Today we’d like to introduce you to Quintin & Megan Lathan.
Hi Quintin & Megan, 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?
Quintin Lathan, Jr. was born in Baltimore, Maryland on August 30, 1980. He graduated from Dunbar
High School in Baltimore, MD in 1998 and from Morgan State University in 2004 with his Bachelor of
Science degree in Electrical and Computer Engineering. Quintin was initiated into the Baltimore
Alumni Chapter of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. in 2008 and founded the 1911 Group in 2015.
After receiving his education, Quintin set his sights on entrepreneurship and pursued real estate
investing in addition to joint venturing with a major marketing company. Later on, in 2007, he
accepted a position with the Federal Government as a Patent Examiner for the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office, specializing in the Educational Games sector. Quintin later began to pursue his
passion for building and construction as an Electrical Engineer for the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
(USACE). During his time with the USACE (Philadelphia district), where he served as a subject-matter
expert on military construction projects, he worked on projects such as the USACE Hurricane Sandy
Mission for Disaster Relief, and the USACE Flood Control and Coastal Emergency Repair for the New
Jersey region. His most notable project was the work that he did to help complete a $866 million,
multi-phase program to build the massive complex for the United States Army’s communication and
electronics directorate.
After spending two years in Philadelphia working for the Army Corps, Quintin received a promotion
that allowed him to return home to Baltimore City. His love for the city of Baltimore led to his
increased involvement in the community and politics. In 2014, he managed a the campaign for
Antonio Hayes and helped him get elected to the Maryland State House of Delegates. This pivotal
moment in Quintin’s life helped him to realize that he could make a much-needed impact on the city
that nurtured him his whole life.
Quintin & Megan opened Beauty Plus in 2016, the only black owned and operated beauty supply store in the
heart of Baltimore City’s prized Charles Village neighborhood. Prior to Beauty Plus, Baltimore City
hadn’t seen a black American owned beauty supply store in decades. In 2022 The couple opened a 2nd location in the Redeveloped Northwood Commons (formerly Northwood Plaza Shopping Center), directly beside Morgan State University. Beauty Plus Northwood is a proud community partner and also a corporate sponsor of Morgan State University’s Athletic department.
Megan Lathan was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. She is co-owner and operator of Beauty Plus
Beauty Supply, one of the few Black Owned Beauty Supply stores in Baltimore City.
Megan grew up between Baltimore County and Baltimore City and is a product of Baltimore City
Public Schools. She is a graduate of Maryland’s First HBCU, the illustrious Bowie State University with
a Bachelor of Science in Sociology. It was in college that Megan really began to be cultivated as a
woman and a visionary. She quickly became involved in organizations on campus such as the
National Council of Negro Women (NCNW) and Circle K International (Kiwanis affiliate). In Fall 2010,
Megan became a member of Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority, Inc. through the Epsilon Lambda chapter,
where she served as chapter President from 2011-2012.
In her senior year of college, Megan was a full-time student and full-time bank employee. Upon
graduating with her Bachelor of Science in Sociology in 2012, Megan began to think of the next steps
in her life. She ultimately decided not to immediately pursue her Masters, even though that was a
part of her initial plan. Megan supported herself financially throughout undergrad, and continued to
support herself financially upon graduating, therefore, her primary focus after graduating was to
begin building her finances. She left her job at the bank in 2013 and went on to being employed at T.
Rowe Price in 2013 in the Retirement Plan Services department.
Megan has been working on and off since age 14, with most of her job positions being customer
service, cashiering, and then later on, banking. The position at T. Rowe Price was a change of pace,
requiring her to strengthen her skills in attention to detail, organization, time management, and
financial transactions. She knew quickly that she wouldn’t want to retire from a position in corporate
America. She constantly flirted with the idea of entrepreneurship, but she didn’t know what business
she wanted to open, so she shelved the idea.
In 2013, she met her husband, Quintin Lathan Jr. They dated for a little over 3 years and married in
December of 2016.
Quintin had entrepreneur ambitions as well, and in 2015 he attended a business conference where
he discovered a company that consults African American’s on how to open and operate a successful
beauty supply store. Quintin discussed his idea of opening a store with Megan, and she agreed that it
was something worth pursuing. In April 2016, they opened Beauty Plus Beauty Supply in Baltimore
City, and almost a year after its opening, and 4 years at T. Rowe Price, Megan left T. Rowe Price to
work at Beauty Plus full time.
Megan and Quintin opened their second location, Beauty Plus Northwood, in December 2022. They
plan to own several more beauty supply stores, and to eventually branch out into other industries
together.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
1) Human capital – Finding the right staff
2) Wholesale/Vendor partnerships
3) Organic Marketing /Press
4) Find you Niche
We’ve been impressed with Beauty Plus , but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
1. Trust & expertise – Over 10 years of experience in Beauty Retail in addition to 35 plus years of being a customer.
2. Community & identity (Black-owned, family-owned, Baltimore-rooted)
3. Selection depth (hard-to-find products across every hair category)
4. Price + local convenience
5. Morgan State proximity
6. Customer service – 5 star google & Yelp Rating
7. Baltimore City Public School Grads
8. Maryland HBCU Grads
9. Cosmetology School Grad
10. The Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Alumni
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
The New Rules of Retail – Robin Lewis & Michael Dart
Retail Superstars – George Whalin
The Retail Champion – Clare Rayner
The First 90 Days – Michael Watkins
WWD Beauty
Retail Gets Real
Glossy Beauty Podcast
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.shopbeautyplus.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shop_beauty_plus
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopbeautyplus
- Twitter: https://x.com/shopbeautyplus
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/beauty-plus-northwood-baltimore
