We had the good fortune of connecting with Renay “bossy” Graham and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Renay “bossy”, we’d love to hear about how you approach risk and risk-taking.
Well meet the risk taker bossy herself .. lol
I’m Renay BOSSY Graham a licensed cosmetologist & educator in hair.
I think about risk as a positive. I know it may sound crazy. Listen without risk I would be nowhere I wouldn’t be sitting in front of you with this interview right now.
In my career I took a risk .I bet on myself because everyone told me that I couldn’t . working for myself would never work for me. I should just go work for some salon.
I believe risk stand for I believe in myself. I can do anything, I put my mind to. put the work, the effort and the planning into doing whatever that is.
For me the plan was to open up a hair salon .I did graduate hair school
I did. Create a brand of extensions that matched every nationality .I accomplished that. create my brand hikey ya gorgeous LLC SALON ™ . Create a safe space where all people were welcomed.
Listen translation bet on yourself I can’t say that enough no one will believe in you like you believe in yourself there is no dream too big or too small get away from people who tell you -you can’t. They’re afraid fear is where dreams go to die. And forget a plan B just expand your plan A.
Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I consider myself as a hair artist. I’m a licensed cosmetologist. Hair is my living breathing canvas.mmkay …lol
I’m a chocolate girl that does vanilla hair. Translation I’m a multicultural hair stylist. I do all women of all nationalities and I’m great at it.. check out my website. Shameless plug yesss..
www.hikeyya gorgeousllc.com .So nothing about my path to success was easy. First off it’s extremely hard to get another culture to believe that you actually can do their hair. Better than the stylist that they already had that looks like them.
When your challenge and your profession is literally what you look like being a chocolate girl .it wasn’t easy. Look I have no give up in me so I went to a cosmetology school full of people who didn’t look like me that was strategic. I made sure that I learned from that side of the fence. Meaning the vanilla hair world 🌍 lol that’s the best way to explain it. I knew black hair since I was a kid. So I wanted to make sure that I was well versed in every culture and every texture of hair because I wanted to make sure that I could service everybody. I had a plan that I would open up my salon I would have a brand that specialized in all women making all women feel and look gorgeous. My challenge with vanilla hair was getting a vanilla woman into my chair. I placed myself in spaces where the women didn’t look like me I passed out my advertisement I use my god-given talent in my personality. And I started to take a chance on me and come and get their hair done the rest is history the moral of the story is you have to believe in yourself don’t let any obstacle get in your way an obstacle something my dad told me and obstacle is only a left turn when you’re supposed to make a slight right translation you can still make the right.lol… there’s no such thing as you can’t do it or it’s too hard there’s always an answer there’s always a way to fix things and to make things go in your favor I’m just very determined I guess
If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Well… I’m a Sagittarius I love to travel. So it just depends on what city we’re in but me and my bestie if we’re in LA we are definitely… Hanging out around Malibu around the beach it’s a lot to do a lot of great restaurants just a real good vibe.. she’s from down south so I will take her to the water that’s why I said Malibu. And I would want to give her a culture shock lol .. if we’re in Dallas definitely deep ellum are uptown Dallas great restaurants great atmosphere amazing drinks .. we’re on the East Coast New York one of my other homes I would say Manhattan all day that’s just a list of things to do if we had two days Harlem yes Harlem amazing food cultures always something to do.. see I’m a traveler.
The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
All my life I have been poured into by strong successful women. I believe each woman gave me the best portion of themselves. I would like to thank the great Maxine Waters congresswoman from Los Angeles California my mother attended her programs and graduated from her business school so I attended too with my mom she’s an amazing woman. My auntie /mom LJ IS INCREDIBLE SHE BELIEVED IN ME WHEN I DIDN’T BELIEVE IN MYSELF. She made sure that I stayed focused on my art and my craft which is hair. She made sure that I followed through with all of my dreams and my goals. Without her I would have never reached out to the national Cancer society. I would have never believe that I could partner with them and participate in their walk and have a booth. I would have never started a portion of my business , where I make and provide wigs for cancer patients. My dad Michael I have to thank him for being a great dad. He was a girl dad before it was popular my dad gave me the very thing that drives me to this day my determination. I have no stop and no give up. And I’m completely fearless. My favorite book the 48 laws of power was given to me by my dad. At a very early age I was like a preteen.lol he taught me the true meaning of that book chapter by chapter and how to use it correctly.
So grateful to him for being a real stand up man. I was able to avoid all of the dumb young girl stuff. My granny Brenda God bless her soul she gave me my relationship with God she taught me about the Bible. She never used it as a weapon he taught me that everybody’s walk with God and everybody’s walk into Faith was different. Gave me my faith. My grandma annGod bless her soul. She gave me my business savvy. She was an incredible designer and seamstress. She taught me to be independent she taught me I can do anything I want to do, by myself that I didn’t need help. She taught me that my talent can take me around the world and back. My Aunt Blanche God bless her soul. Gave me my love of traveling. She told me to be cultured and to continue to learn. And never put myself in a box. This is where me being a unicorn and the hair world comes in at I’m a chocolate girl that does incredible vanilla hair ..lol..she’s the reason that I was brave enough to do vanilla hair. My grandma Louise and her sister my auntie Havana taught me that being independent is okay. Being single is okay. Being successful is okay. Putting myself first is okay. Choosing to have kids or to not have kids or to have a family later in life or to not have a family. To just be a businesswoman a successful happy business woman it’s okay either choice I make that again is my choice so I’m grateful to all of these women and my dad.
Website: https://www.hikeyyagorgeousllc.com
Instagram: @hikeyysalon314
Facebook: renayHIKEY
Yelp: hikeyyagorgeousllc salon
Youtube: @INSIDEHIKEYLIFE323
Other: For any business inquiries are collaborations or questions
Email hikeyyagorgeous@gmail.com
Image Credits
All images photos taken and owned by hikey ya gorgeous LLC SALON
Makeup -makeupbymaklaya
Eyebrows by tahara aesthetics