty, just a super girly girl.
And that's why it really inspired me to become a hairstylist.
There you go. Love it. Love it. Love it.
So in your in your transition into the being a cosmetologist and everything,
(02:50):
what type of schooling or certifications you need that you needed to become
a licensed professional?
Sure. So you have to go to cosmetology. Well, you don't have to go to cosmetology
school, but you can either do cosmetology school or you can do an apprenticeship.
Cosmetology school lasts between a year to two years.
(03:10):
I only did a year because I went full time. And then after school,
you have to take state board for your state that you're being licensed in,
as well as a written test as well.
So you have to do a two part test to get your license.
And, you know, that's the license, licensure requirement that you have to do
(03:34):
to become a cosmetologist.
All right. That's that sounds good. Good. That's awesome. So you guys,
we got the certifications and everything. Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
You definitely got to put in that work and get certified for sure. For sure.
(03:54):
Now, you do your own hair care service.
And I went on, checked you out on Instagram about your service and everything.
Thing. And you made an Instagram post about professional hair care products
sold in stores that are not authorized retailers and how those products are
(04:15):
either counterfeit or expired.
Right. Yeah. And as a, as a, in your profession, as a certified hair care professional,
like yourself, what should people look out for when it comes to hair care products?
One thing that I would say that you should be wary of is where you're purchasing these products from.
(04:40):
So there are a lot of retailers out here, like I stated in that video,
that are selling counterfeit and or expired products.
Everybody is not licensed to sell certain products.
So what I would say is whatever your favorite product is, go on to their website,
either either purchase directly from their website and or you can search their
(05:05):
website to see who is an authorized retailer to sell those products so that
you can be sure that when you're purchasing,
you're purchasing from a verified source.
And there are also products out here that are not even available for retail purchase at all.
They have to purchase either directly from the website site or through a licensed
(05:26):
professional such as myself.
So I would say have that conversation with your stylist and go on any brand's
website to search to see who is an authorized retailer of their products.
All right. And speaking of which, I just want to congratulate you on being a
(05:48):
certified Opalex professional.
Gotta give you your applause. Thank you so much.
Yes. So explain about Opalex. Is that like one of the hair care products that you that you use?
Absolutely. Olaplex is a professional product that I use in the salon.
(06:10):
It is available for retail. You can purchase it, I know for sure, from Ulta Beauty.
They are licensed to sell Olaplex products. products and how Olaplex works is
it is a product that rebuilds.
The broken bonds aka damaged hair on a molecular level.
(06:33):
So what I love about Olaplex is that it is available for retail purchase to
the general public but there are certain products within that line that you
can only get from a professional.
That bond building technology that is in their products you can only get that
from a professional but you can reinforce what's done in the salon saline at
(06:54):
home by using the at-home products as well.
So I love Euclid's and Olaplex because it builds the hair, it strengthens the
hair, it moisturizes and hydrates the hair.
And it is something that is readily available for consumers,
but it also has that professional aspect
where you have to come into the saline to
(07:17):
get the professional treatments that they offer for as well
okay so it's all about making sure that
they get the right type of products and not anything
that will damage their hair or damage any any
anything you know with you know with their hair
and because you know i don't know i don't know much about hair or anything about
(07:37):
hair unless you know i go to the barbershop and get a haircut or whatever but
you know just to make sure that you know make sure people know about the about
the hair care products that's that's That's important. That's important to know. Yeah.
It is super important because if you're purchasing from a reputable company.
(07:58):
A reputable brand, you want to make sure that the products that you're receiving
does what they claim that it's going to do.
And if you're purchasing from a retailer that is not authorized to sell,
that means that whatever you're purchasing is not going to work because it is
either not real or it's expired.
(08:19):
So it's super important as a consumer to be informed on what you're purchasing
and where you're purchasing it from,
because where you're purchasing it from absolutely can reflect in the quality of the product.
Yeah, that's definitely true.
That is definitely true. Letting people know what products, what the best type
(08:43):
of products to get. Exactly.
Yeah, that is really, really important. It is.
Yeah. So why did you decide to start your own hair care services?
And what was that process like, you know, starting your own business?
