We had the good fortune of connecting with Janora Davenport and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Janora, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
I knew that I wanted to create financial freedom for myself. It was also in my plans to go after my passion and create a lifestyle that included doing what I love to do on a daily basis. I also knew that I wanted to work for myself and create opportunities for others through my business. I knew that if I started my own business, I would have the freedom to create and showcase my craft as I pleased with no restrictions. I knew that starting my own business was something that was rare in my family and I wanted to go after the life I wanted and not the life others imagined for me.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am a hair stylist and braid artist. I am most proud of going after my dreams and visions while wearing many hats, in particularly, being a mom. Hair has always been a passion for me since I was a little girl, just like most successful hair artists. This art began for me right before college but really began to form during college. I attended and graduated from Jackson State University and I started servicing all of my friends and eventually that turned into attracting other young ladies on campus and around the city of Jackson. It was my hustle and created a stream of income for me. However, at that point in my life, I didn’t have an entrepreneurial mindset, only a hustle mentality. Right before graduating, I decided that was it, I was burned out and no longer wanted to pursue doing hair anymore. Fast forward to 2019, I had been living in Atlanta for 3 years at this time and life was lifing real hard for me. I realized I was not happy with my career life and I felt empty like I was missing something and I knew I was struggling but should have not been. So I decided one day after working 3 jobs and going to school online to pursue my master’s that something had to give. I talked to my now child’s father, so grateful for that talk with him, and expressed how unhappy I was and I really loved doing hair and that’s what I wanted to do. That conversation led me to immediately taking action and a leap of faith to find a salon and begin braiding. I left my last job on 10/10/2019 and went full time in a salon, Travelin Shears and I haven’t looked back since. This was probably one of the hardest decisions I made at the time. I was scared and unsure if this would work, but my spirit knew that this was the move God was calling me to make, so I did it out of faith. I live by many scriptures, but these two particularly, I would meditate on during my journey, Jeremiah 29:11-12 and Proverbs 18:16.

I will say I have learned many lessons along this journey. I have learned that you will need a lot of faith to get through this life as an entrepreneur. You will need to stay equipped, stay ready, and do not try and take shortcuts, do it right the first time. It’s so important to surround yourself with high level minded individuals who put God first too, he is needed at all times and cannot be excluded from the plans no matter what. I have learned along this journey to pray about everything, big, little, important, and not important. Don’t be afraid to make new connections, there are people you will need on this journey to help you reach the vision. Stay teachable, no matter how high you climb, there’s always room for growth and opportunities to learn. Every place you experience before you reach the dream or the vision is necessary. There’s not one place of experience that was a waste of time. Every person, every place I’ve encountered was used to be apart of my story. Know your power and know that if the vision was given to you, it shall be performed. Be mindful of what you say while on this life journey because words have power. What you think is what you produce. I really could go on and on but lastly, fulfill your purpose, not others.

I want the world to know that I am a beautiful young lady from a small rural area, Mantee, MS. If God can plant a vision in me and use me, He can do the same for you too. I am undergoing a rebrand and I am almost ready to show the world what’s new. Until then, I am here to dedicate and redefine the beauty and cosmetics industry by offering services and retail that are unparalleled in their quality and effectiveness. My brand will exhibit how passionate I am about providing exceptional care through education and professionalism to help our customers make informed decisions about the products they use, enhancing their beauty routines and boosting their confidence.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If my best friend came to visit, we are definitely going to go grab food first, we both love to eat. It’s only right that we get some ATLANTA wings or I’d take her to Howell’s Kitchen. This has recently become one of my new favorite eateries. I would most definitely take her to Jenni’s Ice cream while she’s here, it’s only right. We really are some “aunties” now lol and always looking to collaborate and work together so for some down time, we’d go to the reading room to work and chat. We also bond over movie time so if there’s a good movie out, definitely visiting IPIC theatre. I’ve been wanting to try this place and we love a good cocktail and vibes with dancing, so I’d take her to El Malo to check out the scenery and see if it’s worth the hype. If the weather permits, because we all know Atlanta is unpredictable, we would visit The Battery and also the Beltline. Another day of relaxing would result in a spa day. A nice massage and a nail salon visit always seems to give us exactly what we need. My favorite nail salon right now is Buckhead Nail Studio. Would have to catch us a comedy show at either uptown comedy or laughing skull lounge. I would also try to catch a show at the city winery. Honestly, I’m sure the rest of the time we will spend eating lol and resting, catching up with one another.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I want to give a special recognition to my Heavenly Father, Yah. Without Him, I am nothing. I want to shoutout my parents, my mom whom I love dearly and my Dad who is no longer here with me, God rest his soul. I am a beautiful product of them both. I also want to give a shoutout to my son, Royal Jordan, my heartbeat outside my body, my strongest push, and my biggest reason to keep going and not give up. I also want to give a special thanks to Danita Scott, someone I like to say God sent directly to me because He knew I needed her as my spiritual mentor. I want to give a shoutout to all of my clients and all of my clients to come. I am thriving and succeeding with the help of them all. Lastly, all of the friends I can call on to be in prayer with and for me as I go through this life journey, they are more than greatly appreciated.

Website: https://www.buttaessentials.com

Instagram: braidslikebutta_x

Facebook: Janora Davenport/braidslikebutta_x

Other: Tik Tok: ohthatsbuttax

As mentioned, we are undergoing a rebrand so be sure to follow these socials to stay in the loop for our new website and brand name change.

Image Credits
Photographer Instagram: @yara.kphotography

Braid Model/Influencer (in green swimsuit): @leslielatrice
Braid Model: @jazlynchanel; @tylerrose._

Hair Product: Soothing Hair Growth Oil
(Handmade by Janora D.)

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