Master hairstylist and serial entrepreneur, Kenniqua “Nuk†Jones, strives to impact, empower, lead and employ through her art and five thriving brands: Styles by Nuk ©, Salon 215 Elite, Ecuaj Hair Care, #Nuk Nation and DO IT SCARED. A Philly native, Nuk‘s career truly began when she resigned from her role in a Fortune 500 company and used the money she saved to attend cosmetology school. In 2011, she earned her license. Internaliz
ing business and management lessons learned from working in corporate America, Nuk opened Salon 215 Elite, a hair salon specializing in natural hair care, and she’s had no reason to look back since. Based in Conyers, GA, Salon 215 Elite is known to be a vibe. Its glam squad of 17 beauty professionals specializes in silk presses, colors, cuts, lashes and more.
Patrice: What is your Swagher? What makes Nuk, Nuk?
Nuk: I’m open, raw, and unapologetic! I live out loud and fearlessly in business! I lead a tribe of thousands of entrepreneurs to Do It Scared, all while being a wife, mom, hairstylist, salon owner, product CEO, and Brand Ambassador for several beauty brands. I’m a mentor, content creator, branding enthusiast and overall Boss Jawn! I’m humble as ever, but aware that I’m rare… if that’s a thing.
Patrice: What was the inspiration to starting your own business as a master hair stylist?
Nuk: I’ve always loved the hair industry and knew I couldn’t be average. I knew and understood the importance of finding your niche and standing out in your field. I quickly became an expert in the natural hair field, specifically the Silk Press technique. My inspiration came from being from a low-income environment, where options were limited and I was often teased about the texture of my hair. It spurred me to learn more about black hair and how to best manage it.
Patrice: Most average women who desires to be a hair stylist start out as a shampoo assistant before going to cosmetology school. For women who wants to purse the same career as you, what piece of advice would you give them to getting their foot in the door?
Nuk: You absolutely have to pay your dues! Yes, get in the salon, close your mouth and LEARN first. Even if you have a license, there’s so much you don’t know, until you are absorbed in the life. My first job in life was a shampoo assistant while in High School, and that was where my passion and creativity was honed. I got to see the different hair types, client types, and how to handle client conflict. You build your endurance for full days in the salon and get to master the most important part of the service- the shampoo!
Patrice: Natural hair is continuously growing in the hair industry and a lot of women (young and old) have decided to go back to their natural roots. You opened up your salon called ‘Salon 215 Elite’ that specializes in natural hair. What steps and precautions do you take making sure the hair is healthy?
Nuk: We stick to the basics of proper procedure for natural haircare. So many salons are getting away from the basics, such as shampooing the client prior to the service. There are guidelines for sanitation and proper cleansing of the hair and scalp. We are a treatment-based salon, so not only are we shampooing every client, but we are providing beneficial options for dry hair, damaged hair, colored hair, or loc’d hair. We offer detoxes, protein treatments, honey treatments, and the like.
Patrice: Have you styled any celebrity’s hair in your journey? If not, whose hair would you like to style and why?
Nuk: All of my clients are celebrities! But if I had to put my bid in for someone, I think I’d be a great hairstylist for Michelle Obama, and women like her, who although are in the spotlight, still choose to wear their own, natural hair. I’m professional, knowledgeable and could offer her a fun, relaxed environment, allowing her to be herself while being pampered by me. I have enough faith in my talents to ensure she would experience optimal hair growth in my care.
Patrice: Being an entrepreneur has its ups and downs. What challenges have you faced and how did you find a solution for them?
Nuk: Challenges Shmallenges… It’s all a part of entrepreneurship. There’s no reward without risk, sweat, hard work, and failure. Adjusting your mindset to understanding that early in the process allows you to enjoy the process. You won’t get discouraged by failure if you knew it was possible, normal and expected in business. Being an entrepreneur means loss of friendships, strained relationships, lost investments, and lack of sleep. Adapting to these changes is the key to success. You have to prepare yourself for greatness, which often requires isolation anyway; to focus, align, and strategize. You’ll make new friends, business relationships, investors, and hire help along the way. Then you can sleep….
Patrice: Tell us more about ‘Ecyaj†hair product line. You named it after your daughter and it will be hers to own when she turns 18! What an awesome gift and business for her!
Nuk: I’ve always believed in giving your child something better than Jordan’s and an extravagant prom. Those things are superficial and depreciates the day after. I want to give her something most kids don’t get– generational wealth, if possible. I simply wanted to give her a chance. A head start. An option. A leg up. When I started Ecyaj Hair Care, which is her name Jayce, spelled backwards, it served two purposes. The second being something of quality that I could offer to my clients in the salon and for at home maintenance, all while increasing my bottom line and leveraging my spending on products. Having something to use AND retail was the chess move.
Patrice: Why do you feel that hair care is so important within the African American community?
Nuk: Our hair is our crown, and sometimes just one bad haircare decision or experience can lead to permanent damage to the hair or scalp. What we do as stylists isn’t a “luxury”, but more of a necessity. Just as you wouldn’t want to wait until a tooth rots to seek professional dental help, waiting until your hair needs extreme help before entering a salon is also ill-advised. Understanding how to properly care for your curls is super important, not only for a woman’s self-esteem, but overall hygiene, as the scalp is an extension of the skin.
Patrice: With all the different hair care products on the market, what makes ‘Ecyaj†hair care products unique from other products? Any particular ingredients used?
Nuk: What makes Ecyaj Hair Care so special is that it’s formulated for ALL hair types, not a specific “curl type”. Some of our products are made with real honey, vitamin E, keratin protein, charcoal and argon oil. Whether your crown is wavy, kinky, lose or coiled, all of our products are high in moisture, and most are certified organic, and even vegan friendly.
Patrice: You created an e-planner called ‘Nooks by Nuks’ which is a very impressive name. What was the motivation behind that project?
Nuk: Being a hairstylist is great, and can allow you to be locally known, but Branding yourself allows you to reach a broader audience, and essentially allow you to be internationally known. On my social media, I would often drop branding and marketing gems or “nooks” that I knew my tribe would appreciate in business. I later began receiving inquiries for classes and one-on-ones on how to start a business. I knew that some would not be able to afford a class with me, so I decided to start drafting an E-Book, so that anybody could get my class “in a nutshell”. It started with a Branding Checklist, and grew from there. It now includes a goal tracker, brand consistency chart, website checklist, price list guide, content calendar and more!
Patrice: What is next for Nuk?
Nuk: You’ll honestly just have to wait and see, because I don’t even know honestly LOL. I’ve learned to just keep working and eventually things start to come together. I have several projects in the making and I don’t want to count any eggs before they hatch. I’m just grinding for now, and keeping my eyes on my own paper. I’m a dreamer and a hard worker, so I’m confident that whatever is for me, is for me. Just know that I’ll always share my journey, successes and losses, to motivate the next hustler to get started.
Connect with Nuk:
Subscribe to #Nuknation www.stylesbynuk.com
IG: @stylesbynuk
@ecyajhaircare
Patrice Rivers is a certified journalist and freelance writer who has written a total of nine books. Besides being a writer, she is the owner and creator of That Riverz Gurl Brand LLC and Let’s Talk Cell Talk which is a health platform to bring awareness to Sickle Cell Disease. Learn more about Patrice by visiting her website at www.thatriverzgurlbrandllc.comÂ
