The Hustle Is Real: Millionaire Hair Stylist

By Dionne James

Dionne James brings you the story of a talent that began at the age of 5, evolving into a rewarding and ever-changing passion. Experience her journey of trials and tribulations and learn how to thrive within an industry where your hustle is the truest form of survival. Here lies the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge at reaching millionaire status. Perhaps you are just beginning your journey in the hair industry. Maybe you are a new business owner or have been doing the same things with little results, Dionne takes you on a ride, exposing all of the highs and lows a Master Stylist faces throughout her career. With a passion to help others succeed both financially and spiritually, The Hustle is Real will surely become the go-to book for salon owners, industry moguls, and entrepreneurs everywhere. In The Hustle is Real, you will learn: • How to save 1 million dollars • How to diversify your income • How to build your clientele • How to make money while you sleep • How to build a legacy

• Language: English
• Publisher: Dionne James
• Release date: Dec 3, 2020
• ISBN: 9780463902615

Dionne James

Dionne currently lives in Atlanta Ga with her youngest daughter. She spends most of her time at her salon in Buckhead doing what she enjoys the most. Hair.Once a month she and her cousins feed and supply toiletries to the homeless. Giving back to the community has always been a rewarding experience that continues to fill her with gratitude.Once upon a time, Dionne was the opening act at a rap concert for Biz Markie, and every now and then she still likes to get on the mic and recite a few lines.

Book preview

To The Hustle is Real

Every now and then you’ll meet someone that will give you an opportunity to be great. These opportunities will not only challenge you, but will also teach you that others need you to be great in order to facilitate their greatness.

During my career I’ve had the opportunity to publish several international beauty publications featuring my fashion and beauty photography seen around the world. I also produce beauty shows and own a successful photo studio in Atlanta, GA. These accomplishments didn’t come easy, but they did come. At the beginning of my journey to success was a young lady from NYC, who I met working in my mothers salon that gave me an opportunity to be great, this lady, was Dionne James.

From the time Dionne hit the beauty scene as a smooth female hustler from NYC, she had one thing in mind, ‘SUCCESS’. Thankfully, I fell in line with her plans of success as she fortified her braiding career through the opening of her flagship salon business ‘Essence of Braiding & Weaving’. From braiding hair, to creating educational platforms, to real estate deals and most recently developing beauty products, Dionne has travelled the world of entrepreneurship and back again.

In the business world, we call greatness, ‘Success’, and now after decades of success, Dionne is sharing her experience of greatness with the world. In this book, you’ll find out what it took for Dionne to reach her greatness and find out what it will take for you to not only be great, but what it will also take for you to be a Success.

Fasten your seatbelts, because ‘THE HUSTLE IS REAL’!

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Foreword by Weldon Bond

Weldon Bond is the Owner of Weldon Bond Studios, Publisher of Black Beauty Magazine and Founder of the Black Beauty Expo.

Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t. So that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t. – Unknown

The Hustle is Real

I need you to know that the hustle is real. The hustle you have inside you to become more than just a hairstylist is only the catalyst to achieve something even more extraordinary. So much more. So much richer. I am talking about going after some major dreams. The American Dream is still alive and kicking.

I am a girl from Queens, New York, where the hustle and bustle were a big part of my culture. There was never a dull moment from the regular 9-5 workers to street vendors, drug sales reps, and panhandlers. I’ve always found it interesting how one can create their destiny. I discovered mine at a very young age. Or did it find me?

Hair.

That one word has allowed me to express myself, enhance other people’s beauty, and make a lot of money.

Whether you are fresh out of cosmetology school, renting a booth or salon suite, opening a new salon, or trying to find your lane within this vast field, I am sure that there is something in this book that will take you to the next level. The beauty industry is competitive; however, there is enough money for everyone. Cosmetology is a billion dollar industry with exponential opportunities beyond your wildest dreams. The trick is your desire to be one of the best so that you, too, can obtain financial freedom.

Following the steps in this book will probably lead you into the unknown. I can promise you that you will fail along the way. And you will struggle as you climb the moving escalator towards your dream. I have failed many times. It’s cliche, but not trying is the only thing worst than failure.

You have to take a chance on YOU. You just need to recognize your lane as well as your limitations. I’m going to help you figure that out with ‘The Hustle Is Real.’

