Podcast Summary: Keep it Positive, Sweetie

Episode: From Beauty to Business with Kiyah Wright

Host: Crystal Renee Hayslett
Guest: Kiyah Wright
Release Date: August 6, 2024

Main Theme

This episode centers on the journey of celebrity hairstylist and two-time Emmy winner Kiyah Wright, tracking her evolution from a passionate young stylist in D.C. to a business-savvy beauty entrepreneur in Los Angeles. The conversation dives deep into themes of reinvention, resilience, faith, entrepreneurship, and staying authentically yourself while navigating personal and industry transformations.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Inspirations & Beginnings

• Doll Styling and Early Hustle ([04:14 – 06:01])

  • Kiyah shares how her childhood love for styling dolls and doing friends’ hair in her grandmother’s basement led to her career.
  • Lost her mother at 14, who had just placed her in hair school.
  • Became independent early, using her skills for both survival and self-expression.
  • "I was 14. My mom had just passed, and she put me in hair school... that gave me a jump start at making it a career." – Kiyah [04:52]

• First Steps in Business ([06:31 – 07:49])

  • Kiyah hustled to support herself, working at a popular salon and learning quickly from talented, established stylists.
  • By 16, she was making significant income and serving influential local clients.
  • “Those were the celebrities at that time, drug dealer girlfriends. So those were the girls that I sort of started with, and they helped me become a trendsetter.” – Kiyah [07:33]

2. Rise to Entrepreneurship & Industry Success

• Pivoting and Planning Ahead ([08:59 – 09:49])

  • Early experience with getting denied independence led her to plan and eventually launch her own solo business.
  • “So I went down the street and I set it up just in case they said no... I took my entire clientele and that was the beginning of me becoming an entrepreneur.” – Kiyah [09:00-09:19]

• Working with the Best, Building Networks ([10:11 – 10:44])

  • Kiyah emphasizes the importance of seeking mentors and learning within high-caliber environments.
  • “Work with the best. Be around the best so you don’t have to search for it... Find a mentor. Go work for someone who’s better than you, who you want to kind of be like.” – Kiyah [10:11]

• Breaks in Bad Times: New York and LA ([11:13 – 14:02])

  • Serendipitous, sometimes tragic events opened doors, such as a robbery in NYC and the aftermath of the Aaliyah plane crash.
  • She used these moments as launchpads for new beginnings.
  • “I’ve had very fady moments in my life. Unfortunates that were blessings kind of for me, like—not in a good way, but kind of sort of.” – Kiyah [11:13]

3. Touring with Icons and TV Stardom

• Tour Life Lessons ([14:28 – 15:50])

  • Toured with Faith Evans, Mary J. Blige, and more—learned speed, adaptability, and always being ready.
  • “Be ready, be prepared, have options... Your work is gonna be featured on national television.” – Kiyah [15:50]

• From Salon to TV with Tyra Banks ([16:04 – 19:28])

  • Initially reluctant, Kiyah eventually joined "America’s Next Top Model," learning professionalism, technical precision (like lighting for all skin tones), and the importance of positive set culture.
  • “She (Tyra) taught me about, like, how to show up on set...and never had an attitude when she came to work. Never.” – Kiyah [17:58]
  • Not all experiments went right: a disastrous hairstyle on Tyra led to public feedback but became a learning opportunity and a dedicated show segment for Kiyah.

4. Entrepreneurship, Pandemic, and the Beauty Industry

• Salon Ownership and the Suite Movement ([19:37 – 22:27])

  • Opened Muse Suites in LA; discussed the shift from large salons to suites as a popular entrepreneurial path.
  • The pandemic and Hollywood strikes led to business uncertainty and personal reflection.
  • “I was always praying for, like, time off... (then COVID hits) oh God, time off. Be careful." – Kiyah [22:22]

• Faith in Hardship ([23:24 – 28:40])

  • Faith, self-belief, and adaptability were crucial in crises like COVID and family losses.
  • “When my mom died, it was like, boom. Oh shit... You have to immediately take a shift in your mindset.” – Kiyah [25:13]
  • Emphasized importance of mental health and staying resilient through trauma.

