Meet Brittney Hayes: Entrepreneur

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

Hi Brittney, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Since I have been in the working field I have always wanted to be my own boss, I didn’t know where to start or how but I knew since working at McDonald’s as a senior in high school that I wanted to have a product or service benefiting to the community. It took me years before I took myself serious and really sat down and contemplated my goals and dreams and the things that I loved to do. I had so much fear of failure because it was new to me and I knew what I wanted to do but wasn’t sure if I had the right tools to do it right, but I thought about the saying ” Fear is temporary but regret is forever”. I understood that failure is also a part of success and if I wanted it bad enough I will have to go for it no matter the outcome I could tell myself I chased my dreams and didn’t let fear hold me back. I went back and forth with myself for a long time and asking friends and family for opinions about me starting my business and my business ideas, which only led to dead ends because I was asking people that couldn’t see or understand my vision. I was scared and confident at the same time but eventually my confidence over road my fear.

Can you give our readers an introduction to your business? Maybe you can share a bit about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
N.Y.A.Q Cosmetics stands for Not Your Average Queen Cosmetics and I offer vegan and talc free products. My goal has been to provide exceptional customer service and luxury quality products for reasonable pricing. Starting my business was a rough road as I financed everything from my pocket, no loan or financial help outside of my husband. When I started N.Y.A.Q I really didn’t take into account of how expensive it would be and I made many mistakes along the way because I didn’t speak with a financial advisor about my business nor did I have a mentor. I actually began to focus more on the quantity of my products and not the marketing of them which caused a decline in sales. Once I began to focus on marketing my company started being seen and sales increased. Starting a business is not easy but it is worth it. My first year had many losses but I keep going because I want to see my vision play out. Starting N.Y.A.Q taught me so much for my second business that I started which is My Wellness Plug LLC which is a health and wellness business. I am now more conscious of cost and advertising which are the things that negatively affected N.Y.A.Q. I want the world to know that N.Y.A.Q and My Wellness Plus was literally built from the mud up, Everything that goes into my businesses are a reflection of me and my grind to make these businesses what they are and are becoming, I feel like its literally blood, sweat, and tears of joy and pain behind my brands because I have gone through all of the above to grow my businesses to what I know they can and will be.

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.
I would take them to some of Atlanta’s Vegan spots like Slutty Vegan and Plant Based Pizzeria my two favorites, or even some of the mom and pop Caribbean restaurants. My friends and I like things like bowling, so I would take them to Bowlmor Atl or Top Golf for some fun and drinks. For me the most exciting places to check out are some of the nature trails GA has to offer for some nice photography or a serene getaway. For some nightlife the boogalou lounge, Ponce City Market and Bar Vegan Atl. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I am grateful for everyone who has supported both of my businesses. Special thanks to Latoya Turner-Stephens for the unlimited support and recognition. I am also thankful for my husband Glenn Hayes Jr. for the unlimited support.

Website: www.nyaqcosmetics.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/n.y.a.q

Facebook: www.facebook.com/NYAQCosmetics

Other: My second business My Wellness Plug is currently only on facebook @ My Wellness Plug LLC

Image Credits
Ida John Photography