Today we’d like to introduce you to Heidi Akpaette.
Hi Heidi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve always loved doing hair. My Barbie Doll’s had updos and braids. I made my little sister have updos for piano recitals, and my neighbor friends had their hair done for backyard photoshoots with our polaroid camera. In high school, I was a go-to person for school dance hairstyles, and that continued into college. Then friends started to get married, and I was asked to do wedding hair for the first time! Friends’ weddings turned into friends of friends, and soon I put out a little Craigslist ad to drum up a little side business. I continued to do wedding hair here and there while exploring different career paths. I was a personal trainer, a coach, a special ed teacher assistant, a doula, worked for my church and non-profits….all while loving hair. I decided to get my cosmetology license when I was 25 and attended the Aveda Institute in Minneapolis. This launched me into working in salons, all while running my little side wedding hair business. Well, long story short I ended up saying goodbye to salon life and all the other careers I was trying out to say hello to my wedding hair business full time: my first love 🙂
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It’s been a long journey of learning. I knew how to do hair, but didn’t necessarily know how to run a business. I’ve spent a LOT of time and money pursuing education specific to the wedding industry to learn how be successful in my specific business. The struggles, in the beginning, were figuring out how to market myself, how to price myself, and lots of small things like building a website. As my business grew, I had to learn how to hire a team and run efficient practices. The learning curve has been big, but it has been fun to see how much I’ve been able to teach myself along the way!
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I started out just doing wedding updos for friends and family. Now, I’ve got 10 contractors on my team and a virtual assistant. We can serve multiple weddings in a weekend, and provide both hair and makeup. I’m so proud of the company I’ve built that really serves brides! I love giving a peaceful, calm, and professional experience to every bride on their wedding day morning. I pride myself on making the whole process of working with my company easy from start to finish.
My company name has a number in it: 139. That comes from Psalm 139 in the Bible. That verse talks about how we are created in God’s image: being fearfully and wonderfully made. I keep that in mind with every bride I serve: I not only want her to look beautiful, but I want to her feel the most beautiful she ever has, from the inside out, on her wedding day. I want brides to know and feel that they are created beautifully, in just who they are. How amazing is it that we get to use the beauty of makeup and hair on our wedding day to experience feeling the most beautiful we ever have?? It’s such an honor to be invited into the sacred space of a wedding.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Oh yes! Networking is everything. Go to as many networking groups that you can-and stick with it! It is awkward in the beginning; I know this firsthand. But push through the discomfort and keep showing up. See how you can contribute to others. Show up. Ask questions. Volunteer. Be interested in others. You’ll create lasting relationships, support for your business, and grow in ways you couldn’t have imagined! I go to big networking events and also small ones, and I’m a member of more than one. I don’t necessarily have a mentor in my industry, but I’ve learned from people along the way through these events, coffee dates, and even just following people I admire on social media. Networking is gold for your business!
Contact Info:
- Email: heidi@139hairbyheidi.com
- Website: www.139hairbyheidi.com
- Instagram: @139hairbyheidi
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/139hairbyheidi
Image Credits
Lauren Baker photography
Tiffany Kokal Photography
Rachel Lahlum Photography
Shane Long Photographer
