Inside a massive 24-hour braiding salon

Summary

Podcast Summary: Marketplace Morning Report

Episode: Inside a massive 24-hour braiding salon
Date: June 2, 2026
Host: Nancy Marshall Genzer
Featured Reporters & Guests: David Kelly (JP Morgan Funds), Nova Safo (Marketplace), One Boy Kamau, Lucilvia Okombi, Nadine Zhuico (Nadine’s Hair Braiding)

---

Overview

This episode of the Marketplace Morning Report takes listeners on a brisk journey through major business and economic headlines of the morning. In under ten minutes, it covers:

• The shifting landscape of youth unemployment—including the unexpected effects of remote work
• Recent policy changes around tariffs on key machinery and agricultural products
• An in-depth, on-the-ground look at Nadine’s Hair Braiding, a novel 24-hour salon in Maryland that’s transforming the haircare industry

---

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Remote Work and Youth Unemployment

• Segment Start: 00:31
• Main theme: A new New York Fed study suggests that remote work could be an underappreciated driver of increased youth unemployment.
• Guest: David Kelly, Chief Global Strategist at JP Morgan Funds

Highlights:

• Companies are hesitant to hire recent grads for remote positions due to challenges in training and integrating new hires remotely (01:11).
• Immersive learning—being physically present and absorbing company culture—is especially crucial for new workers (01:11–01:41).
• Employers worry about supervising new employees, reinforcing why entry-level roles are less likely to be offered as remote positions.
• AI is exacerbating youth employment struggles by automating many entry-level tasks.

Memorable Quote:

"There's a lot of stuff that you learn intuitively from the office, watching other people doing things, a lot of work habits ... And the problem is that for younger workers, it's very often their first job."
— David Kelly (01:46)

Labor Market Outlook:

• Youth unemployment has fluctuated since the pandemic; interpreting job report data is increasingly complex due to factors like AI, remote work, and immigration swings (02:22).
• David Kelly underscores continued uncertainty:

  "It's quite difficult to interpret everything that's going on in the labor market right now, but certainly the strains that younger workers are facing right now is part of the picture." (02:39)

---

2. White House Lowers Key Tariffs

• Segment Start: 03:12
• Guest: Nova Safo, Marketplace reporter

Highlights:

• Starting next week, tariffs on specific imported machinery (mainly for agriculture, construction, and manufacturing) will drop from 25% to 15% (03:40).
• Aimed at easing cost pressures during an election year, especially for agriculture and home building (03:40–04:09).
• Background: These tariffs have changed multiple times since being introduced (04:18).
• A recent trip to China may yield an agricultural export deal ($17 billion); rising fertilizer prices remain a concern due to the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz (04:45).

Memorable Quote:

"The White House is trying to relieve price pressures on farmers and manufacturers because ... we are in a midterm election year."
— Nova Safo (04:18)

---

3. Inside a 24-Hour Braiding Salon

• Segment Start: 05:32
• Reporter: One Boy Kamau
• Location: Nadine’s Hair Braiding, Bowie, Maryland

Highlights:

• Nadine’s Hair Braiding offers 24/7 service with up to 120 chairs available—customers can walk in anytime and get served by one of 400 independent contractors (05:48).
• Flexible scheduling is a major draw for both clients and workers:

  "When I'm tired, then I'm free to go home. Nobody is forcing you, so it's very flexible."
  — Lucilvia Okombi, braider (06:06)

• The salon’s efficiency (two braiders per client, cutting service time in half) appeals to customers used to long waits elsewhere (06:13).
• Founder Nadine Zhuico started the round-the-clock model to quickly recover from a $200,000 personal financial loss (06:37).

  "If I'm sleeping and my business is still making at least $500 profit every day, that will cover the money I lost."
  — Nadine Zhuico (07:00)

• Social media (245,000 Instagram followers) has expanded the shop’s reach, attracting clients as prominent as Maryland’s Senator Angela Alsobrooks. Average styling costs $220; daily revenue can exceed $130,000 (07:10).

Business Challenges:

• The salon faces criticism online, attributed to their high visibility rather than business practices, according to Zhuico (07:51).

  "We have so much negative comments, not because they're true, but because they don't love the visibility that we have. But it's business."
  — Nadine Zhuico (07:51)

• Difficulty in sourcing skilled labor; Zhuico advocates for braiding to be taught as a formal trade in schools (08:00).

