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

Hi Kimberly, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
The motivating factor behind me becoming a business owner was my desire to be in control of my own success. I did not like some of the restraints and restrictions that come along with working nine to five jobs. I thank God for the opportunities I had to work in office settings and positions of leadership but they did not fulfill me.  Entrepreneurship is a journey I was created, born and destined to take. My gift and talent of hairstyling is an absolute blessing from God.  It has always been my sincere desire to help others and make a difference in the world. I have a servant’s heart and it brings me great joy to make a meaningful impact in the lives of other people. I consider myself blessed to work in a field I’m passionate about. I was chosen and called for this. It is only by God’s grace I’ve had the honor and pleasure of making my dreams a reality.

 

I yearned for financial freedom and flexibility. The desire to control my work schedule and income earning potential motivated me to step out on faith. There was a fire burning inside of me to be the master of my own destiny. I’m a full time single mother so having flexibility in my schedule to be present for my sons was very important.  While working a nine to five had many benefits it didn’t support my lifestyle or give me the freedom I needed to care for my children as a single parent. The flexibility of being able to create my own schedule allowed me to work odd hours without the hassle and pressure of clocking in to a job. I did not like my salary being capped or being told how much I was worth. Working forty to sixty hours a week and not being able to make ends meet was not my idea of living life more abundantly. I always knew there was more for me than sitting behind a desk doing the same mundane work day in and day out. It became clear to me I needed to put myself in the driver’s seat and take control of my life.

 

I learned at a very young age the seller has more advantage than the buyer. I never wanted other people to dictate the outcome of my future. I worked several office jobs but felt stunted in my growth and trapped in environments I wasn’t allowed to express myself in creatively. I yearned to do something more rewarding and spiritually fulfilling. My personality was different from many of the people I met in corporate environments. While there are many positive advantages to working in the corporate sector of business the biggest disadvantage I saw was leadership’s ability to cap my income and growth potential within the organization. I’ve always been a forward thinker who believed in stepping outside of the box. The sky has always been the limit. The possibilities of who we can become are endless. We’ve all heard the saying leaders are born and not made. I totally agree but our leadership skills have to be nourished, nurtured and cultivated. Working in the corporate salon sector gave me an advantage over some of my competitors in the private arena as I learned how to build systems, create policies and processes which set my business apart. I am not the typical hair stylist or salon destination.

My business is built on biblical principles and values. I do my work unto the Lord. God is the CEO of my business. He has been a guiding light helping me to navigate in the market place and world of entrepreneurship. He created me to be a change agent. I can’t change the whole world but I knew becoming my own boss would allow me to make a difference in somebody’s life. Customer service and attitude are everything. I take great pride in making sure my clients know they are a top priority.  World changes understand we have to embrace challenges and step outside of the box to do things differently for change to ignite flames of change. I was born a leader and God made me to win. The Bible tells us in Ephesians 3: 20, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all we could ask or think, according to his work within us.  God created me for a greater work that was going to require me to take greater risk and step out on faith. I travailed beyond my fears and accepted the challenge to walk the path of becoming a successful business owner.

The evolution of my entrepreneurial journey first began when I was around twelve years old. I started out babysitting, selling candy and doing hair. My gift of hair styling is a God given talent. I was anointed, created and called to work behind the chair. I have worked in the salon industry for more than twenty six years. My chair is far more than a seat for clients to sit in to receive hair cutting, styling and coloring services. Hair, beauty and fashion are my niche. My first experience with hair cutting occurred at the age of five. I cut my mom’s hair while she was asleep. I figured she needed a new look. They say a woman who cuts her hair is about to change her life. Some part of my innocent mind thought it would be perfectly fine to cut my mom’s hair. Of course my mother wasn’t happy but the bright side was it exposed my gift and artistic abilities. We might not have ever discovered my passion, talent and creativity for the arts. I agree with the statement leaders are born and not made. However, I believe our skills, gifts, talents and abilities have to be germinated and cultivated.

