I want to share with you an experience I had a couple of years ago in a salon in my area.

I was referred to this salon by one of my employees at the time. She spoke very highly of the stylist, so I decided to schedule an appointment to get my hair done.

Scheduling was very easy. I called, the stylist was very polite, and we got everything set up. I was so excited!

My appointment was scheduled for 1:00pm on that Friday. Since I like to be courteous to my stylist I arrived on time (15 min early).

I had never been to this salon before. When I walked in there was a receptionist there, but I was not greeted by anyone.

I thought maybe they were all busy, so I just took my seat in the waiting area, which by the way was visible to all of the stylists as well as the receptionist.

About 20 minutes after sitting there the receptionist walked up to me and sharply asked, “Who you here for?”.

I smiled and told her who my appointment was with, and repeated my appointment time. She said “OK”, and walked away.

I sat there for a little while longer and no one came back over to say anything to me including my stylist.

I had never met her in person, so at this point I have no idea who she is or if she’s even there at all.

After sitting for a total of 45 minutes I got up, went over to the receptionist and told her to remove me off of my stylists appointment book.

As soon as I said that, my stylist who’s station was in the front of the salon, turns around and says, “I’ll be right with you!”

Here was my response,

“Oh, you’re my stylist. That’s okay I’m actually going to cancel my appointment and don’t need to reschedule, I won’t be coming back.”

I turned around and walked out. As clients we need to be sure to be on time to our appointments, and as stylists we need to ensure we’re courteous to our clients.

I’ll be writing more about this in the future for sure.

But for now, have you ever experienced anything like this? I would love to hear what you have to say!

Post your comments below.

Be blessed!

But what you must know is almost each one these girls wore lace wigs!

And more importantly, none of them used any adhesives to attach the wig… they used either hair pins, or the comb attachments that are sewn into the wig.

So, if all of these ladies are wearing Lace Wigs with no adhesive, what’s causing the breakage?

The answer is simple. The hair is not being protected and depending on the type of lace being used, it could be strong enough to break the clients hair off around the edges and in the front near the fringe.

What’s the best way to combat this?

By simply wearing a wig cap or stocking cap prior to attaching the Lace Wig.

This will help protect the hair underneath the wig. It’s also important to ensure you’re shampooing and conditioning the hair on a regular basis.

Just doing these few things will help preserve the integrity of your hair if you’re wearing a Lace Wig with or without adhesives.

Also using Dr. Miracles Temple Balm is not a bad idea if you’re thinning in those areas. I used this product myself and it worked wonders for my hair.

Another favorite of mine is Nioxin. I’ve seen this product work for so many of my clients. It’s a great product that promotes growth for thinning.

This was just another tid bit of information to help you out!

I hope you enjoyed.

Be blessed!
Marquetta Breslin

At the time I had no idea how to maintain braids, nor did I know how long I should leave them in my hair. That was my first mistake, and the results were devastating. In fact, I’ll never forget the day when I took out the braids and was shocked to see that my hair was starting to loc – at least, I thought it was. It was the first time I had ever had micro braids, and I learned some painful lessons about braid care and maintenance that day.

I have to admit it; I did everything wrong. I pulled them into tight ponytails; I hardly took time to shampoo them; and I never conditioned them. Needless to say, when it was time to take out my braids, I was in for a “treat.”

Here’s what happened next. While I was taking out my braids, I noticed a knotted ball where the extension was attached to my hair. I was taken aback. (I later learned this was dirt, lint, gel, and any other product I had been using on my hair.)

That, unfortunately, was just the beginning of my nightmare. I then carefully combed through my hair to ensure that I didn’t rip any of it. Unfortunately, it was too late to undo the damage I had already caused. I lost some of my hair and my scalp was sore.

Here is where I nearly started to cry. Once I got to the roots, my hair was literally falling out. I was shocked at what I saw in the mirror…. I had a bald spot! I was suffering from traction alopecia, and it was my fault.

Traction alopecia is common among people who wear tightly attached hair weaves, braids, dreadlocks, and cornrows because the tension results in a constant pull of the hair, which, in turn, may lead to gradual (temporary or permanent), hair loss. The good news, however, is that with proper hair care, this condition is 100% preventable.

My experience was – needless to say – a life-altering moment which led me to learn to style hair as well as dedicate my life to teaching others how to properly maintain their hair. Because I’ve learned from my experiences, I now pass on my knowledge to others so they can avoid the same mistakes. Now when I wear braids and take them out, I still have hair…and it’s healthy.

Getting your hair braided can definitely be exciting; however, most people who get their hair braided mistakenly think that wearing braids means that they don’t have to take care of their hair, which can lead to devastating results. Unfortunately, many of us neglect the care and maintenance of our hair while it’s braided, cornrowed, or twisted.

I’m here to help.