So I decided to become a hairstylist simply because,
(09:09):
I've always been natural. I've never had a relaxer.
So when the natural hair care movement came along and people started ditching
relaxers and decided to go natural,
the horror stories that I would hear from women and girls dealing with their
natural hair themselves, as well as hair care professionals and not knowing
(09:32):
how to deal with natural hair,
that made me want to to become a hairstylist and to show the world and show
people that just because you keep your hair in the state how it grows out of your scalp,
that does not mean that your experience taking care of your hair or going to
a professional shouldn't be bad or it should be painful.
(09:57):
You can have your natural hair the way that God intended to grow out of your
head and have the experience dealing with that hair.
It doesn't have to be painful. It doesn't have to be excruciating.
It doesn't have to be time consuming.
It can be a pleasurable experience just as the relaxed girlies.
(10:20):
So that's what really encouraged me to become a hairstylist.
All right. Yeah. So that's a great thing.
And it also helps with the image, right? Just to give the confidence about about
themselves, about their hair and everything?
Yeah, exactly. So being a Black woman in the world, not only America, is one of those things.
(10:46):
We go through so much.
So, of course, having your hair done just makes you feel better. You look better.
You feel better. You do better in the world. So that definitely adds confidence,
it boosts morale, and it allows a woman to go out there and do her best. Yeah.
(11:09):
And you know, more than, than, than I do that, you know, that women,
you know, especially black women, they have their, you know,
different hairstyles and everything, you know, just showing,
you know, showing that confidence and that creativity.
Yeah. Yeah. So that, that's definitely a positive, positive thing that you're doing too. Absolutely.
(11:31):
So what kind of techniques do you use when you provide hair care for your clients?
So one thing that I would love for the world to know about Simply Shakila Beauty,
if you come sit in my chair, be rest assured that whatever techniques that I'm
doing is customized to you.
There's not a one size fit all situation when it comes to me doing hair.
(11:55):
Everything that I do from the shampoo to the detangling to the products that
I use to the tools that I use is customized for each individual client because
everybody's hair is different.
Nobody's hair on this earth is the same.
So whatever I do is customized to that specific client to tailor to your specific needs.
(12:19):
So it's definitely a customizable approach
not a one-size-fits-all situation at
all so be rest assured that if
you come sit with me girl you're in good hands
all right gotta give you that applause for that
right there give you applause rest assured you're in good hands rest assured
(12:40):
yes yeah now speaking of services now do you office do you travel to your clients
when you you do your services or do you work with like a local beauty salon
when you work with clients?
I am in a local beauty salon. I don't do traveling as of now.
That may change in the future.
But for now, I am stationary in a salon.
(13:02):
It is MJM Salon & Co. on Rivers Avenue.
I have been there. It will be three months in a few days. And very professional environment.
The salon has been established for for 10 years.
So great environment. I love the owner.
We have a great business relationship and I enjoy working there. Absolutely.
(13:27):
Yeah, that's, that's great. So ladies, if you're listening and you're watching,
make sure you go over there and ask for simply Shaquilla.
She'll take good care of you, making sure you look, you look good.
Facts. Hair done, everything did. Everything.
We got you. All right. Hey, that's that's cool.
(13:49):
That's what's up. So what advice do you have for like aspiring cosmetologists
or hairstylists who want to get into the hair care or beauty industry? Hmm.
What advice I would give is that, first of all, you have to have a passion for it.
If you feel in your heart of hearts that this is what you want to do, do it.
(14:12):
Because I'll share a little bit of my story.
Like I've stated, I wanted to be in the beauty industry since I was a little girl.
But being the oldest child, it was expected of me to go to college and get my
degree and do the corporate America thing, which I did. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology.
(14:33):
And right after I graduated college, I wanted to become a makeup artist, actually.
And, you know, after getting that degree, my family was like,
you haven't even tried working in corporate America.
Why would you go back to school to do makeup?
Not knowing that it was the beauty industry is truly my passion. And so that's what I did.
(14:56):
I worked nine to five and I just did not like any job that I had.
And I found myself at the age of 29 still wanting to pursue the beauty industry.