I thank God for both of my parents as well as my step-parents, grandmothers, God parents, aunts and uncles for investing in my overall growth and development. I’m grateful I have an amazing support system. It’s a blessing to have people who not only support your dreams but also push and encourage you to achieve them. The moment my mom noticed I was serious about my work as a hairstylist she took me to purchase every size electric curling iron there was. I had all sizes ranging in between large and small. My first clients were my friends, cousins, little sisters and their friends. Word of mouth grew my business rapidly which afforded me the opportunity to service clients for money. I decided it was time for me to showcase my skills to the world and open my business to the public. I began going door to door servicing clients in their homes.

I started out charging people ten dollars. Shortly thereafter I discovered I could generate substantial income from working as a stylist. I made a sound decision to take my artistry and gift of hair styling more seriously. I began to perfect my skills and increased my prices as my skill set evolved. It was often said I had exceptional talent and gifted hands. To my surprise I began receiving service requests from people outside of my neighborhood and I was earning twenty five dollars per head. I was servicing at least ten clients a week. That was pretty good money for a fifteen year old who wasn’t clocking into a job. I was blessed to have parents who believed in my gifts, skills and talent. They always pushed and encouraged me. It didn’t take me long to figure out I wanted to one day be a well known leader in the salon industry.

God blessed me to have a full and stable clientele by the time I was sixteen. I decided after high school I was going to step out on faith and applied to do an apprenticeship at Situations Hair Salon in St. Louis, Missouri when I was seventeen years old. I was grateful the owner believed in me and took me under her wings along with the entire salon team. It didn’t take me long to become a household name throughout the city. It was up from there. God’s plans are perfect!

I remember prophesying over myself when I was 18 years old saying I was going to have judges, doctors, lawyers, business owners and celebrities as clients. Here I am twenty five years later living my dreams. The Lord has blessed me beyond measure. My clientele is made up of so many amazing women who work in the aforementioned fields. I even recall saying my clients would be able to sit on their laptops and work while being serviced and this too became a reality. I could have allowed my circumstances of being a teenage mother to dictate where I would end up in life but I chose different. I decided to believe God. I spoke out of my mouth what I wanted and devised a plan to make it a reality. The bible tells us in Habakkuk 2:2, “Then the LORD replied: “Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it.”

God blessed me to do exceedingly abundantly above all I thought or asked. To date I have clients of all races, cultures, social class and economic status. It is only by God’s grace I have been in business as a professional hair stylist for over 25 years. The greatest blessing is my skills are still on point. I’m humbled to still be considered relevant and in demand. I thank God everyday for my network. He has blessed me to be connected to so many amazing prominent people. My life story, journey and testimony has been said to be mind blowing to some. I honestly can’t say I don’t feel the same way. It blows my mind at times when I think about where I came from. Trust me when I say all things are possible when you trust God, work hard, do the right thing, and believe in what you can’t see. Good things come to those who work, prepare and wait. Focus on fulfilling your God given purpose and everything else will fall right into place. I promise!


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 master hairstylist. I specialize in hair cutting, coloring and a variety of styling services. I also own a women’s clothing fashion boutique. I am known for my keen fashion sense, hair cutting, coloring and weaving skills. What sets me apart from everyone else is I stand in my difference confidently, courageously and boldly. Individuality is what makes the world of art and creativity beautiful. What sets me apart from others is the experience I give my clients during their salon visit. I value who they are as people and care about them overall. My chair is an opportunity to get to know them as well as spread the good news about Jesus Christ.

My journey has not been smooth sailing by any means. I’ve faced many obstacles from closing several businesses to losing clients, enduring layoffs, facing health challenges and fighting legal battles. Success is a beautiful thing until adversity raises its ugly head. Most entrepreneurs don’t talk about the early mornings, sleepless nights, tested faith and feelings of hopelessness that arise when sales aren’t coming in and clients aren’t calling. Entrepreneurship is not for the weak at heart by any means. Discipline, consistency and prayer are the keys to winning in any business. It becomes very challenging when you’re doing all you know to do and things seem to still be falling apart. I don’t ever see defeat in the face of adversity, It’s always an opportunity to learn and grow. In the world of psychology we would table this as locusts of control. I believe we have control over our outcome based on what we choose to think, believe and act on.

I went through many difficult tests and trials all of which were designed by the enemy to stop me from getting to where I am today. The greatest blessings my parents gave me were teaching me how to walk according to the word and live life with Jesus Christ. I am a faith walker who views problems as an opportunity to grow and overcome. I have owned two free standing salons, a mini salon and fashion boutique inside of suites. I mostly enjoyed managing several corporate owned salons. I was responsible for building the team and overseeing the day to day operations.