My own failures? There have been some doozies on my way to incredible financial success. There was that time I decided to open a manufacturing company that processes human hair from start to finish. Even better, I was going to cut out the middleman.

I spent $20,000 to take a class. I would purchase raw Indian hair, process it, sew it onto the tracks, and sell it. No one could’ve changed my mind about this!

I drove to Florida on Thanksgiving with my three girls. Eunique, my oldest, said, Mom, are you serious about having Thanksgiving dinner at Golden Corral!

Yes, honey, we have to do things that make us uncomfortable to achieve our goals, I explained.

Sojourner and Enyah both were just happy for a road trip that included a hotel with a pool. I told them this would be our mini-vacation, except we were working together as a family.

Upon our arrival at the class, they accompanied me because it was one on one. The girls helped me sort the human hair, and they also videotaped me while I sewed the hair to the tracks. As a single mom, I decided early that my children wouldn’t be a crutch or an excuse never to follow through. They had to learn first that sacrifice comes before success. The course included training on the proper usage of a commercial sewing machine and how to add hair to the tracks. This is a winner! I repeated to myself during the process.

I had rented a pick-up truck so that I could bring all of the equipment back with me. What was I thinking? I couldn’t lift the machinery because it was so heavy! It was only when I got back that I realized there was no way to process this hair with acid and chemicals. I had no desire to do any of that. I would buy the hair processed and packaged and make more money.

That’s what I do today. I find the right vendor, and I buy my hair in bulk quantities at a wholesale rate to get the best price. This process also takes some time because you have to sort out different vendors and test the hair before purchasing on a wholesale level.

Many salon owners use this method, and they have become much smarter. Once shopping became available for everyone on platforms like AliExpress and Alibaba, salon owners and anyone with the urge to start a human hair distribution company finally had access.

The experience was a real lesson in time equals money. I made $4,000 on that first hair distribution venture. I lost $16,000.

It was an expensive lesson on learning my limitations. I thought that processing human hair would take me to the next level.

Purchasing raw virgin unprocessed hair translates into hair that still has the cuticle intact; it has not been chemically processed. The hair is usually coming from a single donor. The price is higher because it has not been processed.

Processed hair has been chemically treated during production to alter its original texture. The hair is soaked in a highly acidic bath to strip it of its cuticles and remove all of the strands’ natural characteristics. The entire process takes at least 24 hours for each batch.

During the class I was exhausted but still optimistic. The chemicals were not only dangerous but hard to purchase. I only sold the hair I processed during the course. I had no desire to do it again.

Another time I thought I could successfully expand and open a second location in Portsmouth, Virginia. This first salon in Richmond is doing well, I concluded. I should open up another one, I thought.

I learned quickly that I was only one person. I didn’t take into account that I’d have to find good people. In the beginning, you have to be present. I couldn’t be in Portsmouth and back in Richmond at the same time. I eventually had to close that second salon. Ambition outweighed readiness.

These failures were not fun. I felt defeated because, in my mind, I just knew they were going to work. I should have been able to figure it out. As much as they hurt, I can tell you that each of my failures has been a gift. At the very least, I could say, Okay, I know what I don’t want to do.

The manufactured hair company was a $16,000 lesson. At least I knew when to quit. Some people can’t see that. They keep trying the same thing with the same results. Me? I believe the numbers. If I’m not making any money from it, I’m ready to fold and try something else.

Self-confidence and lack of ego will help you start all over when defeated. While I have failed at many projects,

it did not stop me. It just gave me more knowledge and the fuel to go another round.

If you love making people feel good about themselves you are in the right profession. It starts and ends with you loving what you do.

Becoming a successful businesswoman was not my original plan. I naturally implemented some basics: Purpose, Passion, Drive, Consistency. And I found my way to success with this equation.

I went from making pennies to 20,000 a month.

I promise, if you start with this simple yet disciplined method, you too will begin to see significant momentum. Your purpose, your passion, and your plan are the ingredients to a successful stew.

I wrote this book to share some of my experiences and wisdom to add value to your life, inspire growth, and make your personal hustle a true success.

Cut from a Different Cloth

"By the age of 9 or 10, I knew that I had to cut my own cloth and make my own