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In today’s world, entrepreneurship is no longer limited by age or gender. Young entrepreneurs are emerging in various fields, and they are making a significant impact on society. One such inspiring story is of Kishanna McLeod, a young entrepreneur who is making waves by braiding hair.
Meet 23-year-old Kishanna McLeod, of Onverwagt, West Coast, Berbice. Kishanna has always been attracted to hair. However, it began after she donned an extension for the first time to graduate from high school.
She said, “My mother did it, and I recall thinking to myself, “That’s easy to do.” As a result, I felt confident about doing my own hair.”
After that, she began working on her own hair by using various techniques such as crocheting, sewing extensions, braiding, and various hairstyles because she believed that if she could do it on herself, anyone could. With practice, McLeod became fascinated by hair and styling, and spent most of her free time practising different braiding techniques on her friends and family members.
Her talent and passion for hair styling soon caught the attention of her community, and people started to seek her services, as she advertised her work via social media platforms.
“At the school dorms, I continued to braid my colleagues’ hair, which caused my passion and talent to develop. When I returned home on weekends, I also braided my mom’s friend’s hair and then I said to myself that I’ll do hair as my side gig,” McLeod told this publication.
Further she noted that she is always up for the challenge when it comes to doing hair.
After completing training, she started working and her work colleagues (Colisha, Samatha and Ms.Andrea) were her motivation crew, as they encouraged me by making appointments and for my gift exchange.
For her birthday, her colleagues gifted her hair equipment, as they were very determined for her to launch her business and now in 2023, she launched a hair business, called Kish’s Touch.
For Kishanna, having a government job and a side business is a bold step, but it is manageable because she gets to effectively manage her time. Before launching her business, she worked on branding and marketing herself.
Initially, one of her main challenges was finding clients, managing her finances, overthinking, and worrying if the clients would be satisfied and if they would respect her time.
However, over time, her clients were satisfied with the services offered, and they also helped to disseminate her services to others. Many of her clients noted that she pays attention to detail, and has excellent customer service. Her achievements may not be much but she is proud of overcoming fear and as well as being more time efficient. Her success story is not only inspiring, but also a testament to her power of hard work, passion and determination.
Kishanna’s story shows that with the right mindset, skills and support anyone can run a successful business. Her passion for business has not only provided her with income but a sense of fulfilment and purpose. Her story highlights that with determination and hard work, anyone can turn their passion into a business.
In the future, McLeod plans to be a certified hairstylist, have her salon and expand her business, thereby providing employment for other young people.
“To the persons out there that are overthinking about making a start for your hair business or any small business, I implore you to take a step forward, and start. As Nike said, ‘Just do it.’ Like me, you can make it. Find your passion and research, as starting a business can be challenging, but you can learn from your failures. Network, take risks, put aside pride & the negatives, and make a start,” is Kishana’s advice to budding entrepreneurs