I was blessed to earn and graduate with a Masters of Arts in Psychology in May of 2018 from Houston Baptist University. I’ve been told I have a natural talent for counseling. I’ve been this way since I was a child. One of my childhood friend’s mom named me logical. Reasoning, processing and critical thinking are few of my strong traits. I’m a natural at mediating difficult situations. God blessed me with a natural ability to resolve conflict. It’s important to approach challenging situations with prayer, wisdom, patience and tact.

Problems are made to be solved. My difference is in the fact I’m solution oriented. I think about finding the solutions more than focusing on the problem. Situations other people may view as impossible tasks to conquer appear solvable and minuscule in my eyes. One of the best decisions I’ve ever made in my salon business was seeking further education to become a colorist. I sought to serve a market that would allow me to differentiate myself and stay in demand in the market. Mastering the art of coloring and formulating custom colors put me in the driver’s seat and set me apart. Understanding color chemistry and formulation put me in my own lane. Color correction has become an area of expertise for me which keeps me in high demand. It is my sincere heart and mindset about business that keeps me on the cutting edge.
I want the world to know I am a single mother of two boys, salon owner, business consultant and life coach that has worked in the field of hair and beauty for more than twenty five years. I started my business as an act of faith. My businesses are built on faith, prayer, grit and grace. I firmly believe having faith in God, dedication and hard work are the keys to success. I take great pride in having good work ethic and firmly stand on practicing high standards of professionalism. I believe my business has sustained for over twenty six years as a result of me going above and beyond to exceed the expectations of my clients. I find great joy in changing the lives of women by assisting them in starting their businesses offering a wide range of consulting services.

My greatest passion is assisting people with enhancing their internal and external appearances. It didn’t take me long to recognize being a hairstylist was a God given talent as well as the platform designed for me to minister and empower women all across the globe. I have a strong passion for investing in people by assisting them in identifying and cultivating the purpose God created them for. I desire to inspire other people to flourish and become who God created them to be. My greatest joy comes from empowering other women to evolve into the person they never believed they could become. My primary mission is to educate and provide women with knowledge on how to start, develop, operate and manage their own businesses. I have a proven track record in making businesses and their teams successful!

Here’s a word of encouragement from Kimberly. One primary key needed to become a successful business owner is belief in what you know you’re capable of. There will always be naysayers who doubt you’re ability to achieve greatness. Never discredit yourself or the skills you bring to the table based on the measurements of someone else’s idea of success. If you are wasting time comparing yourself to others and feel inadequate because they appear to be at a higher level stop now! It doesn’t matter what other people think you’re capable of. Their words don’t hold weight unless you believe them and take ownership of their thoughts. People’s perception of you will never outweigh God’s plans for you. Remember, Jeremiah 29:11, “’For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a hope and a future. ‘” God not only has a great plan for you. Your life matters. You have been bought with a price. There is someone waiting on you to say yes. It’s time for you to share your story. Take the leap of faith and launch into the deep. Start the business, go back to school, write the book or whatever it is the Lord has placed on your heart to do. Stop discrediting your abilities. Don’t allow fear to paralyze you. Activate your faith. Count yourself in rather than out! I admonish you to always believe in and encourage yourself. There will be days you’ll be the only one cheering for you but continue to strive, work hard and believe in yourself no matter who is there to support you.  Adversity will come but the grace of God and faith will provide you with all the strength you’ll need to overcome, conqueror and win!”

Here’s a transparent moment. This time of year is extremely hard for me. I am a sexual assault survivor who fought tooth and nail to overcome the tragic memory of the chain of events that led to my being viciously assaulted. Trauma replays at the least expected moments. It’s even more difficult when tragedy happens around the holidays. Some may ask why it’s still so hard a few years later. The truth is from October through February is a challenging time for me. My brain seems to automatically recall the timing of it all. I had no clue a few months later I would bear the cross of becoming a voice and advocate for sexual assault survivors. While my heart gets heavy at times I trust God completely. I was called and chosen for such a time as this. I’m here to give voice to those that are crying silently. I could easily give up but what good would that do. Quitting wouldn’t serve God, me or anyone. All of my pain and triumphs over the hurdles to heal would have been in vain.

