FEATURED ARTICLE
Imani Adams Tells Her Story
Since I was a little girl, I knew I wanted to do hair. At around 7 years old, I would play with my mom, grandma, and god-sister’s hair. I would even do my dolls’ hair. Whenever I got my hair done, I would ask my stylist certain things like, “how do you braid like this?” They would show me, and later I would go home and practice what I learned until I got it right.
As I grew into my teen years, I realized that I didn’t want to just be a stylist, I wanted to own my own salon. I started off braiding my own hair and showing it off, which drew in a few clients for me. At 12 years old, my parents had me go into the salon where I got my hair done and ask the owner if I could work there. I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing or what I wanted to do. So, the owner told me I could start off as a shampoo girl. Being in a salon with four different stylists and another shampoo girl, doing what I loved doing, opened my eyes. Every day I was taught something new and every day I became better and better. I knew that was what I wanted… being in a salon full of beautiful, strong, intelligent, bright, God fearing women. I loved it!
A few months later, my boss told me that she was getting a salon of her own while the rest of the women joined another salon together. I was sad that I wouldn’t be working with the other stylists anymore.
As my boss was settling into her new building, she went through quite a few shampoo girls, but she never let me go because she saw something in me.
She knew how dedicated I was and saw greater in me than I saw in myself.
Growing older and becoming more aware of the world that I was never exposed to, I began to see a lot of young, black females who were successful business owners. I loved it. I loved seeing successful black women who didn’t let fear, doubt, rumors, or anything else stop their glow. They were bosses. These women came from having nothing to having everything one could only imagine. I wanted it. I was ready to be exposed to the world of little worries, as where I came from, worrying is all everyone did. I was ready to be exposed
"....I began to see a lot of young, black females who were successful business owners."
"I was ready to be exposed to the world
of peace and happiness, as where I came from everyone was stressed and not happy
with their lives."