Hidden Gems: Meet Da’Neesha Mackerway of Flawless Braids By D

Today we’d like to introduce you to Da’Neesha Mackerway.

Hi Da’Neesha, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
When I was 12 years old my mom’s coworker sent me some nail supplies to polish my nails because I had super long natural nails growing up. I tried to polish my nails but it just wasn’t my thing. I would always ask my sister and cousins to play in their hair so my mom told her coworker that I was more into doing hair. The coworker said that she has some mannequin heads because she went to beauty school in the past. My mom gave me the mannequin head and I began to practice doing cornrows. Eventually, I started to do family and friends. I graduated from high school in June of 2011 and was enrolled in Empire beauty school of Grand Rapids, MI by October of 2011. I graduated from cosmetology school in October of 2012 and immediately went into working jobs that had nothing to do with my passion. I just knew that I needed to pay bills because I was officially an adult.

I would do some clients hair from time to time but I wasn’t focused on doing hair. I moved from Michigan in 2015 and relocated to Raleigh. I started working for a call center where my supervisor and manager would tell me that they would be super happy for me when I start my own business because I was someone that liked to do things my own way. I was good at my job but I knew talking on the phone all day could not be my final destination. In June 2020, I launched an online beauty supply store called Ja’Laya II HairCare supply but was discouraged after finding out that my father was murdered in October 2020. I was at a very low point in my life. I would pray and ask God to raise me up from the low place that I was in. I prayed that I find my purpose and something to live for. I was not happy working in a call center anymore and it was hard to go in and sit at that desk every single day. I was getting yelled at and cussed out by customers all while I was going through the hardest season thus far in my life. I prayed again and I asked God for clear direction. I knew that I needed to find my purpose in life. I received my answer while in prayer but I still felt like I needed to be sure. I told God that if he give me a sign, I would step out on faith and quit my job to pursue this dream of doing hair full time.

The next day I went to work and I was called into a meeting with my supervisor just to go over some calls so that I could get feedback on my performance. He asked me what could he help me with because my calls were good, I performed well, and anytime he gave me feedback he said that I would take it and apply it but I always seemed unhappy when I talked to him. He asked if there was something that I would like to do besides the job. I told him that I was thinking about braiding full time but I wasn’t sure. He asked me, what aren’t you sure about? I told him that I have a family depending on me and I have bills knocking my door down. I don’t want anyone to think that I just quit my job because I don’t want to work and I’m also afraid to fail. He said that I shouldn’t worry about other people’s opinions because they may have dreams that they never pursue and that I would never know if I would succeed or fail if I never tried. He proceeded to tell me that I could always find a job or come back to that job if things didn’t work out but he knew that they would. I took that as my confirmation and a week or two later I just typed my resignation letter and sent it to him. I created a booking site, came up with a price list, gathered pictures of my work, and put the word out to social media and previous clients that I would be braiding full-time.

I’m so happy that I did that because even with the highs and lows of business, I feel like I finally know what my purpose is. I love to make women feel beautiful. I also specialize in servicing children ages 4-11 and I absolutely love the reactions that they have when they get their hair done. I’m still growing, learning, working, and gaining clientele but I know for sure that this is what I’m supposed to be doing!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It hasn’t been easy at all! I wasn’t born and raised in Raleigh and I don’t know a lot of people. I’ve had to work harder to get people in my chair and I work just as hard to keep them coming back! In the beauty industry, it’s slow seasons as well and I was unaware of that. It would be weeks or months where I’m barely getting booked and then months where I can barely rest because business is booming.

Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am a 29-year-old Braider located in North Raleigh! I specialize in knotless braids, crochet braids, and children’s braids. I also offer a variety of protective styles that you can choose from on my site. My clients say that they love their hair every time but I believe that my customer service in this day and time is what set me apart. I take the time to talk to my clients and to get to know them.

I offer them snacks, and drinks, and allow them to pick a show to watch while being serviced, and by doing that I’ve created great relationships with my clients. I’m proud of the fact that I started my brand with a comb, edge control, and a booking site! It’s amazing to see it grow and to be able to make Women, men, boys, and girls feel like the best versions of themselves once they leave my chair with a fresh set of braids!!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://flawlesscreationsbraidsbyd.as.me/schedule.php
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/flawlessbraids_byd?r=nametag
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/flawlesscreationsbyd
  

Image Credits
Optics For us and Visions of 3g
Kapture the memory