Chastity Vaughn 22 S2R Hair Studios

Madonni Beauty Supply & Salon Suites DESTINY

Destiny Payton I am a woman of God who believes that any thing you believe and dream can be manifested into a reality. She thinks of herself as an innovator and person that will find a way and make one if necessary. In other words, she can be described as a pitbull in a skirt.

She has set her sights on being the premier African American owned beauty supplier in the country.

The Huntsville, AL resident is the owner of Madonni Beauty Supply and Salon Suites. “After five years and over 30 million dollars in sales for a fortune 500 company, and 15 years in real estate, I felt it was time to take my natural talent and skills to my community and create more opportunities. As the first every African American woman to rise to the ranks of senior management, it was my dream to be the first African American beauty supply and salon suite owner. I felt a strong desire to be of service to my lifelong passion outside of the real estate industry and into “All Things Beauty”. The time had come to be the creator of her own destiny and give to others as passionately as I’d given to my real estate career,” she says.

The inspiration for the beauty store derived from receiving a provisional patent with a then partner for developing a hair product. Upon shopping the product to distributors, Destiny shares it became apparent there was a lack of diversity and soon she realized there was a close circle that was hard to penetrate. In that moment she knew she would have to find a way, and that was ownership. After long days and nights working in the corporate world, finding quality products and the perfect location, the dream of the MaDonni Beauty brand had come to life.

Destiny shares how she is inspired by the opportunity she has to help others. “It’s nothing better than knowing you helped light a spark for someone to become the next business owner, or encouraging them to take a leap of faith for a new career or whatever desires they may have,” she says. On the flip side, Destiny finds inspiration in others such as Oprah Winfrey, Jim Rohn, Michelle Obama, Will Smith, Deepak Chopra, Courtney Adeleye, and Beyonce.

Some of the challenges she has faced but defiantly overcame are just being a woman of color dealing with male dominated industries and learning to persevere. “Through it all, God has definitely been my constant strength. My father has also been there along with so many other women who have blessed me with knowledge along the way,” Destiny says.

She offers some advice for other business owners and entrepreneurs who are thinking about stepping our on their own. “Don’t give up, pick your battles, and most importantly keep God first!”

I Am A Hope Dealer

By Terry L. Watson Photos by Devona Boone

Devona Boone of Hampton Roads, VA describes herself as a “Hope Dealer”. She is a country girl who is confident, powerful, anointed, caring, nurturing, and God fearing.

Besides being an author, she is the founder of the non-profit organization, Precious G.E.M.S Inc. Her mission is to empower young girls by teaching them resilience, promote positive self- awareness, sisterhood, and the power that is within. “We know that girls who do not have positive role models and mentors are three times more likely to experience a myriad of emotional, physical, mental and spiritual delays and deficiencies. Our job is to empower the young ladies and show them the endless possibilities for their lives. Our Motto is, ‘Every young lady has a gift to offer the world,’” she says.

Devona founded her nonprofit organization at the age of 25. As she began to empower young ladies, in return I empowered myself. Over the course of five years of telling them they can do anything and be anything they wanted, she realized she wasn’t fully living up to what she was preaching. “I knew I had a story to tell and I knew it could help many women, but I was fearful of not having enough to say to even be printed in a book. However, I pressed on and in 2018, I started to write a memoir. The entire process took me five months. During that time, I found my voice and courage to share my story in hopes to offer strength, healing, and hope to other women. I am a woman of grace and resilience. Many of life’s difficult moments has given me courage, strength, and healing.”

Precious G.E.M.S offers three programs. First is the My Life Foundation which promotes the importance of positive self-image and respect for self and others. It also prepares young girls to succeed by teaching them decision making and problem-solving skills and helps young ladies make independent life decisions to overcome past mistakes that altered their lives. Next is Community Service Learning. This tool provides young ladies with meaningful community service and incorporates instruction and reflection. It also teaches girls civic responsibility and the importance of strengthening their community. The third product is Natalie’s Closet. It provides clothing, shoes, accessories and outerwear and more to girls at discounted prices.

The goal is to inspire girls to care about their appearance but also educates them on how to work with budgets to obtain the things they desire.

Devona’s book, “A Precious Gem: The Journey of My Shaping” is a direct compliment to her organization. It is her story, and her testimony of how she made it through some of the traumatizing times of her life from childhood to present day. “As an author, I found my voice. I found my strength. I found a new purpose. Writing my story gave me a sense of freedom which made me fearless. I began to encourage, motivate, and inspire people by being transparent and sharing my life lessons. I became the me I always wanted to be,” she shared.