  "Having a school will make people even value this job."
  — Nadine Zhuico (08:11)

• Plans for future expansion include franchising to build a national brand (08:15).

---

Notable Quotes and Moments

• David Kelly on the importance of in-person learning:
  "A lot of companies are just much more reluctant to hire people fresh out of college and have them work from remote locations." (01:11)
• Nadine Zhuico on entrepreneurship after financial loss:
  "If I'm sleeping and my business is still making at least $500 profit every day, that will cover the money I lost." (07:00)

---

Timestamps for Important Segments

• Youth Unemployment & Remote Work: 00:31–03:11
• Tariff Reductions: 03:12–05:08
• 24-hour Braiding Salon Feature: 05:32–08:26

---

Tone & Style

The episode delivers concise, fact-focused stories with the calm authority and relatability typical of Marketplace. Interviews balance expert insight with accessible explanations, and the salon feature blends reporting with compelling personal stories.

---

Summary

This Marketplace Morning Report provides an engaging and efficient overview of news changing the face of American business and labor—from the unexpected impact of remote work on grads, to a presidential pivot on tariffs, to the remarkable success of an around-the-clock hair salon. The episode brings in expert and on-the-ground voices to explore not just the facts, but also the people and motivations driving these developments.

Transcript

[A]

The world of business is constantly evolving. And Comcast business keeps you in step with secure AI backed networking in more than 100 countries, powering 90% of the Fortune 500 and millions of small businesses. And behind it all, thousands of experts answering your call at 2:00am like it's 2:00pm One partner. That's it. Powering how business gets done for companies around the globe. When you add it all up, no one does business like Comcast business.

[B]

A surprising new culprit for youth unemployment. From Marketplace, I'm Nancy Marshall Genser in Washington. A new analysis from the New York Fed points to a possible new reason for the rise in youth unemployment. Not AI, but remote work. The research finds that since the rise of remote work during the pandemic, companies have become less likely to hire recent college graduates into jobs that can be done off site. For more on what this means for this year's grads, we're joined by David Kelly, chief Global Strategist at JPMorgan Funds. Good morning.

[C]

Good morning.

[B]

So is remote work sidelining younger workers? Does that track with what you're seeing in the labor market?

[C]

I think it adds to the problems that younger workers are facing. We've known ever since the pandemic that while more experienced workers can work from home with less supervision, it was really very important to have the youngest workers, the analysts and the research assistants in the office learning the culture, learning from each other. And so I think a lot of companies are just much more reluctant to hire people fresh out of college and have them work from remote locations. And I think that's just adding to the problems that younger workers are having.

[B]

And why would that be? They just feel like they can't train people if they're remote.

[C]

Well, that's right. I mean, there's a lot of stuff that you learn intuitively from the office, watching other people doing things, a lot of work habits in terms of when you clock in, when you clock out, do you get distracted? And also just the, the ability of companies to sort of know who they're dealing with and what they're dealing with. And the problem is that for younger workers, it's very often their first job. And so the employer naturally is, is just a little bit reluctant. And of course, I think this just adds to the problems that AI is already causing because a lot of those entry level tasks the younger workers would normally be assigned, they can be done pretty well by AI at this stage.

[B]

Of course, youth unemployment has fluctuated pretty significantly since the pandemic. Then it recovered before quietly creeping back up as the broader labor market was relatively stable. Are you expecting more of the same this Friday when we get the jobs report for May?

[C]

Well, I think any one jobs report is very volatile, so we'll obviously be looking at that carefully. But there are a lot of crosscurrents right now. We've got AI is taking some jobs, adding other jobs, and then we've got the overlay of just a lack of workers because of this huge swing in immigration. So I think it's quite difficult to interpret everything that's going on in the labor market right now, but certainly the strains that younger workers are facing right now is part of the picture.

[B]

David Kelly is chief global strategist at JP Morgan Funds. Thank you.

[C]

Anytime.

[B]

President Trump is reducing tariffs on certain agricultural and manufacturing machinery in an effort to counter rising costs. He's also lowering tariffs on large equipment used by home builders, such as air conditioning systems. Marketplace's Nova Safo joins me now with a details. Good morning, Nova.

[D]

Good morning, Nancy.

[B]

So the tariffs involved here are on imported products that contain steel, aluminum and copper. Can you walk us through the changes?

