Today we’d like to introduce you to Makayla Gravely-Smith.
Hi Makayla, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
Styled2Adore initially started off as a way to make quick money in college. Starting off at a small PWI in Charlotte, North Carolina, I just wanted a way to make money to help support myself while in school. I had initially learned how to braid during my first year, while being an athlete on the woman’s lacrosse team. Learning how to braid became an essential skill, and once I stopped being an athlete, I realized how much time I could really put into a hair business. Doing hair at my small school allowed me to create intimate connections with each of my clients, and pretty much all the Black girls were coming to me to get their hair done. I learned quickly that not only was I in love with the actually process of styling another woman’s hair, the space I had curated allowed for community, healing, and vulnerability. What started off as long nights in the mirror prepping & braiding my own hair turned into a way to build community and receive healing not only for my clients but for me as well. I understood that with every client I was holding more than just their hair in my hands, I was impacting their mental health, spiritual health, inspiring them to chase their dreams, and connecting with them in a way I didn’t even realize I could. Once I transferred to Howard in 2023, the only things I was focused on was improving my GPA and building my business. I started to realize that psychology (my major) and hair were intertwined, but couldn’t quite put my finger on how. I would speak with professors, clients, friends, and my family about the connection between the two constantly. my business was constantly growing in clients, along with the fact it was forcing me to grow in ways I had never even imagined. There would be days where I would have class from 9am-3pm, catch the bus to get back home for a client at 3:30, and then be up until 1am to finish my client and do it all over again the next day. Summer break came up and I began working at a hair salon in Sterling, VA while also running my own business. I was probably working about 50hrs a week, just doing my best to get as many clients as possible and continue improving my skills. I really pushed myself and my community built me up with support. By the time the next school year started, Styled2Adore was known across campus, and I even had family members of student clients who would come to get their hair done. I started taking social media marketing classes, doing everything I could to understand how best to build my brand. During that year I also became certified in PsychoHairapy, a certification course created by a fellow Howard University Alumnus, Dr. Afiya Mbilishaka. This training was what truly pulled all the puzzle pieces together for me with hair and psychology. I learned how hairstylists truly hold such an important role in the Black community as nontraditional therapists, and the importance of mental health awareness as a service provider. This training inspired me to create a space that allowed my clients to truly feel that their experience would be more than just receiving a hairstyle, it was a moment for healing, safety, and connection. Over the last year I have continued to build Styled2Adore, focusing in on providing knotless braids, and beginning a journey in psychological research with Dr. Mbilishaka where the connection between hair and Black women’s mental health is centralized. Not only have I received academic connections through my business, but I have gained mentors, life long friendships, community, and a much deeper sense of self and purpose. Styled2Adore has completely changed my life in the best way, and it all started out in my college dorm room.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has NOT been a smooth road. When I first started Styled2Adore, I was pursuing a pre-medical track in my sophomore year of college. Having science labs, anatomy and physiology courses, and 18 credit hour semesters while teaching myself a skill that essentially needed to be perfect, was extremely hard. I would work 15hrs in one day sometimes when I first started. My roommates would come down to where I would do hair in the lounge area of our dorm and make sure I ate lunch and dinner, sometimes standing next to me to make sure I ate. I was anxious about transferring from a PWI to an HBCU as well, I assumed the market for hairstylists would be a lot more competitive and I was so intimidated. I struggled with getting myself out there at first when I transferred, because I didn’t want to come off as pushy or I was only making a connection because I wanted money. It forced me to be more outgoing than I originally was and I had to learn on the fly about the true value of networking. As I was starting to get more traction with my business at Howard I also had to juggle my classes with my business. Building my hair business also didn’t leave any time for me to join any clubs or organizations at Howard, so it often felt like I had to choose between the HBCU experience I had envisioned for myself and what was actually happening in my reality. I was also forced to reckon with the fact that my passion for hair and creating safe spaces was growing, while my love for science & medical school was decreasing. I had built so much of my identity around becoming a doctor and going to medical school, but hair began to open so many doors for me it was clear that I needed to pursue it, even though my path on how, was less clear. Walking away from medical school and pursuing hair and psychology has tested my faith and pride in ways that I never could have imagined.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Styled2Adore is a hairstyling company that specializes in knotless braids. What sets me apart in this industry is the fact that I have pursued a degree in Psychology from Howard University, and plan to create a salon space where all service providers are trained on mental health, intentionally seeking to heal. I approach every hair appointment understanding that my interaction with a client isn’t solely about their final product, but the intimate conversation, the safe space, the act of healing that occurs between hairstylist and client. I am in the beauty industry with the intention to heal. I am very proud of this. My brand is based on this understanding, as well as my Christian faith. In regards to my services, I also stand apart from many other hairstylists because I provide all braiding hair for my clients, along with human hair for the more detailed, BOHO curl styles. I show up as a stylist who intentionally provides everything my clients would need, making their appointments seamless and peaceful!
How do you think about happiness?
Being in community makes me happy. I know what it feels like to be completely isolated and feel like I have to carry the weight of the world on my own. Being in community since coming back to the DMV has brought me so much joy. Whether it’s a simple conversation with a friend, going for a drive with my family, having a long in depth and emotional conversation with a client, or simply attending an event in DC and people watching to see others in community, I think this is when I am happiest. Showing up and experiencing this life with others gives me a lot of purpose I didn’t feel like I once had. Knowing that certain things had to happen so that this could be the life I experience, truly brings me so much joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://styled2adore.as.me
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/styled2adore
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/makayla-gravely-smith-60a04b294
- TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ms.styled2adore
Image Credits
Keith Golden Jr
