Meet Deijah Mickens | Hustler

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

Hi Deijah, how do you think about risk?
Risk Taking ! Being an entrepreneur is all about risk taking .It all started when I felt like I couldn’t keep a job , then I found a job I really liked (Bath and Body works) but it was seasonal so of course , they dropped me , then my friend put me on to Old Navy , when I was working at Old Navy I felt like everyone was trying to tell me what to do and they were giving me way too many tasks for so little pay. I felt like a slave .My manager kept making me go up to people and ask them to sign up for rewards and I’m very shy and hate bugging people. They also had me coming early to get the loads in from the trucks and do this and do that for less then $10 an hour! One day I just woke up and really didn’t want to go to work but I needed the money, I only had like $300 to my name with a $280 car insurance due ,and a $52 phone bill due by the end of the month. So, I got ready ,drove to Old Navy and just decided forget it , I’m not going in , I’m never coming back .. so I drove my behind right back home with no plan on how I was going to pay that month of bills. I took a nap and woke up from my phone being blown up with Old Navy managers calling me. I wasn’t even worried about it I just wanted to figure out how I was going to pay my bills. I checked my emails, and saw I got a promo from a hair company and charged them $300 , did the promo, did people’s hair on the side , paid my bills , then started up my oil business using my concoction I made when I cut my hair with my last bit of money I had left, I kept promoting and kept promoting my oils until I finally dropped it, I had no intentions on selling out the second day it dropped but it did , I was shook and happy just to see the numbers coming in and people actually buying something I made. It still shocks me until this day that people still want to buy my stuff. All in all , you have to just take risks as an entrepreneur .. scared money don’t make no money

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
What I think sets me apart from others is that I don’t just do one thing for a living . I literally can do anything I put my mind to , all I need is YouTube and erykah badu playing ! I got to where I am now by building an Instagram following with making hairstyle tutorial videos . I built my platform with all of these amazing new people who just showed me all of this love and support which I can’t thank them enough for , that’s what I’m most excited about is my followers 💕I wish I could hug every each one of them ! No ! It is not easy , I’m a shy person so when I started getting all of the hate , it kinda made me wanna give up cause I used to not take criticism pretty well. But i didn’t which is why I feel like I’m where I’m at right now. I want people to know that this isn’t just luck this is hard work , just because someone is doing good doesn’t mean that they’re lucky , it just means they worked hard to get where they are

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 was visiting Atlanta I would get a nice high rise Airbnb with them.When we wake up there would be a chef cooking for us, eat , then take them to Little Five Points. I LOVE Little Five Points. You can ride the scooters and just go in every little store they have and just enjoy the vibe! Then we’d go back home and chill (I’m very boring and a home body) lol

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Yes , I would love to give a shout-out to my mom , she’s been an amazing mother and father at the same time to me ,she would always be there for me in any new hobbies I wanted to try out and was strict on me but I see why and appreciate every time she took my phone so I can focus on my crafts.lol ! Next ,I would like to shout out my two aunts , aunt sissy and auntie Chloe for just being a phone call away and always giving me helpful advice on whatever I may need. Also, just supporting my business all in all. Then, I would like to shoutout my boyfriend who helped/helps me with everything within my business such as shipping,rude clients , and so much more by just taking weight off my shoulders when needed, he also was on the phone for my first launch and was my first buyer ever ! , I really appreciate that , and lastly and greatly my Grandma Pats , they’ve both passed from colon cancer and are the main people I do this for and they keep me going everyday.I miss them everyday and wish they were here to see my excel and thrive.

Website: https://dweejhaircare.com/

Instagram: https://instagram.com/deiij?utm_medium=copy_link

Youtube: https://youtube.com/user/pinkorchdork777

Image Credits
Me