And so I relocated down here to the low country and quit my job,
moved out of my apartment and went to cosmetology school because it was something
(15:19):
that was still on my heart to do. So you really have to have a passion for it.
And if you have a passion for it, no matter what age you are, pursue it.
Because that passion, that intense feeling to pursue is never going to go away.
So do it if if that's what
you want in your heart of hearts no matter what anyone says even
(15:41):
if they don't see the vision do it
do it for yourself and then another thing that i would add is i'm still a corporate
girl i still work a nine-to-five because we got to pay the bills while we're
our dream and our passion true i absolutely want to be a full-time hairstylist
but but we have to do what we got to do.
(16:02):
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do your passion alongside doing a job that pays your bills.
Because I have tried to work in different salons and they told me like,
literally, if you can't be here full time, you're never going to make it as a hairstylist.
And I'm here to say, I'm not doing it full time, but I'm still making it as
(16:25):
a a hairstylist because guess what?
I have the passion. I have the drive and I know that this is meant for me to do.
So no matter what anyone says, I'm doing it and I'm doing it my way.
You don't have to have a cookie cutter way of doing things.
You have to tailor it to your life.
And if it's something that you really want to do, do it and just block out all
(16:47):
the noise, get focused and do what you got to do.
Yes, yes, yes, indeed. Yes, indeed. Indeed. And you're and you and you're making
it balance out where you you know, you're working a full time job and you're pursuing your passion.
So, you know, you're you're taking care of your, you know, your everyday expenses,
(17:08):
your everyday life and also pursuing your dream.
Yeah. A lot of people can't can't do that.
That, you know, a lot of people will want to put their jobs and just go right
into entrepreneurship and don't have that that foundation or have that support
of, you know, you have to put in time and money and energy towards that.
So it's having that balance and then also just being dedicated,
(17:33):
dedicated to what you want to do. too.
Yeah. We mentioned I've done that.
I done quit my job and trying to be a full-time hairstylist and it backfired.
You say that. I've tried that, but that just simply did not work for me.
So you have to regroup and get it back together.
Before I got into this one, I was on a break for eight months.
(17:57):
I did not do hair for eight months.
And when I tell you hair was all I thought about getting back into the salon was all I thought about.
And that just reinforced what I already knew that I meant to do this.
I meant to do it. And it's not easy working a full-time job and also pursuing your passion and.
(18:21):
But when it's meant for you to do, you're going to do it and you just get it
done. You just get it done.
Yeah, I like that. I like the consistency that you did to not give up and just go and pursue it.
Because sometimes you have to just
be in the atmosphere or be in that environment to kind of get inspired,
(18:47):
to go into your passion and actually go all into it. Yeah. Yeah.
That is it. And it's been a roller coaster.
My journey has been a roller coaster. These two years hasn't been linear.
Lots of highs, lots of lows.
(19:08):
But at the end of the day i feel
like i am ordained to do this so i'm going
to keep doing it no matter what comes my way yeah that's
weird that's the passion that's the passion and that dream
that you have yeah definitely appreciate everything
that you everything that you did and everything that
you're doing because i i understand because i
(19:31):
understand it's hard to you know balance out full-time
a full-time job and doing and and just
having your own business being an entrepreneur an employee and
an entrepreneur at the same time and just and just continuously work on your
craft yeah that is that is an awesome thing very this is this is awesome that's
(19:52):
an awesome thing yeah very very proud of what you're doing too thank you i appreciate
proud very proud yeah yeah.
So I know you got a web. I know you have a website out there,
you know, that you got your your service that people can go to tell people, tell everyone about,
you know, how they can get in contact with you, your website so people can,
(20:17):
you know, be in good hands with Simply Shaquilla. Period.
Okay. So I am on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok all at Simply Shaquilla Beauty.
My website is simplyshaquillabeauty.glossgenius.com. You can always reach me
(20:37):
by email at simplyshaquillabeauty at gmail.com.
My phone number is 843-888-7177.
You can call.
Text messages are preferred because I'm a busy girl, but you can call me as
well and reach me there and I will be happy to speak with you.
I'm looking forward to meeting you all and I'm looking forward to servicing you.