5. Staying Relevant & Evolving

• Consistency, Relevance, and Professionalism ([28:40 – 30:14])

  • Kiyah credits her sustained success to focusing on being good, easy to work with, and refusing to rest on past glory.
  • “My whole goal was always to stay good...be well known and be easy, you know what I mean? Easy to be in the room, easy to get along with.” – Kiyah [28:40]

• Avoiding Industry Pettiness & Focusing on Self ([30:14 – 31:14])

  • She advises against obsessive competition and social media “unfollowing” drama, focusing on personal growth instead.
  • “I’m competitive with Kiyah. Really.” – Kiyah [30:36]

6. Giving Back: Product Lines and Education

• Muse Hair Product Line ([31:22 – 31:57])

  • Inspired by the creative exchange with her clients, Kiyah created a styling-focused haircare line.
  • “A muse for me is someone that inspires you… and I decided as a stylist, I wanted to have styling products.” – Kiyah [31:22]

• Book: From Beauty to Business ([31:55 – 34:02])

  • Her book advises stylists and beauty entrepreneurs: perfect your craft, find your niche, and always know your “why.”
  • “Don’t do it to hustle…find out what it is that you love about styling hair…what keeps you going every day? …Mine is making women feel and look their best.” – Kiyah [32:36]

7. Love, Sacrifice, and Personal Balance

• Balancing Career and Love ([34:11 – 37:52])
  • Career focus led to sacrifices in her personal/love life; she froze her eggs and now prioritizes making room for love.
  • “Making space for love...now that’s all I am made up of, is looking for love. Not even looking for it, just being like, let me be more love, let me have more time for people.” – Kiyah [35:42]
  • Discusses personal growth, therapy, and rewriting inherited emotional patterns.

8. Listener Advice: Wearing Locs in Corporate America ([39:36 – 43:18])

• Practical Tips:
  • Maintain and groom locs, shape them to frame the face, and present with confidence.
  • “A little bit of edge control can refresh them…as long as it’s not in the face, they’re not hanging down, and you create some sort of look, I think that will help people see you differently.” – Kiyah [41:38]

9. Personal Growth: Transition and Reinvention

• On Embracing Change ([44:07 – 45:16])
  • Both hosts reflect on juggling blessings and challenges, calling transition uncomfortable but necessary for next-level growth.
  • "Transitioning... is extremely uncomfortable. And I know that God wouldn't give me anything that I couldn't handle." – Kiyah [44:18]
• Sign-off with Show’s Spirit ([45:16 – 45:18])
  • “Keep it reinventing, sweetie.” – Kiyah [45:13]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• “There are no shortcuts in evolution. We should be consistent in evolution and adapt to the new without ever losing our essence or our integrity.” – Crystal [02:25]
• "I have to immediately take a shift in my mindset. I'm 14.” – Kiyah [25:33]
• "Pivot and not compete—I'm competitive with Kiyah." [30:36]
• “Keep it reinventing, sweetie.” – Kiyah [45:13]
• "My whole goal was always to stay good. Just be a good hairstylist and be well known and be easy, you know what I mean? Easy to be in the room, easy to get along with.” – Kiyah [28:40]
• “Find out what it is that you love about styling hair… what keeps you going every day? Mine is making women feel and look their best.” – Kiyah [32:36]

Important Segment Timestamps

• [04:14] – Kiyah’s early years, starting with dolls and doing hair for friends
• [07:49] – First salon experience and learning from top stylists in D.C.
• [09:00] – Launching her own business after being refused independence
• [10:11] – The importance of mentors and “working with the best”
• [11:13] – Moving to NYC, serendipity, and pandemic pivots
• [14:28] – Touring with icons, learning to be adaptable and resilient
• [16:04] – Working on “America’s Next Top Model,” set culture & professionalism
• [19:37] – Opening Muse Suites, navigating pandemic and strikes
• [25:13] – On loss, faith, and forming resilience after family tragedy
• [31:22] – Launching her Muse Hair product line and writing her book
• [34:11] – Sacrifices in personal life for career, making space for love
• [39:36] – Listener letter: professional natural hairstyles and the CROWN Act
• [44:07] – Final reflections on transition and balance
• [45:13] – “Keep it reinventing, sweetie.”

Tone & Language

The episode is candid, supportive, occasionally humorous, and always uplifting. Both speakers are direct, charming, and grounded, weaving faith and tenacity into their stories while sharing both hard-won wisdom and industry pearls.

Takeaways

• Evolution and Reinvention are lifelong, requiring faith, adaptability, and self-knowledge.
• Working with the best, seeking mentors, and prioritizing craft are fundamental career advice.
• Staying relevant means being both consistent and adaptable, as well as easy to work with.
• Personal sacrifice is real, especially for highly driven women, but so is the ability to “make space” for love and personal fulfillment.
• Black beauty and authenticity deserve celebration and support, especially in professional spaces.

Closing

A heartfelt, wisdom-packed episode perfect for anyone navigating creative careers, entrepreneurship, or personal transformation – always reminding you to “keep it reinventing, sweetie.”