So that you can avoid – or repair – the results of improperly managed braids, I’m offering my trade tips to maintaining healthy hair and a healthy scalp before, during, and after you get braids.
Before:

1. First things first: Once you find a salon, ask your stylist if he or she offers shampooing and conditioning prior to braiding your hair. This may sound a little crazy, but a lot of braiding salons don’t offer this service, even though it’s an integral factor to keeping your hair healthy. If they don’t offer the service and you still decide to get your hair braided at that salon, be sure to shampoo and deep condition your hair prior to getting it braided.

During:

1. Be sure to shampoo with regular shampoo, and condition your hair every two to three weeks. You can use a traditional conditioner; however, be sure to completely rinse it out of the hair to avoid unwanted buildup. Also, consider leave-in conditioners. They’re easy to use and provide great results. Don’t neglect your hair in between shampoos; be sure to use a dry shampoo to keep your scalp clean. Also, consider leave-in conditioners. They’re easy to use and provide great results.

2. It’s also very important to keep the scalp moisturized. For best results, use light oil like Argan or Moroccan oils for hair. Avoid using grease because it clogs the pores.
3. Avoid pulling the hair into tight pony tails. This can cause the traction alopecia I’ve experienced. Traction alopecia usually occurs around the temples and edges, so be sure to wear your hair loosely.

After:

1. Once you remove your braids, carefully comb your hair, dividing it in sections, starting from the ends and slowly working your way to the roots. Your hair will shed during this process. Don’t worry. It’s completely normal.

2. Use a gentle clarifying shampoo to rid your hair of the dirt and oils. Then use a moisturizing shampoo and give yourself a deep conditioning treatment.

3. Style as usual.

It’s very important to note that if you plan to relax your hair, you will need to wait at least two weeks before doing so to avoid chemical burns to your scalp.

Getting braids can be very exciting – that is, if you know the proper steps to take before, during, and after getting them. Be sure to follow these tips, and you’ll be sure to have beautiful, healthy hair and avoid some of the unsightly results that I’ve experienced in the past.

Be blessed!
Marquetta Breslin

P.S. There are still a few spots left for my upcoming Lace Wig Seminar, if you haven’t applied yet, make sure to here: Apply For Lace Wig Seminar!

This morning while I was riding the bike I decided to film a video after realizing this year marks 9 years of Marriage and business!

Wow! I’m really thinking about doing something special, but I’m not sure yet. Stay tuned for more information.

I hope you enjoy the video.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more video’s like this.

Be blessed!

In the middle of my talk, my darling daughter Nya decided to join me and we talked about hair…check it out!

Click here to view the embedded video.

Here’s the first video! I hope you enjoy!

Click here to view the embedded video.

There are so many new things that I’ll be doing this year. Here are a few:

1. Re-Launching the Insider’s Club (HUGE deal!)
2. Cut & Color DVDs
3. Marquetta Breslin Signature Salon
4. Launch a CD course called “6-Figure Stylist”

And the list goes on. One of the things that my husband Ricky and I do every year is plan out our year and create our marketing calendars and set our goals for the year.

That’s what we’ll be doing this weekend to ensure we bring you the best products and services. And I’d highly recommend you plan your year also, it’s a game changer.

We always have a list of questions we ask ourselves to help with out planning process. This is the most important part of our year and it determines how successful we will be in the coming year.

So what are your goals this year? Do you have questions about services you want to offer this year? Are you trying to step your marketing game up? Are you tired of your career and want to pursue your passion but have no idea where or how to get started?

If you answered yes to ANY of the questions above, or if you have your own question that you’d like to add to that list, then on January 5th at 5pm EST you need to be at first ever Live Chat for sure.

I’ll be chatting it up with you from my Salon talking about what’s trending in our industry and a whole lot more.

But most importantly I’ll be answering YOUR most pressing questions!

I’ll be broadcasting for 1 hour and will not be holding anything back. If you want 2012 to be your best year ever, do not miss this.

So, just to recap, the Live Chat will be on January 5th at 5:00pm EST. The best part is… it’s only FREE! Who does that? I want EVERYONE to be able to attend.

So, let’s recap one last time:

The Live Chat will be held on January 5th, 2012 at 5:00pm EST for FREE!

That’s it, it’s that simple. I’ll see you Next Year!

Be blessed!
Marquetta Breslin

P.S. Don’t miss this event, it’s FREE and it’s going to be me and you live!
Let’sdo this…

Those were the words I heard come out of a young lady’s mouth the other day. It actually stunned me.  Here’s how it all went down…

Ricky, the kids, and I were headed home and wanted to get some wings from Wild Wings Cafe. The young lady taking my to go order had beautiful hair. Her color looked pretty amazing. I asked her where she had gotten it done and she said, ”I did it myself”.

“Really,” I said. “You really did an amazing job, it’s very beautiful!”

She continued to tell me that she went to cosmetology school, took her practical, but hadn’t gotten around to taking her written test yet.