(21:00):
There you go there it is ladies please
go out there and and get
simply shakila she take good care of you making sure
you look good out here making sure
you you look good come get a treatment come
get a trim come get a press some get some extensions
we do a lot at simply shakila beauty all right gotta give you one more applause
(21:26):
for that right there create creativity at its finest right there right there
ladies and gentlemen creativity creativity professionalism entrepreneurship.
Artists because it's an art it's an art yeah all of that right over right over here simply shaquille.
(21:48):
There you go. I mean, there, I mean, there it is. There it is.
All of that, all of that into one. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. So definitely appreciate your time to come on the show and just
tell everyone about, you know, your experience and your business and everything.
Cause that's what creators conversation is just
(22:10):
to give that platform and that spotlight like to
entrepreneurs like yourself to just
let everybody know who you are what you do so
that way they could say oh well you know I you know
ladies out there girls out there might say you know
I need to get get my hair done and all that stuff there you go got a person
(22:30):
you can go to right there yes thank you so much for having me I was very excited
to be on the show it's been great I appreciate your professionalism and your journalism as well.
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. It's been great.
Yes. Yes. You're definitely welcome. And what we do on the Brothers and Company
(22:52):
podcast is that we welcome you to what we call the podcast family.
Okay. Yeah. Yes. Podcast family is there are like fans out there,
people that support us, people, you know, like yourself that come on on the show.
Just to be a part of the show so you know for you special guests you're you're
(23:14):
now part of the podcast family so anytime yeah yeah so anytime you want to uh
come back on the show we definitely will welcome you back to the show we we'll
we got the door open for you.
Perfect. I appreciate it. I'm going to be adding new services,
new products in the future. So I will absolutely be back.
(23:36):
All right. Thank you so much. Simply Shakila, Shakila Hickman,
ladies and gentlemen. Yes. Yes.
Ladies and gentlemen, make sure you go check her out. Simply Shakila Beauty.
You can go to her website, even go to our Instagram, Instagram,
check her out and get her services.
(23:57):
You, you, you'll like, you'll like what you see. You like how you,
how you feel, how you look. So.
So ladies and gentlemen, thank you for tuning into the brothers and company
podcast presents creators conversation.
Make sure you watch this This and other videos in the Creators Conversation playlist.
(24:22):
So you can see all the other entrepreneurs and artists and creators out there.
Because Charleston has a lot of creators just doing their own thing.
And Charleston is full of creativity.
They're full of just, it's a vibe, I would tell y'all. It's a vibe. They say it. Am I right?
(24:44):
The cool kids say it. It's a vibe. It's a vibe.
So ladies and gentlemen, make sure you check us out. Brothersandcompanypodcast.com.
We're also on Facebook X.
They changed from Twitter to X. I don't know why we talked. Yeah,
there's an episode where we talked about this.
(25:04):
But we're on Facebook X Instagram at BIC podcast. We're on TikTok.
Type in Brothers and Company podcast and follow us. and you can listen to our
podcast and this podcast at Apple Podcast,
Spotify, and at brothersandcompany.podbean.com and also check us out on our YouTube channel.
(25:28):
So simply, Shaquilla, thank you once again for joining us.
And my name is Derek. We'll talk to you guys next time. Peace. I love y'all.
This is the Brothers and Company Podcast. Peace.
All right, ladies and gentlemen, welcome to another edition of the Brothers
in Company podcast presents Creators Conversation, where we showcase artists,
entertainers, content creators, professionals, and entrepreneurs.
Today's guest has all the aspects of creativity, professionalism,
(00:27):
and entrepreneurship. So I had the opportunity to meet this young lady here
at the Black Expo last month in March.
So here she is, a stylist, certified Opalex professional, licensed professional cosmetologist.
And she has her own hair care service called Simply Shakila Beauty.
(00:49):
So, ladies and gentlemen, we welcome Simply Shakila, Miss Shakila Hickman to the program. Hi, y'all.
Yeah yeah so there you
go so how you doing today shaquille i'm doing
well how are you ah doing good
can't complain another beautiful day here in the low country so i know i know
(01:13):
i gave gave a little bit of an intro so just tell us tell everybody about yourself
and where you're from okay sure i'm shaquilla of simply shaquilla beauty i am 32 years old.