[D]

Yeah. So starting next Monday, tariffs come down temporarily from 25 to 15% for what are known as derivative products, in this case, specific imports of large machinery predominantly used in agriculture, construction and manufacturing. So tractors combines bulldozers, material handling equipment used in factories also, also H Vac systems. The White House says it's trying to help housing, manufacturing and agriculture. Those are the three industries it singled out.

[B]

Okay. Now this is not the first time the president has changed tariffs for products containing steel and aluminum. How have these Import taxes evolved?

[D]

Nova that's right. So in fact, the 25% rate on derivative items that's now getting lowered, that was put in place just a couple of months ago. Before that it was 50%. So the White House is trying to relieve price pressures on farmers and manufacturers because. Because, of course, we are in a midterm election year, Nancy yes, we are.

[B]

And trade groups for farmers have been very vocal over rising costs. How else has the president tried to show that he's actually listening to them?

[D]

Well, he went to China last month. Afterward, there appeared to be some kind of deal for China to purchase $17 billion worth of agricultural goods. No details yet on implementation. There may be some tariff concessions there as well. Also, the FTC is now probing the rise in fertilizer. Fertilizer prices, they're up as much as 50%. Of course, a lot of that due to the Strait of Hormuz, which remains closed.

[B]

Nancy yeah, well, thank you very Much Nova.

[D]

You're welcome.

[B]

When you think of businesses open around the clock, what comes to mind? A casino, a diner, maybe even a pharmacy. Now add a hair salon to the list. One boy Kamau takes us to a 24 hour beauty shop that's reshaping the hair business in suburban Maryland.

[E]

At Nadine's Hair Braiding in Bowie, about an hour south of Baltimore, customers can walk in at 2am or 2pm at and find a stylist among the salon's 120 chairs. Lucilvia Okombi is one of the 400 braiders who work here as independent contractors.

[F]

When I'm tired, then I'm free to go home. Nobody is forcing you, so it's very flexible.

[E]

That flexibility is the main draw for customers like Folade Smith. If I need to get in that chair immediately, I can get in a chair immediately. For many black women, a salon visit can mean hours of waiting. Here, two braiders work on one head, cutting service time in half.

[F]

The client was telling me, please don't close before 8pm Please open at 2am

[E]

That's Nadine Zhuico, the founder and CEO. She stumbled into the 24 Hour Model when her stylists started competing to meet customer demand. But there was an urgent financial goal, too. After Zuiko and her husband lost $200,000 in a Ponzi scheme, she was determined to make that money back fast.

[F]

I just felt like if I'm sleeping and my business is still making at least $500 profit every day, that will cover the money I lost.

[E]

With 245,000 followers on Instagram, social media drives customers in from other states. The salon even attracts clients like Maryland's junior US Senator Angela also Brooks. The average price of a braiding style is $220. On a busy day, Juico says the salon can bring in more than $130,000 in revenue. Customers pay the shop, and the salon splits the sales with the braiders. A typical braiding shop may only see a fraction of that in a whole month. One challenge to running such a massive operation. All that attention brings scrutiny.

[F]

We have so much negative comments, not because they're true, but because they don't love the visibility that we have. But it's business.

[E]

Another challenge is finding enough skilled labor. Juico wants governments to treat braiding as a formal trade taught in high school classes or skills specialized programs.

[F]

Having a school will make people even value this job.

[E]

For now, she's focused on franchising, hoping to build a national brand from the ground up. In Maryland. I'm One Boy Kamau for Marketplace.

[B]

And if you're looking for the best of Marketplace, you can get our daily newsletter straight to your inbox every day. Sign [e-mail] subscribe In Washington, I'm Nancy Marshall Genzer with the Marketplace Morning Report from APM American Public Media.

[G]

I'm Amy Scott. And this week on our podcast How We Survive, I travel to an undisclosed location in the San Francisco Bay area to learn about a controversial solution to the climate crisis. It's called solar geoengineering, and it's basically a way to dim the sun in order to cool the planet. Proponents view this as a necessary inter. Others are not convinced.

[F]

If we do this, this is a decision that will affect all life on the planet. I don't think it should be up to a couple guys in California.

[G]

And while so far solar geoengineering is happening at a small scale, what happens if a rogue nation or a rogue billionaire makes the decision for us?

[F]

I don't see that we have a world government that is capable of making decision on behalf of everybody who lives on the planet.

[G]

Listen to this week's episode of How We Survive on your favorite podcast. Applause.