By Bianca Iboma-Emefu
In a bid to curb the amount of damaged hair women experience and her desire to see African women glow and be the best they can ever be, Nkechi Sarah Ahanor-Wilson began her hair brand and beauty business.
She started making custom wigs completely, after she had a health challenge that affected her hair. “I went with my daughter and domestic staff to a salon to have my hair made. But as I sat down patiently waiting for the stylist to attend to it, amazingly, the hairstylist all declined, as they informed each other, inform of a jest that my hair has lots of breakage.
“I had hair breakage, due to my health challenge. I having issues with my health at that time.
After, I witnessed the treatment at the salon, I actually left with my daughter and staff. I zoomed off and never returned to that salon again.
“It was getting bad,I had to wear beret, around 2011. I got broken and was depressed for months,I started wearing beret, because I didn’t want to go to salon. One day I was passing and saw a lady by the store, she was making wigs and I tried some that I liked them and started wearing them. I got used to wearing wigs after about three months. I got a revelation one day playing with my daughter and I slept off, I caught this words”
Why not turn your pain into gain by beautifying other women. As I saw every woman as a queen. So “I decided to use the hashtag on Instagram (IG). I address my customers as queen because I make them feel special by calling them queen. I have testimonies from women how my brand make them feel good.
“That was how the journey began and I have been working my way through all the protective styles: braids, crochet, sew-ins, etc and I decided I wanted to try a wig. I started off with a beauty supply unit, just to ease my way into the wig life, but I quickly realized I needed a more high-end product with greater longevity.
“Although I was a vendor for someone’s brand before I started mine.
However, investing in my pain brought me huge profit. It was the solution to my hair damaged caused by my health challenge that informed my decision in venturing into the hair and beauty industry.
Also, my passion has kept me going in this industry, it’s not an industry where you can get funding because it’s not tech. If government can invest in hair and beauty business, it would go a long way in addressing some the challenges women face, aside creating job for the women folks.
“For many people, hair is synonymous with professionalism and beauty, which in turn makes them feel confident; this is true not only for women but also for the majority of men. Hair is a vital feature of everyone’s overall self-image.
Many women today will spend endless hours simply trying to cover up their hair problem by making use of extensions, or attachments, as they are mostly called in Nigeria so as to cover up and maintain their self-esteem. To address these issues, the human and synthetic hair industry has provided solutions in the form of hair attachments and weaves.
“Hair is not just a woman’s value but her identify. For most African women and Black women of African descent, their relationship with their hair is akin to a love affair.
“Women are passionate with their hair. Much time, money and hours of research are spent browsing, shopping and finding just the right formula for the care and styling of their hair.
“In African culture, hair is not only valuable, it is also a part of one’s identity.
“Hair and hair styles communicate everything from age, marital status, ethnic identity, family background, religion, wealth, geographic region and societal rank. Hair’s aesthetic appeal, length and health also have spiritual significance for some African cultures. The importance of hair care and the pride and place of hair care professionals in African communities dated back to pre-colonial era.
“Women hair style is influenced by social, economic changes. With numerous hair brands entering the market, the global market for hair attachments is rapidly expanding. Nigeria is now one of the preferred investment destinations for international hair companies seeking to enter the beauty and personal care market.
“Doing business has been so tough and challenging, I have had several goods missing on transit in the past and presently, but we keep pushing in business, you don’t give up, you aimed at achieving specific goals and re-strategize.
However Nkechi Sarah Ahanor-Wilson is an entrepreneur by trade, an aesthetician, public speaker and business mogul with over 10 years of experience.
She is the CEO of Shoreline Pacific International and House of Cacosa, an award-winning luxury hair-selling brand.
Moreso, She has been able to employ creativity and use her analytical mind to seamlessly transit her brand of skincare and beauty products.
Nkechi has carved a niche selling luxury and sleek hair that showcases the beauty of women from the inside out.
As a leading beauty care manufacturer who has leveraged consultative selling strategies that build relationships across all target markets, she has built a reputable brand with deep knowledge of marketing campaigns and implementation.
The award-winning Canada-based celebrity is also involved in humanitarian projects through “THE EMPOWERED WOMAN SUMMIT”, a platform she uses to empower and educate women on how to use innovative technology and hands-on skill set training.
She is a certified psychologist from the university of British Columbia.
The amazing mom of three and wife is a lover of God and humanity and committed to making the world a better place.