I have been a licensed cosmetologist for the past two years.
I am originally from Florence, South Carolina, as well as Chesterfield, Virginia.
(01:37):
Born and raised in Florence, moved to Virginia when I was 14,
lived there until I was 29, and then relocated back to Carolina,
but here to the whole country all right
all right so let's let's
talk about how did uh let's talk about
what inspired you to become a cosmetologist and uh how long you've been been
(02:01):
doing it okay sure like I mentioned I have been licensed for two years but I
have been doing hair on myself self as well as my family ever since I can remember.
What inspired me to be a cosmetologist is that I've always loved all things beauty.
I started out loving nails as a little girl, then that transitioned to makeup and hair.
(02:27):
So I've always been one that loved all things glamour, all things beauty, just a super girly girl.
And that's why it really inspired me to become a hairstylist.
There you go. Love it. Love it. Love it.
So in your in your transition into the being a cosmetologist and everything,
(02:50):
what type of schooling or certifications you need that you needed to become
a licensed professional?
Sure. So you have to go to cosmetology. Well, you don't have to go to cosmetology
school, but you can either do cosmetology school or you can do an apprenticeship.
Cosmetology school lasts between a year to two years.
(03:10):
I only did a year because I went full time. And then after school,
you have to take state board for your state that you're being licensed in,
as well as a written test as well.
So you have to do a two part test to get your license.
And, you know, that's the license, licensure requirement that you have to do
(03:34):
to become a cosmetologist.
All right. That's that sounds good. Good. That's awesome. So you guys,
we got the certifications and everything. Oh, yeah.
Oh, yeah.
You definitely got to put in that work and get certified for sure. For sure.
(03:54):
Now, you do your own hair care service.
And I went on, checked you out on Instagram about your service and everything.
Thing. And you made an Instagram post about professional hair care products
sold in stores that are not authorized retailers and how those products are
(04:15):
either counterfeit or expired.
Right. Yeah. And as a, as a, in your profession, as a certified hair care professional,
like yourself, what should people look out for when it comes to hair care products?
One thing that I would say that you should be wary of is where you're purchasing these products from.
(04:40):
So there are a lot of retailers out here, like I stated in that video,
that are selling counterfeit and or expired products.
Everybody is not licensed to sell certain products.
So what I would say is whatever your favorite product is, go on to their website,
either either purchase directly from their website and or you can search their
(05:05):
website to see who is an authorized retailer to sell those products so that
you can be sure that when you're purchasing,
you're purchasing from a verified source.
And there are also products out here that are not even available for retail purchase at all.
They have to purchase either directly from the website site or through a licensed
(05:26):
professional such as myself.
So I would say have that conversation with your stylist and go on any brand's
website to search to see who is an authorized retailer of their products.
All right. And speaking of which, I just want to congratulate you on being a
(05:48):
certified Opalex professional.
Gotta give you your applause. Thank you so much.
Yes. So explain about Opalex. Is that like one of the hair care products that you that you use?
Absolutely. Olaplex is a professional product that I use in the salon.
(06:10):
It is available for retail. You can purchase it, I know for sure, from Ulta Beauty.
They are licensed to sell Olaplex products. products and how Olaplex works is
it is a product that rebuilds.
The broken bonds aka damaged hair on a molecular level.
(06:33):
So what I love about Olaplex is that it is available for retail purchase to
the general public but there are certain products within that line that you
can only get from a professional.
That bond building technology that is in their products you can only get that
from a professional but you can reinforce what's done in the salon saline at
(06:54):
home by using the at-home products as well.
So I love Euclid's and Olaplex because it builds the hair, it strengthens the
hair, it moisturizes and hydrates the hair.
And it is something that is readily available for consumers,
but it also has that professional aspect
where you have to come into the saline to
(07:17):
get the professional treatments that they offer for as well
okay so it's all about making sure that
they get the right type of products and not anything
that will damage their hair or damage any any
anything you know with you know with their hair
and because you know i don't know i don't know much about hair or anything about
(07:37):
hair unless you know i go to the barbershop and get a haircut or whatever but
you know just to make sure that you know make sure people know about the about
the hair care products that's that's That's important. That's important to know. Yeah.
