We need to talk about young entrepreneurs and (the lack of) professionalism.
While it is nice to see more younger women in entrepreneurship, in this a male-dominated field, it gives me headaches to see what has come along the way with it all. There are plenty of younger women who run their businesses well, but others…….I will never buy from them or be a client again, I tell you that! What brought on these thoughts were some ongoing behaviors I have been seeing on social media, as social media is a tool used to help small businesses get service. It’s for better or for worse. The last straw was the Prince George County hairstylist situation and heart cake discourse.
Jayla Amora, an 18-year-old hairstylist, dragged her 15-year-old client after the client did not give her the money for doing her hair. Numerous things are not right with this incident. While it's understandable why Jayla, the hairstylist, was upset, from one black woman entrepreneur to another, this was unprofessional and not how you handle business. There were other ways Jayla could have dealt with this situation without her putting her hands on her. It’s normal to be upset about money matters, but the way you go about it matters. Jayla made her brand look even worse by meeting with The Shade Room, one of the messiest, most controversial Black media outlets, about the incident.
For one, I do think the 15 was in error for her actions. While she is a child, she's still growing and learning; she also needs to be held accountable for her actions. Where was this girl's parent or guardian? When I was a kid, when I went and got my hair done, my dad stayed in the salon with me. This was a point I saw from a mother saying that her daughter doesn't go and get her hair done if she's not present in the salon with her. Parents need to be present when it comes to things such as hair and nail appointments until their child is of age. The 15-year-old should not have been able to book that appointment on her own. Entrepreneurs need to understand that they can not accept everyone for the sake of getting business. More of them need to establish an 18+ rule.
I am very sick of this binary thinking that goes on with social media discourse; either one is incorrect, or the other isn't regarding business drama. No. A lot is going on in this situation. Numerous people were in the wrong, and this situation could have been avoided if that child's parents were more aware of what was going on with their daughter getting her hair done. While yes helicopter parenting is unhealthy, when money is involved with your children, you need to be present. Also, Jayla did not have to resort to violence. Jayla, the girl, and the girl’s legal guardian are all at fault.
Jayla’s actions were unacceptable in numerous ways, and her behavior opened the door to a more significant issue we have with young entrepreneurs. There have been too many times I have seen a young woman who owns her own business making content where she is basically making fun of her clients, trash-talking clients, or talking down to people who can’t afford her prices. This behavior often happens with the lash tech, nail techs, and hairstylists; recently, it’s been happening with the bakers. This shocked me, and then again, every industry has its own set of unprofessionals. Look at the government.
Last February, people posted on social media that Walmart was selling heart-shaped cakes for $25, and plenty were happy to see because they could finally afford to get that type of cake. After all, cakes like this are often sold by small businesses and usually cost more than $100. There were some bakers online that were upset to see these cakes at Walmart were $25, and they proceeded to talk down to the lower class to try and prove their points. This is where the infamous phrase, “Having a cake for your birthday is a luxury,” comes in. These bakers were talking down to people who didn’t have enough money to purchase a cake from them.
It’s not surprising that people have been going off on one of these bakers because while, yes, they should be paid well for their work, they were also missing the point. They were talking down to people for not having much money! Mind you, they were doing this while promoting their businesses. As I said, people love to use drama to promote their brands nowadays, and it’s a terrible look.
We have got to stop being so nasty when it comes to promoting our businesses. While the catty behavior may get likes and views on social media, it turns people off from wanting your product and service. I specifically avoid beauticians who make this type of content because if you could speak so negatively about your clients, why would I feel comfortable with letting you into my personal space? If you talk down on your customers who can’t afford the highest-priced items on your menu, who knows if you will judge me for purchasing one of the less expensive items you sell?
Professionalism matters so much in business. I don’t want to say “the customer is always right” because sometimes customers can be disrespectful and difficult, but how you react to their actions is essential! Also, sometimes it’s best to keep some opinions to yourself; the cake situation really could have been a private diary entry. No one is perfect; we all have made mistakes with our brands (as I have been very open about a terrible business move I made in 2023, and it was humiliating, but I learned what NOT to do because of it). We need to be wiser with how we use social media and how we treat others, no matter how angry they make us.
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