After the murder of George Floyd, Miki Wright founded her podcast, Beauty SuperStars Talk, which focuses on the very real and prominent racial issues within the beauty and salon professional industry.
This past Tuesday, Miki Wright featured Faatemah Ampey, the award-winning hair stylist and world class educator, in her episode Salon Survival at Ground Zero with Faatemah Ampey, sponsored by Black Beauty Expo. Faatemah works in beauty inclusion strategy as well, doing the work we need in the beauty industry.
These two amazing ladies speak on the experiences of their past year as salon owners. A year of turmoil, worry, and devastation, and most importantly how they got through it as beauty industry professionals.
The COVID-19 pandemic has affected many stylists’ livelihood, including Miki and Faatemah. Faatemah shares her experience as salon owner during lockdown and how the protests impacted salons such as her own. Faatemah speaks on how she responded: by focusing all of her attention on helping as many people as she could, with food drives and business reopening initiatives.
After twenty years in the industry, Miki and Faatemah give us inspiring and invaluable advice for fellow artists and salon owners. They talk about how to invest in yourself and what to avoid as a talented stylist. They warn about things such as one-time payoffs that may not pay-off the way we would think, and how to ask for (and get) needed funding.
These two powerful women also speak on what changes we need to see in the industry addressing these prominent racial issues. If we have a color chart, where’s our texture chart? If black artists and consumers contribute more to the industry, why are black-owned companies and products separated and minimized on shelves for both professionals and consumers?
We can’t wait for the rest of this month’s upcoming guests as they speak the real truth we all need to hear. We’re going to tune in – how about you?
“This is not a black conversation, but a beauty industry conversation”
“Us small businesses that were able to reopen were hanging on by a thread”
“I really don’t want to see these amazing artists hustle anymore”
“I’ve looked at beauty as one of the most openly segregated spaces in America, and proudly so”
“I think we’ve gotten so used to not being funded… you are worthy, you are good enough, and you deserve the money. Just ask for it”
Go to BeautySuperStars.com to join the conversation!
Listen to the full episode here or wherever you stream.