It is super important because if you're purchasing from a reputable company.
(07:58):
A reputable brand, you want to make sure that the products that you're receiving
does what they claim that it's going to do.
And if you're purchasing from a retailer that is not authorized to sell,
that means that whatever you're purchasing is not going to work because it is
either not real or it's expired.
(08:19):
So it's super important as a consumer to be informed on what you're purchasing
and where you're purchasing it from,
because where you're purchasing it from absolutely can reflect in the quality of the product.
Yeah, that's definitely true.
That is definitely true. Letting people know what products, what the best type
(08:43):
of products to get. Exactly.
Yeah, that is really, really important. It is.
Yeah. So why did you decide to start your own hair care services?
And what was that process like, you know, starting your own business?
So I decided to become a hairstylist simply because,
(09:09):
I've always been natural. I've never had a relaxer.
So when the natural hair care movement came along and people started ditching
relaxers and decided to go natural,
the horror stories that I would hear from women and girls dealing with their
natural hair themselves, as well as hair care professionals and not knowing
(09:32):
how to deal with natural hair,
that made me want to to become a hairstylist and to show the world and show
people that just because you keep your hair in the state how it grows out of your scalp,
that does not mean that your experience taking care of your hair or going to
a professional shouldn't be bad or it should be painful.
(09:57):
You can have your natural hair the way that God intended to grow out of your
head and have the experience dealing with that hair.
It doesn't have to be painful. It doesn't have to be excruciating.
It doesn't have to be time consuming.
It can be a pleasurable experience just as the relaxed girlies.
(10:20):
So that's what really encouraged me to become a hairstylist.
All right. Yeah. So that's a great thing.
And it also helps with the image, right? Just to give the confidence about about
themselves, about their hair and everything?
Yeah, exactly. So being a Black woman in the world, not only America, is one of those things.
(10:46):
We go through so much.
So, of course, having your hair done just makes you feel better. You look better.
You feel better. You do better in the world. So that definitely adds confidence,
it boosts morale, and it allows a woman to go out there and do her best. Yeah.
(11:09):
And you know, more than, than, than I do that, you know, that women,
you know, especially black women, they have their, you know,
different hairstyles and everything, you know, just showing,
you know, showing that confidence and that creativity.
Yeah. Yeah. So that, that's definitely a positive, positive thing that you're doing too. Absolutely.
(11:31):
So what kind of techniques do you use when you provide hair care for your clients?
So one thing that I would love for the world to know about Simply Shakila Beauty,
if you come sit in my chair, be rest assured that whatever techniques that I'm
doing is customized to you.
There's not a one size fit all situation when it comes to me doing hair.
(11:55):
Everything that I do from the shampoo to the detangling to the products that
I use to the tools that I use is customized for each individual client because
everybody's hair is different.
Nobody's hair on this earth is the same.
So whatever I do is customized to that specific client to tailor to your specific needs.
(12:19):
So it's definitely a customizable approach
not a one-size-fits-all situation at
all so be rest assured that if
you come sit with me girl you're in good hands
all right gotta give you that applause for that
right there give you applause rest assured you're in good hands rest assured
(12:40):
yes yeah now speaking of services now do you office do you travel to your clients
when you you do your services or do you work with like a local beauty salon
when you work with clients?
I am in a local beauty salon. I don't do traveling as of now.
That may change in the future.
But for now, I am stationary in a salon.
(13:02):
It is MJM Salon & Co. on Rivers Avenue.
I have been there. It will be three months in a few days. And very professional environment.
The salon has been established for for 10 years.
So great environment. I love the owner.
We have a great business relationship and I enjoy working there. Absolutely.
(13:27):
Yeah, that's, that's great. So ladies, if you're listening and you're watching,
make sure you go over there and ask for simply Shaquilla.
She'll take good care of you, making sure you look, you look good.
Facts. Hair done, everything did. Everything.
We got you. All right. Hey, that's that's cool.
(13:49):
That's what's up. So what advice do you have for like aspiring cosmetologists
or hairstylists who want to get into the hair care or beauty industry? Hmm.
