We had the good fortune of connecting with Nuri Crenshaw and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Nuri, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
I always knew I’d be an Entrepreneur, but I didn’t know how/when it would happen. One day, I felt like God was calling me to do more, and the idea of starting a hair extensions brand grew from there. I have a condition called Trichotillomania; it causes me to pull my hair out. To limit my access to my hair, I found myself investing considerable amounts of money in wigs and hair extensions. Through that process, I realized that the hair I purchased wasn’t always the best quality, and I wasn’t receiving a high-end or luxury experience to match my expensive investment. And it was out of those experiences that my brand was born. I wanted my brand to give women much of what I was missing–that “wow” factor with the product and the packaging.

What should our readers know about your business?
My business is rooted in the, idea of women deserving luxury. I think it’s so easy for us to make up excuses why we don’t deserve nice things and I try to use my platform to dispel that thought. Women change their hairstyles often and I feel like my brand embraces that constant change by offering hair extensions that meet those needs. I may not be the typical CEO of a hair extensions brand because I am not a hairstylist. But what I am is a student of my industry. Was it easy? Absolutely not. The countless hours, days, weeks, and months dedicated to research were the catalyst of my brand’s evolution. The late night and early morning communication with vendors, the money invested in testing products, the energy that went into designing and sourcing my packaging, and even the time I spent learning code so my website would offer that same luxury experience all point to one thing–that I am determined to deliver a brand that would make my support system proud and would be pleasing to God.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
That’s easy! My friends feel like family, so I’d take them to some of my go-to spots. Eating would consist of visiting my favorite places: Pangea Restaurant and Bar for the best food, music, and vibes; Hugo’s Invitados for great cocktails and IG-worthy pictures; and no Dallas trip is complete without some of the best seafood, and home cooking at Aunt Irene’s in South Dallas. For activities, I am a huge music lover. So I would take friends to Sandaga 813 in Fair Park to catch any of their themed nights or Eddie V’s for smooth jazz or catch a movie at iPic Theaters. I also watch my Eventbrite app pretty heavily to look for upcoming events or festivals. As a small business, I love being able to support other small businesses, especially those local to Dallas or Houston.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Any success I’ve achieved is first due to my Father in heaven. I am who I am because of His love and grace toward me. Because He loves me, He made sure that there were people in my life who would always be supportive of my endeavors. I am thankful for my mother, sister, and niece–they didn’t laugh when I told them about my business idea. I am grateful for my husband, who would listen as I vented about the struggles with preparing for my launch and would come to the office at 3 AM and make me go to bed. He’s been my biggest advocate. I am also thankful for my close friends who knew about me building a business and offered constructive criticism and countless words of encouragement.

 

Website: www.shopsoluxehair.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/soluxehairco

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/soluxehair

Other: I’ve also started a design business aimed at helping small businesses and creatives with the digital designs they need to be successful on social media. I wanted to honor my grandmother, who passed when I was 12. She was such a beautiful person, and I miss her tremendously. So Katherine Kole Design Studio is dedicated to one of the softest, most incredible people I have ever met. I hope she’s proud of me.

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