KJ Tha Great

Discussing business is one of my favorite topics. I love to talk to people with business mindsets to bounce ideas around about new business ventures. Some individuals, like myself, love to help others in their beginning process to give them tips on what NOT to do. Avoiding common mistakes can help individuals become successful faster!! 

I always knew I wanted the life of a model/entrepreneur back when I was in high school. I chose to apply to colleges based on their business programs, and when I got accepted into Troy University it felt perfect for my goals, but I didn’t know just how “perfect” it was until I got there. I was noticed for my many hairstyles that led me to start doing my friends’ hair every-so-often. My prices were a lot more affordable than what they would’ve paid at a shop. I did box braidings, cornrows, crochet braids, sew-ins, natural hair styling, locs, hair coloring, hell I even did eyelash extensions, individuals and strips. I really sold myself short, and I know I did, but I made some quick money that I needed at the time. I enjoyed the styles I was able to do for them and I knew they would keep coming back to me. Unfortunately, it didn’t dawn on me to legitimize my services at the time, and because I had my hands in other endeavors kept me from being consistent. But you live and you learn, and I had to grow from those types of decisions, especially when I truly learned the value of my worth.

In my sophomore year, I took Global Marketing and it spoke to me, the same way Financial Planning did in my senior year of high school. I quickly decided that my major would be marketing and absorbed all that I could while I was there. I started taking pictures of the hairstyles I did to create a portfolio. I didn’t really use Instagram to market myself like I should have. I was very insecure about showing my work online and that was my downfall. I chose to show prospective clients my work in person upon meeting them; I would even consult at the local beauty supply store to show off my expertise. I wish there was more for me to tell about my operation, but some things (and relationships) spoiled faster than milk and next thing I knew, I had to really count my blessings and move on with my life so that I could walk the streets today.

When I left school, I only found a select few clients, literally 2 persons not including myself and my wife, and it just wasn’t enough for me to feel like a hair business was something I should hold onto since my goal was to become a full-time model who owned multiple businesses. Now that I think about it, I had more fears about promoting myself as an unlicensed hair stylist. I mean, I wasn’t going to go to cosmetology school when I only wanted to do hair for a short period of time. Maybe I just didn’t give it a chance to be a stepping stone for my career. The fear of having one bad client could ruin the image I wanted to maintain in the beauty world was enough for me to bow out gracefully. Now, I just stick to doing my own hair, and my wife’s on occasions. 

I may not have wanted to be a hairstylist, but I did know that I want to own my own salon-spa concept. I envisioned hiring great hair stylists, those who actually wanted to do hair for a living, and I would become a middleman between these great stylists and loyal clientele. I felt it deep within my spirit that this was a business I needed to have. So, I started my first legal business in 2019 with the salon-spa concept in mind, and I marketed mink eyelash strips as the luxurious centerpiece of this venture. Of course it wasn’t just going to be handed to me, I had to do my homework and take exams on putting in the effort into making this store come to life. I wrote up a business plan, scouted locations, met hairstylists, talked to banks about a loan, I did everything I was sure to do, but alas I was way too far ahead of myself.

I can honestly say, for the second time, my personal life got in the way of my business pursuit. I was newly married, juggling online classes for school, working weird-hour jobs, thinking that I could do it all, but eventually I began spiraling out of control. Over the course, though, I did try to develop a team that I thought could help take on some of the load while I focused on the creative direction. My mistake in this was trying to use friends I thought would be a great asset to help me spread my methods across the South, while I would pay them through affiliate earnings and free products. In short, they didn’t sell a damn thing and it was ALL back on me! I had lost my investments in a larger way than I initially anticipated. I even tried getting my family support, giving them free products to wear and share with their friends and co-workers but that was a flop too. I know it was my eagerness to succeed that led me to utilize these people I thought would want to help me win, because a win for me was a win for them, but I just felt robbed and indecent, leading me to politely remove myself from them all.

Majority of the sales were coming from me and my wife targeting random women from our jobs, and using social media tactics to draw in sales attention. I should’ve hired a marketing team around this time so we could’ve focused on just sales, but I kept thinking, “what is the point of me taking these marketing courses and not do the work myself?” Ugh….. pardón my faux pas! I was not thinking wisely about the possibilities of growth from this type of investment back then. Too strongly independent, especially after the many disappointments I went through, and also greedy in a sense because I wanted my designs to be seen to get me graphic designing clients as well. It hit me to incorporate tee shirt designs too, so I did. Listen, I was all over the place!! And STILL not hiring help!

Honestly, I wanted to live up to my own name: KJ Tha Great, great at everything! I didn’t see how much of a train wreck I was becoming. I couldn’t just focus on 1 thing. I wanted so many things to happen, hell I still do! But I had to finally cut my losses and take that L which made me go back to the drawing board. Though, I didn’t dissolve my business. It’s funny how many times I tried to re-invent it, just to hold onto that golden name meant for a dozen lines of distinction. I was going to be the Unilever of the fashion/beauty industry. I just couldn’t think small, not with my height! Let’s just say my ego brought me failures 7 times over in my first business.

On a positive note, I definitely understand why I was not able to succeed that time. I had to learn that my role as an entrepreneur overstands my abilities as a marketer, saleswoman, and creator. Such a gut punch that I will come to realize was the best thing that could’ve taught me the greatest value within me. I’m proud of my failures, but most of all I’m proud of myself for not giving up on pursuing the life of entrepreneurship. My journey is still very far ahead of me, but I can’t wait to see where it takes me. After all, I am KJ Tha Great, the unstoppable Model Entrepreneur.

Author:

KJ Tha Great

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3 Mins