What advice I would give is that, first of all, you have to have a passion for it.
If you feel in your heart of hearts that this is what you want to do, do it.
(14:12):
Because I'll share a little bit of my story.
Like I've stated, I wanted to be in the beauty industry since I was a little girl.
But being the oldest child, it was expected of me to go to college and get my
degree and do the corporate America thing, which I did. I have a bachelor's degree in psychology.
(14:33):
And right after I graduated college, I wanted to become a makeup artist, actually.
And, you know, after getting that degree, my family was like,
you haven't even tried working in corporate America.
Why would you go back to school to do makeup?
Not knowing that it was the beauty industry is truly my passion. And so that's what I did.
(14:56):
I worked nine to five and I just did not like any job that I had.
And I found myself at the age of 29 still wanting to pursue the beauty industry.
And so I relocated down here to the low country and quit my job,
moved out of my apartment and went to cosmetology school because it was something
(15:19):
that was still on my heart to do. So you really have to have a passion for it.
And if you have a passion for it, no matter what age you are, pursue it.
Because that passion, that intense feeling to pursue is never going to go away.
So do it if if that's what
you want in your heart of hearts no matter what anyone says even
(15:41):
if they don't see the vision do it
do it for yourself and then another thing that i would add is i'm still a corporate
girl i still work a nine-to-five because we got to pay the bills while we're
our dream and our passion true i absolutely want to be a full-time hairstylist
but but we have to do what we got to do.
(16:02):
Don't let anyone tell you that you can't do your passion alongside doing a job that pays your bills.
Because I have tried to work in different salons and they told me like,
literally, if you can't be here full time, you're never going to make it as a hairstylist.
And I'm here to say, I'm not doing it full time, but I'm still making it as
(16:25):
a a hairstylist because guess what?
I have the passion. I have the drive and I know that this is meant for me to do.
So no matter what anyone says, I'm doing it and I'm doing it my way.
You don't have to have a cookie cutter way of doing things.
You have to tailor it to your life.
And if it's something that you really want to do, do it and just block out all
(16:47):
the noise, get focused and do what you got to do.
Yes, yes, yes, indeed. Yes, indeed. Indeed. And you're and you and you're making
it balance out where you you know, you're working a full time job and you're pursuing your passion.
So, you know, you're you're taking care of your, you know, your everyday expenses,
(17:08):
your everyday life and also pursuing your dream.
Yeah. A lot of people can't can't do that.
That, you know, a lot of people will want to put their jobs and just go right
into entrepreneurship and don't have that that foundation or have that support
of, you know, you have to put in time and money and energy towards that.
So it's having that balance and then also just being dedicated,
(17:33):
dedicated to what you want to do. too.
Yeah. We mentioned I've done that.
I done quit my job and trying to be a full-time hairstylist and it backfired.
You say that. I've tried that, but that just simply did not work for me.
So you have to regroup and get it back together.
Before I got into this one, I was on a break for eight months.
(17:57):
I did not do hair for eight months.
And when I tell you hair was all I thought about getting back into the salon was all I thought about.
And that just reinforced what I already knew that I meant to do this.
I meant to do it. And it's not easy working a full-time job and also pursuing your passion and.
(18:21):
But when it's meant for you to do, you're going to do it and you just get it
done. You just get it done.
Yeah, I like that. I like the consistency that you did to not give up and just go and pursue it.
Because sometimes you have to just
be in the atmosphere or be in that environment to kind of get inspired,
(18:47):
to go into your passion and actually go all into it. Yeah. Yeah.
That is it. And it's been a roller coaster.
My journey has been a roller coaster. These two years hasn't been linear.
Lots of highs, lots of lows.
(19:08):
But at the end of the day i feel
like i am ordained to do this so i'm going
to keep doing it no matter what comes my way yeah that's
weird that's the passion that's the passion and that dream
that you have yeah definitely appreciate everything
that you everything that you did and everything that
you're doing because i i understand because i
(19:31):
understand it's hard to you know balance out full-time
a full-time job and doing and and just
having your own business being an entrepreneur an employee and
an entrepreneur at the same time and just and just continuously work on your
craft yeah that is that is an awesome thing very this is this is awesome that's
(19:52):
an awesome thing yeah very very proud of what you're doing too thank you i appreciate
proud very proud yeah yeah.