I refused to allow what happened to me to stop me from doing what God called me to do. Healing became my first priority. I was determined to work through all that victims of sexual abuse face. With God’s help I overcame and it’s only by his grace I’m still here. Not only am I here but God is using me to help rebuild and empower other women and girls whom have suffered some form of sexual abuse. Today I’m thankful for the strength to keep fighting and courage to share my story with the world as a means to help survivors push through and overcome. Say a prayer for me. Yes, sometimes the counselor needs counseling and no part of me is ashamed to admit it. It’s ok to not be ok. Two things are for sure about me, I’m very strong and I’m a winner because I refuse to give up or give in. My name is VICTORY!!!!

Healing is a process. Keep going. Keep up the great work. Remember healing is your personal responsibility. Everybody’s journey is different. However one of the best commitments I’ve ever made was committing to the therapeutic process a few years ago.

I as a mental health professional realized I had to get help healing my own wounds to ensure I was a whole healthy person before extending my heart to assist someone else. More importantly, I longed to be knowledgeable, skilled and competent in my work. Getting the proper education allowed me to become more qualified, skilled and effective in coaching my clients, mentees and those I encounter on a day to day basis. Experience is an excellent teacher but so was my attaining my Master’s degree in Psychology and committing to therapy. God has equipped and called me for such a time as this. I am here to help you. I will show you how to go from being hopeless and broken to being empowered and whole through faith, mastering your thoughts and conveying positive self talk.

I want to close and encourage those who are struggling to find a good therapist, counselor or life coach. Make it a priority to find a skilled professional you can trust. Therapy is a blessing and you don’t have to be ashamed. Let me help you navigate through the process. Feel free to email me at Kimberlyvonshay@gmail.com to schedule your coaching call. Keep fighting, keep believing and pursuing your dreams. The time is now. Get up and get to it. I’m rooting for you!


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.
Everyone who knows me knows a few facts about me which are; I love to look, live and eat well. My friends and loved ones can always expect to enjoy fine dining, exquisite shopping sprees at all the local boutiques and resale shops. My favorite restaurants to dine are Eddie V’s, Steak 48, The Toasted Yolk, Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steak House, Truluck’s, Perry’s Steak House, Pappadeaux, Roux Pour, Cheesecake Factory and PF Changs. I enjoy hanging out Prospect Park on Fountainview, The Roof, Chatman and Kirby, 51 Fifteen. I love shopping in City Center, Sugarland Town Center and in the Galleria area. The best hotels are St. Regis, The Woodlands Resort, Hotel Derek, Hotel Zaza and Post Oak Hotel. Some of the best areas for site seeing are located in downtown Houston such as the graffiti walls located off Gray and Pierce near Emancipation Road. I love to attend church as well. My place of worship and home is Lighthouse Church under the Pastoral leadership of Pastor Keion Henderson.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I thank God for both of my parents as well as my step-parents, grandmothers, God parents, aunts and uncles for investing in my overall growth and development. I’m grateful I have an amazing support system. It’s a blessing to have people who not only support your dreams but also push and encourage you to achieve them.

I’m an avid reader. Some of my favorite authors are John C. Maxwell, Joyce Meyers. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the following books; Ego Is The Enemy, Battlefield of The Mind, The Confident Woman, How Successful People Lead, The Psychology of Winning, Leaders Eat Last, Mentoring 101 and Boundaries. I enjoy listening to spiritual sermons, Ted Talks, vlogs and intellectual Podcast shows. My all time favorite speaker is Dr. Myles Munroe. I had the pleasure of meeting and hearing him speak in 2008 and it changed my life forever.

Website: www.Kimberlyvonshay.com

Instagram: Kimberly Vonshay, Pretty Virtuous Girl Society, Luxe Kouture

Linkedin: Kimberly Dabney

Facebook: Kimberly Vonshay, Pretty Virtuous Girl Society, Luxe Kouture

Yelp: Kimberly Vonshay

Other: Spotify, Apple, Anchor & Google Podcast: (Behind The Mind With Kimberly Vonshay)

Image Credits
Angela Marie of Luv Angela Marie Studios

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutAtlanta is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.