Meet Supreme Hair Boss, Kristy!

Kristy (@bignonsbraids) was been a Supreme Hair stylist for over 15 years. She was born in Cotonou, Benin, the sixth of seven children. As a young girl, she immigrated to the US, and she started as a shampoo girl at a hair braiding salon, working her way up to manage the salon. Today, she’s a successful entrepreneur and businesswoman in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Kristy kindly sat down with us to tell us a little about herself and her experience with Supreme. Keep reading to learn more about this Supreme Hair Boss.

Q: Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get into the hair business?

I was born in Benin and came to the U.S. when I was young. I lived with my uncle and his family in Washington, D.C., at first, but, a few years later, I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina, where I started working in a hair-braiding salon. I spent a lot of time helping at the salon as a shampoo girl. This is where I discovered my passion for hair, and I was able to learn about hair and the business of braiding.

Q: When did you start your own business?

I opened my first salon in 1996. I started as part of a salon suite, and that’s where I started building my clientele. After a few years, I started adding other stylists on commission basis. After seven years, I needed to get a large space of my own because of my salon’s tremendous growth. Today, I now own three salons and a beauty supply store in the Greater Charlotte area, and I employ over fifty braiders and natural hair stylists.

Q: When did you start using Supreme Hair products?

I started using Supreme Hair products around 2004. After I was featured in Sanata Hair magazine, I was asked to participate in a photo shoot featuring a hair product from Supreme Hair. One of the styles I created was used for Supreme’s Afro Kinky Bulk Packaging. That was the first one. I created more styles for photo shoots using Supreme Hair, and I’m pleased to say that, today, most of my styles are used on the packaging for many Supreme Hair products.

Q: Is there a particular experience with Supreme that stands out to you?

There are many, but, in 2014, when I had the grand opening for my second salon, Julie Yeo (the general manager of Supreme Hair) came all the way down to Charlotte from New York to congratulate me. With Supreme, you can always get someone on the phone to discuss any kind of issue, from sales to product promotion, and they helped me open a revolving line of credit. Everyone at Supreme just makes you feel like family.

In 2017, I founded the Charlotte Braiding Expo where we educate, motivate, and inspire new natural hair stylists. We feature celebrity guests, hold learning sessions, and invite speakers, and, as the title sponsor, Supreme has been a key partner in the success of the annual event. Last year, we had over 100 stylists attend.

Q: What is your favorite Supreme hair product?

It’s hard to pick because Supreme provides such high-quality products. However, the Super X Braid has been by far the most requested hair product by my clients. My personal favorite is the Baby Afro, which is the style I like to wear. I have a secret wish to be the face on the package in the future.

Thank you, Kristy!