So I know you got a web. I know you have a website out there,
you know, that you got your your service that people can go to tell people, tell everyone about,
you know, how they can get in contact with you, your website so people can,
(20:17):
you know, be in good hands with Simply Shaquilla. Period.
Okay. So I am on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok all at Simply Shaquilla Beauty.
My website is simplyshaquillabeauty.glossgenius.com. You can always reach me
(20:37):
by email at simplyshaquillabeauty at gmail.com.
My phone number is 843-888-7177.
You can call.
Text messages are preferred because I'm a busy girl, but you can call me as
well and reach me there and I will be happy to speak with you.
I'm looking forward to meeting you all and I'm looking forward to servicing you.
(21:00):
There you go there it is ladies please
go out there and and get
simply shakila she take good care of you making sure
you look good out here making sure
you you look good come get a treatment come
get a trim come get a press some get some extensions
we do a lot at simply shakila beauty all right gotta give you one more applause
(21:26):
for that right there create creativity at its finest right there right there
ladies and gentlemen creativity creativity professionalism entrepreneurship.
Artists because it's an art it's an art yeah all of that right over right over here simply shaquille.
(21:48):
There you go. I mean, there, I mean, there it is. There it is.
All of that, all of that into one. Yeah. Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah. So definitely appreciate your time to come on the show and just
tell everyone about, you know, your experience and your business and everything.
Cause that's what creators conversation is just
(22:10):
to give that platform and that spotlight like to
entrepreneurs like yourself to just
let everybody know who you are what you do so
that way they could say oh well you know I you know
ladies out there girls out there might say you know
I need to get get my hair done and all that stuff there you go got a person
(22:30):
you can go to right there yes thank you so much for having me I was very excited
to be on the show it's been great I appreciate your professionalism and your journalism as well.
Thank you. Thank you so much for having me. It's been great.
Yes. Yes. You're definitely welcome. And what we do on the Brothers and Company
(22:52):
podcast is that we welcome you to what we call the podcast family.
Okay. Yeah. Yes. Podcast family is there are like fans out there,
people that support us, people, you know, like yourself that come on on the show.
Just to be a part of the show so you know for you special guests you're you're
(23:14):
now part of the podcast family so anytime yeah yeah so anytime you want to uh
come back on the show we definitely will welcome you back to the show we we'll
we got the door open for you.
Perfect. I appreciate it. I'm going to be adding new services,
new products in the future. So I will absolutely be back.
(23:36):
All right. Thank you so much. Simply Shakila, Shakila Hickman,
ladies and gentlemen. Yes. Yes.
Ladies and gentlemen, make sure you go check her out. Simply Shakila Beauty.
You can go to her website, even go to our Instagram, Instagram,
check her out and get her services.
(23:57):
You, you, you'll like, you'll like what you see. You like how you,
how you feel, how you look. So.
So ladies and gentlemen, thank you for tuning into the brothers and company
podcast presents creators conversation.
Make sure you watch this This and other videos in the Creators Conversation playlist.
(24:22):
So you can see all the other entrepreneurs and artists and creators out there.
Because Charleston has a lot of creators just doing their own thing.
And Charleston is full of creativity.
They're full of just, it's a vibe, I would tell y'all. It's a vibe. They say it. Am I right?
(24:44):
The cool kids say it. It's a vibe. It's a vibe.
So ladies and gentlemen, make sure you check us out. Brothersandcompanypodcast.com.
We're also on Facebook X.
They changed from Twitter to X. I don't know why we talked. Yeah,
there's an episode where we talked about this.
(25:04):
But we're on Facebook X Instagram at BIC podcast. We're on TikTok.
Type in Brothers and Company podcast and follow us. and you can listen to our
podcast and this podcast at Apple Podcast,
Spotify, and at brothersandcompany.podbean.com and also check us out on our YouTube channel.
(25:28):
So simply, Shaquilla, thank you once again for joining us.
And my name is Derek. We'll talk to you guys next time. Peace. I love y'all.
This is the Brothers and Company Podcast. Peace.
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