Meet Malon Mahotiere | Master cosmetologist and barber

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

Hi Malon, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
Greetings! Thank you for asking. I decided to pursue a creative path because I believed it was my calling. Being creative is a gift. Ever since I was a child, I always had this desire to express myself. Whether it was writing, singing, dancing or talking to people; I enjoyed self expression. Pursuing my creativity and appreciating it were two different aspects because once you pursue it as a career path or business venture then it becomes an extensive part of who you are. Art is the creative outlet for expression. However most people use art to release emotions or express it. I knew that I wanted to be creative but I wasn’t sure how it would be received. What made me pursue it was the encouragement of others. I transitioned from appreciating my creative side to pursuing a creative path for myself to work. I didn’t think I could make a career out of it because of how doubtful people were at first. However, I had a lot of people encouraging it so I was conflicted. I had to make a choice that if I do this, it would be for myself even if other people enjoy what I’m doing. Sometimes you just have to follow your heart and passion. Creativity is a tool anyone can tap into but pursuing it can seem like a luxury. Whenever I tried doing something more practical or traditional i didn’t feel good. I believed I was cheating myself out of my true purpose. Jobs that didn’t allow me to be creative felt like imprisonment. Pursuing art gave me freedom. Through trial and error I had the opportunity to grow as a young person. Once I entered into adulthood I had the confidence that no matter what I choose, my creativity will always be something I can pursue and feel good about what I’m doing and I am grateful for that.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
I’ve had the pleasure of pursuing many career paths but my beauty career is the one that has given me the most fulfillment. When I started beauty school, some of the people I started with were no where to be found at the end of my journey. I realized then how significant it is to continue believing in yourself no matter what and what you’re doing will pay off. What set me apart from other people is typically my mentality when I am focused. I got to where I am today by staying focused and locking in. Working on my craft is something I dedicated myself to. Even after I finished beauty school, I still wanted to learn more and grow. Relentlessly I spent years perfecting myself. Overall I had this idea that in order to be satisfied with myself I had to be multifaceted. That idea helped me with discovering new ways to be better and improve my skills until I eventually got burnt out. I don’t recommend working yourself to that point. Now I take pride in taking time for rest and recovery. It wasn’t easy becoming a licensed cosmetologist and being a licensed barber was even more challenging but I still overcame. I was proud of reaching the milestone but I never feel that my journey is over. After completing one thing, I find something else to improve or learn. My determination to be considered the best in my field would not allow me to give up even though I wanted to many times. I stayed focused on my own personal goals. I aligned myself with positive people and excluded myself from negative people. This taught me the valuable lesson of working hard to gain recognition. Not for the purpose of praise but for inspiration. If someone inspires me, it helps me stay motivated. I want to do the same for others. I started to associate with like minded people to gain more inspiration and I only focused on people I could learn from or who gave me internal motivation. Although recognition wasn’t my primary goal, I realized through my efforts to improve I was recognized by the right people. It made me believe I am on the right path to receive better opportunities. Those people inspired me to keep going because I was able to see how far I’ve come. When I started, I didn’t imagine that so many people would know me for the work that I do but that was what I wanted. I wanted to be recognized for my efforts in perfecting my craft. I want the world to know that I don’t want an easy handout. I want my business and brand to represent that hard work does pay off and self improvement is an ongoing journey: My story reflects that you are never what you been through or what you are going through. Also you never know who’s paying attention!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a friend visiting in Atlanta I would definitely recommend visiting The Spot if you’re looking for a place to chill and just vibe. I would also take them downtown to watch a sports game or even a live concert. Atlanta has a lot of historic places to visit so I would want the person visiting to get a taste of some of the historic landmarks downtown. If we aren’t in the city than Top Golf is a fun place and they have great networking events at The Gathering Spot. The Main Event is fun too if you’re with kids. They have fun arcade games and bowling but also a bar for adults to have their own fun.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
My aunt deserves credit for helping me get my mind back in the right place. For a long time, I felt lost and discouraged. There was a period that I stopped working because I felt defeated. I was unsure if the beauty and barbering industry was something I should continue. My aunt inspired me to keep going by giving me advice without judgement of my feelings. When someone can reignite that fire in you, we have to give them appreciation. If it wasn’t for her encouragement, I might have continued to stay stuck in doubt,

Website: https://Myafricanwaistbeads.com

Instagram: MalonSalon

Twitter: Mywaistbeads

Facebook: Mahotieremalon

Youtube: https://YouTube.com/MalonMahotiere

Image Credits
Anthony Harris