Legendary Businesswoman Nadia Vassell is Listening to Her Heart
Introduce yourself using your most favorite word. Why does this word resonate with who you are as a person?
I am industrious Nadia, and I’m a professional hairstylist, salon owner, and product developer. I started my business in 2010, just a little bit after the financial crisis of 2007 and 2008. Unable to access funding from financial institutions, I tapped into personal savings and funded my business ventures. The word industrious resonates with me because of my upbringing, I grew up in a rural Montego Bay, Jamaica.
My grandfather farmed the land and raised livestock, my grandmother would then on Saturdays travel for miles to sell these organic tropical fruits and vegetables in the market. My father was the same, a carpenter, had a local grocery store in the community, grew his own crops. My mother, also is very hard-working and diligent, and was devoted to the families and companies she’d worked for.
How did you become the person you are today?
I am the person I am today because of the experiences I’ve had throughout my life. You can either let those experiences stifle you and hold you back from progressing and living a fulfilling and authentic life, or you can take those experiences head on and adapt an attitude of I am not my story, I will overcome and be successful at whatever I put my mind to.
Tell us about your business?
I opened my name sake The Nadia Vassell Salon about 11 years ago after working with an extensive list of celebrity clientele, creating hairstyles for music videos, magazines, and TV appearances. In 2015 we created our own private label hair care brand called Hair Freaq™ which is used exclusively in the salon.
When is the last time you took a leap of faith in your business
The last time I took a leap of faith in my business was 11 years ago when I opened the salon. Since then I have been featured on The Dr. Oz show, I have given back to my community and the future continues to look bright for us.
Tell us one current business goal that you are working on?
I am between cities and we are looking to take our business to the Miami area.
Who or what inspires your?
What inspires me the most in business is the feedback we receive from customers. I enjoy reading and hearing the positive reviews, but I also welcome the negative ones because this gives my business the opportunity to improve our products or services ensuring that their next encounter with our business is a pleasant one.
How do you handle hardships when things don’t go as planned?
I think COVID-19 is a great example for when things don’t go as planned. In March 2020 we were forced to close the salon because of the pandemic and as a way to protect ourselves and our communities.
During this time I focused on my business and formulated new ways in which we can continue to thrive under such uncertainties. Since my clients aren’t able to see me, how best can I still serve them? The solution was custom wig making services.
With any business, you will face some hardship, being positive, and remaining resilient are important elements in overcoming hardships.
At what pivotal moment in your life/business have you experienced a breakthrough?
When I decided to let go of certain situations that weren’t in alignment with what I was asking the universe for.
How did that experience shape the person you are today?
This experience has shaped me into the person I am today, I’m calm, I don’t sweat the small stuff and always remember that things get better, whether that’s in your personal life or in your business.
Where do you find beauty?
I see beauty all around me, I see beauty in the early mornings at the beautiful sunrise. I find beauty in stillness, in nature, and being at peace with ourselves and others.
Why are you the person to do what you do?
Because I have a deep rooted passion for doing hair from a very young age. I do what I do with honesty and integrity and hair is a language that I understand very well.
What is your saying/mantra in life?
When I was a little girl growing up in Jamaica, I had big dreams to travel, see the world and become a success in whatever I chose as a career.
Dream big, align yourself with people and things who also trust and believe in your process.
