Meet Aissetou Thompson | Hair braider/stylist

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

Hi Aissetou, why did you pursue a creative career?
I am naturally a creative person. My mind is always at work, busy putting things together. I love articulating what I think into what I do and that to me is art. Choosing an artistic/ creative career is almost like part of me. That’s how I express myself. The excitement that comes with doing different hairstyles and meeting different people is a wonderful feeling because it satisfies my creative mind and satisfies our clients as well.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I am a professional hair braider. We specialize in braids. To name a few, Senegalese twists, single braids, cornrows, passion twists, spring twists, faux locs, butterfly locs, locs start up, locs retwists, and more. No it has not been a smooth road every time. One of the challenges that I experienced early on was the relationship I’ve had with a few clients when I moved to a new location. I’ve lost some of my old clients because they preferred the privacy of a small, more one on one like interaction which my previous location was providing but as business expanded I had to receive more clients and I eventually had to move to a bigger space. Another challenge was the fact that some clients were so used to me that they preferred no one else but me specifically to do their hair but it is challenging at times because they book at the same time on the same day and I can only afford to satisfy a few of them in that stance. One other challenge is the old way of booking our client’s appointment. When we first started, we took appointments manually but the more clients we had we were missing on taking a few clients which caused us to be open every Sunday but we eventually found a good booking site which helped us with taking appointments much easily. Not only it is convenient for us but it is convenient for our clientele as well. I can go on and on but because I’m passionate about doing braids and seeing people look and feel good about their hair after they leave our salon, I was able to overcome some of the challenges that came my way.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I would first take them to Capital Grill for a nice meal, then we will head to uptown to explore the city more.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My husband Diangelo Thompson Thompson was my biggest supporter while embarking in this business Journey. My business partner Appo Sophie Collins also played a huge role in motivating me.

Website: Braidsbyivory1.Booksy.com

Instagram: @braidsbyivory

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