We love our members! We recently asked our members to share their stories with us. Follow along on our blog and we will be highlighting Suite Elite members throughout the year!
Freda Brown
The Loc Shop: Love Your Locs
Salon Plaza Metro Center
Hyattsville, MD
- A little background about Freda Brown: Freda has her Bachelor’s Degree in business administration. She is originally from Philadelphia and went to college on eastern shore of Maryland. She worked as a financial analyst for a company for four years and in that time was then assigned to Delaware. While living in Delaware, her friends and future husband all lived in Washington, DC. She was constantly going back and forth from D.C. to Delaware and eventually moved to Washington, DC and worked at the VA office close to DC. The original owner of the Loc Shop was looking for an assistant part time. Freda said she loved doing hair but not for a career and continued with her finance career while working part time at the Loc Shop. In this time, she learned a lot about caring for dreadlocks and African American hair. In 2006, Freda decided to officially go to Cosmetology school and by 2008 was doing hair full time. The Loc Shop was eventually sold to Freda in January 2009.
- Why the beauty industry? I didn’t seek it out intentionally and didn’t think I fit in but now I know it is what I was meant to do.
- What does owning your own business mean to you? It means independence, it means freedom, it means connection. I get to connect with so many people. When stylists become experienced, they don’t want to be behind the chair but I enjoy connecting with people and hearing their stories. Everyday is different and those were my complaints with corporate America. Everyday is different and I love that level of freedom and independence.
- How has it impacted your life? Initially a struggle because I didn’t have clients. But now it allows me to go to my son’s field trips or be able to do drop off in the morning and not have to rush. I can build my own schedule. I have been able to take one week off every month in the summer for the past 3 or 4 years. I have been able to create more traditions around travel with my family.
- What piece of advice would you have for a new members just starting out? Work hard to make money, hustle, put yourself out there and don’t be embarrassed. Do enough to scale down. Learn as much as possible and do as many services as you can and be open to different techniques and approaches.
- What do you love about the Suite Life? I love the freedom that Salon Plaza offers without the overhead. I like that there are certain things I’m not responsible for and I appreciate that and what that offers.
Image Credit: D Finney Photography + Design