Devona says her mother, Eunice Boone is the reason she has such a passion for serving others. “At the age of 10 I witnessed my mom’s murder at the hands of her abusive boyfriend. That tragedy shaped my life in so many ways, and when I became an adult, I knew I had to make an impact with our young girls and women in order to create a change with the statistics of domestic violence,” she said. She also draws inspiration through obedience to God’s will for her life and through her mother’s death. “In my life I am intentional in making sure I am in alignment with what is purposed for me. I do not want my mother’s death to be in vain. Her life will leave a legacy.” h

VAUGHN

By Terry L. Watson Photos by Chastity Vaughn

She is an award winning stylist who owns the moment. Chastity Vaughn of Dallas, TX first and foremost is a child of God and work-a-holic. She is also a loving mother of three wonderful kids who prides herself on being determined.

“I come from humble means. And because of that, I believe that anything is possible if you work for it. As a business owner, I strive to be the best Entrepreneur I can be by providing quality work to each and every client that I have the privilege of servicing,” she says.

Chastity is the onwer of S2R Hair Studio LLC, (Something 2 Remember). There, along with her team of professional stylist, Chastity provides an array of services including but not limited to all types of natural hair, sister locks, traditional locs, updos, silk press (blowouts), hair tape extensions, and more. She explains how important versatility is in her industry. Natural hair and Sisterlocks are definitely two of Chastity’s specialties, and what she is widely known for.

“As a hairstylist, I would not want to limit myself. I want to be able to cater to my clients, on all fronts. It is my overall objective to create new and exciting looks for today’s modern woman, while offering a 5-star experience,” she says. Her versatility has eveolved to her now offering a Sisterlock Coaching Program and a Business 101 class.

“I am comfortable in my own skin. I am confident in all that I do, and it’s reflected in my work. I also have a fluid personality and the ability to work with almost any type of person. I don’t dictate what services I will provide to my clients. I am open to their ideas and so when they sit in my chair, I want them to understand that it takes a team effort and colloboration to produce the look they desire,” she states.

Chastity shares that she got her start styling hair early in life. Growing up as a child in Tupelo, Mississippi, she recalls her mother, who is also a hairstylist, styling hair. While watching her over the years, she found herself infatuated with hair as well. Once old enough to do so, Chastity says she registered and attended Foster’s Cosmetology in Ripley, MS in 1998. This is where she learned everything she needed to know about styling hair and the hair industry. “It was then that I decided to turn my dreams into reality. So, I took that knowledge, packed up and moved to Dallas in 2002, because I felt I could thrive as a young and new potential business owner,” she says.

After getting settled in Dallas, she purchased her first home and would eventually open Something2Remember Salon & Boutique. The first location Chastity operated out of her garage which was converted to a salon. As her business began to flourish she was afforded with an opportunity to branch out and expand to a salon suite setting. That transition brought about even more business for her. From there she was able to venture out on her own and into her own Salon Studio.

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2011 N Collins Blvd Ste 803 Richardson, TX 75080 (214) 620-5708 www.s2rhairstudio.com

While Chastity has proven herself to be a top tier stylist, there is still more that she hopes to accomplish and add to the profession overall. Some of these include education, excellent resources for live classes, and web-based tutorials and podcast. “I believe that selfinvesting in myself and my business is what has led to many doors opening up on my behalf. The struggles that I’ve endured have also played a major role. I am truly thankful for my struggles because without them, I would have never found my strength,” she confesses.

Another important ingredient for success Chasitiy shares is to surround herself with people who are smarter than she is. “It helps to push me. I am committed to pushing myself to stay ahead of the trends by taking tons of education classes that fall in line with my profession. Remaining humble helps me to remain grounded and focused and reminds me that no matter how successful I become as an entrepreneur, there is always room for improvement.”

Being a business onwer is very important and personal for Chastity. “It is something that I worked hard for, and no one can take it away from me. As a business woman, I wear different hats that influence my professional goals. I wear the hat of a mother first, and the hat of an entrepreneur, and mentor. As a strong business woman, I have not lost sight of the struggles and where I came from, because it was those trials that fueled me and instilled in me the drive and determination necessary to succeed,” she says.

Moving forward, Chastity has set her eyes on cementing her legacy by helping others. “Success and growth takes hard work, and not everyone understands this tough journey. At S2R Hair Studio, we welcome anyone who is looking to grow in their own personal journey. For those who are getting started, stay patient in your own journey. With growing your business from the ground up, one cannot expect to make money in the beginning. As a matter of fact you will probably spend more getting your business off the ground, but the key is to persevere and believe in your vision and mission. Keep working hard and Investing in yourself and your business and eventually things will pay off if you’re consistent,” she says. h

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