After trying to encourage her to go ahead and take her written test to become a licensed cosmetologist, she finally said… ”I hate doing hair!”

“I’m so sorry to hear that! I couldn’t imagine doing something I hate everyday so I wish you the best,” I said.

As soon as I got in the truck I shared that story with my husband Ricky. I learned something about myself from my conversation with that young lady.

I learned that I am VERY BLESSED to be able to be in a profession that I absolutely love.

The one thing that I think about often popped back in my head. It’s a scene from the movie “Sister Act” where Whoopi Goldberg’s character tells one of the students something like this…

“If you wake up in morning and can think about anything but singing then you’re a singer!”

When I wake up in the morning I think about hair. When I lay down to go to sleep at night, I think about hair. I’ve come up with some of my best work in my dreams!  I’m constantly thinking about perfecting my technique and thinking of ways I can make things easier for you to learn.

My point is if you don’t wake up in the morning excited about what you do, why do something that you absolutely hate?

If you want to sing, go sing! If you want to go sell shoes, go sell shoes! If you want to do hair, go do hair!

I realize it’s not that easy, but make some changes for the New Year, set some goals, and get on the path to get yourself out of the job you hate and start doing something you love doing.

Now, I love doing hair, but I’m making some changes this year that I’m super excited about. What’s the biggest change? I love what I do online. I absolutely love to share my knowledge with you, but for years I’ve really wanted to get back behind the chair. I love interacting with clients, and making people feel and look their absolute best. That’s what we as stylists do. So, at the end of last year I went into full gear getting my salon up and running. You can see the Marquetta Breslin Signature Salon website here.

So, with that being said, I want to kick off the New Year by doing something different.

I get asked about trending hair cuts, color, etc on a regular basis. So here’s what I’m going to do. On January 5th, I’m going to have a live chat.

This is your chance to kick start your New Year, set your goals, and bust 2012 wide open and get your questions answered by me personally!

Exciting right?

So, this live chat is for me to talk about trending styles, color, and more. But more importantly it’s all about being there for you! With me getting so many emails, Facebook questions, Tweets, etc asking me everything from hair questions, to business questions I had to figure something out.

Unfortunately, I’m unable to answer each and every question so that’s what I’m doing on the Live Chat. You can ask me any question you want and I’ll be right there to answer you live!

I’m so excited about this, I’ll be sending the details out very soon, so get those questions ready!

I hope you enjoyed this story I shared with you. Remember, there’s no time like the present to stop doing something you hate, and start doing something you love.

I hope you have a Happy & Prosperous New Year!

Be blessed,
Marquetta Breslin

P.S. Have you seen my Marquetta Breslin Signature Salon page on Facebook? If not, head over and check it out and don’t forget to “like” us!

Isis Brantley, a Dallas hairstylist spoke of being chased down by TSA at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport so they could check her Afro for weapons. Brantley has been growing her hair out since age 12.

“I just heard this weird voice saying, `Stop, lady don’t go! The lady with the big hair, stop,!` said Brantley to Channel 2 Action News during an interview. They stopped her and pretty much said they had to check her Afro for explosives.

“I thought they were kidding me, I thought it was a joke. I was shocked. Everyone was shocked,” she said. As the TSA agents started digging through her hair, she said she was in tears. I would have been too!

TSA in a statement said Brantley left the checkpoint area before she was done refusing the private screening that was offered.

The statement also said that additional screening may be required for clothes, headwear, or hair where prohibited items could be hidden. Read the entire story here.

As I read the story, I couldn’t believe it. If the above statement is true, they should have gone about it in a much more professional manner than the way they did.

I’m sure if they were more professional and explained to her what they were doing and also explained that it was policy, she would have been more understanding of the circumstances.

I would have been just as outraged as she was! What’s your take on this? I’m very interested to hear what you have to say.

Post your comments to the blog.

Have a great weekend!

Be blessed!
Marquetta Breslin

P.S. On October 18, 2011 I’m hosting a FREE webinar all about Lace Wigs and you do NOT want to miss it. Seating is limited to 100 people and will sell out fast. As soon as the details come out, make sure to sign up immediately. You will not be disappointed.

Click here to view the embedded video.

Important reminder, next Thursday I will be having a Scratch & Dent Sale. Keep checking your e-mail for more details and information.

Thursday at 10am EST you will be sent the link to the sale so you can take advantage. I don’t do this often, but when I do it never lasts long at all because everything sells out fast.

I hope you enjoy the tutorial! Post your comments below and I’ll talk with you soon.

Be Blessed,
Marquetta Breslin

P.S. I have only have 2 spots left for my LAST Lace Wig Mastery Training Seminar of the year, so be sure to get it where you fit in if you’re interested in attending.

–> Sign Up For The Last Lace Wig Training Seminar of The Year!

I’m going all out for this last seminar of the year and adding a 3rd day to the seminar and a free dinner on that Monday night. The seminar is next month, September 10-12th and this seminar will blow you away!