This 23-Year-Old Celeb Hairstylist Survived Homelessness & Built A Hair Empire
Oftentimes, we hear fascinating stories about successful people who went from being broke to being a boss and we become so fixated on the how. How were they able to crawl out of that hole of despair? How did they make their vision come to life? How were they able to make a lot of money? While the "how" is important to know, the "why" is actually so much sweeter. For the past two years, celebrity hair artist Daniella Emilien, aka Hair By Ivy has garnered much traction in the hair industry with high profile clients such as Real Housewives of Atlanta star Marlo Hampton, Growing Up Hip Hop Atlanta star Reginae Carter, and rapper Kash Doll.
She also has a hair salon, Hair by Ivy, and her Ivy League Academy, where she teaches aspiring hair stylists tips and tricks to being a hair boss.
But prior to these prosperous two years, Ivy was 19 years old, pregnant, and living on the streets of Miami, FL.
When she found out she was expecting, she had just graduated from high school and was attending a local community college.While she was surprised yet excited about having a child, her mother struggled with the reality of her pregnancy. "I come from a Haitian and Bahamian background and when you get pregnant at a young age, it's a really bad thing in the family. My mom had a really hard time with me being pregnant and so she kicked me out," says Ivy.
For the first six months of her pregnancy, Ivy was homeless, sleeping in cars and hotel rooms. She was expecting twins, but ended up losing one of her babies in the third month due to sleeping in cars. While she did have a job, she still wasn't making enough to provide for herself, let alone her child, and being pregnant didn't necessarily make her a stand out candidate for hire. So, she continued to experience financial hardships that began to take a toll on her mentally.
She was alone and although she did have contact with her child's father, she was still doing everything by herself. "Yeah, we had contact [and] he tried to help, but I was just like, 'It's my first child, I want my mom to be there. I want the love from my mom.' He was active, he tried to take me in and do different stuff, but there were days when I talked to him and days that I didn't talk to him just because I wanted to go through the situation by myself. I was young, I didn't know any better. I needed the guidance of my mom because that's who I looked up to at that time," she explained.
As her due date drew closer, Ivy finally got what she needed when she and her mother reconnected. She was invited back home, and soon after, she gave birth to her son Mason. But while she had a safe place to lay her head, she still continued to struggle financially.
Being a new mother, she was stuck between a rock and a hard place where she couldn't work because she didn't have anyone to babysit her child and she couldn't afford a babysitter because she couldn't work. Instead of giving into her circumstances, she decided to overcome them. She began brainstorming ideas to make money right away. From there, she began recalling her childhood passion: hair.
Growing up, Ivy would always do her friends and cousins' hair, but she never thought to pursue it professionally until she found her back against the wall. After praying about it for two days, Ivy sent out a mass text letting everyone know that she was back living with her mom and that she would be offering hair services and the word traveled. "I didn't have business cards, I didn't have flyers, I didn't have Instagram, Facebook. I didn't have the type of tools that people use to market. I literally started from the bottom with nothing. I stepped out on faith," she says.
"I literally started from the bottom with nothing. I stepped out on faith."
Within a year, Ivy went back to school and got her cosmetology license. She started promoting her services on Instagram, which led to her securing the bag with her first celebrity client, Love and Hip Hop: New York star OG Nya Lee. Since then, she has worked with other Love and Hip Hop franchise stars, such as Joseline, Dream Doll, and Alexis Sky.
While building a diverse clientele of celebrities and non-celebrities, Ivy also opened her very own opulent hair salon suite and created a custom wig collection. She took things a step further by deciding to give back to the industry that changed her life, starting with creating her Ivy League Academy, a branding and marketing course for aspiring hairstylists looking to get into the hair business.
Ivy is thankful for the life she has now and she contributes it all to her son. In two years, Ivy was able to turn her life around by taking chances, keeping faith, and working diligently all because she just wanted to provide for her son. Her son became her "why" and her motivation to become and stay successful. "I appreciate everything I have now. I'm a hardworking woman. I have a lot of morals now, I don't settle for less and I don't take 'no' for an answer so those are some of the things that I cherish now because I went through that journey."
"I don't settle for less and I don't take 'no' for an answer."
At only 23 years old, Ivy has already overcome so much and she wants to use her platform to share her story with others who are experiencing tough situations where it seems there is no end in sight. "I started to grow, pray, and fall more in love with myself and build [my] confidence up so I can talk about it. I want to be an inspiration to someone who's going through what I went through and let [him or her] know that it doesn't stop or end there, that there is more life after that situation."
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London Alexaundria is the contributing editor for xoNecole. She is an alum of Clark Atlanta University, where she majored in Mass Media Arts and has worked in journalism for over ten years. You can follow her on Instagram and TikTok @theselfcarewriter
ItGirl 100 Honors Black Women Who Create Culture & Put On For Their Cities
As they say, create the change you want to see in this world, besties. That’s why xoNecole linked up with Hyundai for the inaugural ItGirl 100 List, a celebration of 100 Genzennial women who aren’t afraid to pull up their own seats to the table. Across regions and industries, these women embody the essence of discovering self-value through purpose, honey! They're fierce, they’re ultra-creative, and we know they make their cities proud.
VIEW THE FULL ITGIRL 100 LIST HERE.
Don’t forget to also check out the ItGirl Directory, featuring 50 Black-woman-owned marketing and branding agencies, photographers and videographers, publicists, and more.
THE ITGIRL MEMO
I. An ItGirl puts on for her city and masters her self-worth through purpose.
II. An ItGirl celebrates all the things that make her unique.
III. An ItGirl empowers others to become the best versions of themselves.
IV. An ItGirl leads by example, inspiring others through her actions and integrity.
V. An ItGirl paves the way for authenticity and diversity in all aspects of life.
VI. An ItGirl uses the power of her voice to advocate for positive change in the world.
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How A Stay At Switzerland's Luxurious 7132 Hotel Reminded Me To Live The Life I Deserve
Sometimes, as women—especially as single Black women—we simply need to be reminded that we are deserving of living a life we dream of. Even if that means creating it for ourselves. I recently set out on a weeklong trip to Switzerland, a trip I’ve been wanting to take for years, and near the end of my visit, I had an epiphany.
“DeAnna, this is the life you deserve,” I thought to myself as I took in the gorgeous bathroom in my suite at the famous 7132 Hotel and Thermal Spa. It was one of the most luxurious hotels (and bathrooms) I had ever stayed in—and that’s saying a lot for someone who often travels for work.
To help you better understand why this was such a mental awakening for me, I first need to give a bit of my backstory. I’m in my late thirties. I’m an attorneyand a journalist. I own a home and have traveled the world extensively. Essentially, I’ve done everything in life I set out to do. However, when it comes to dating, I struggle. Not because there is anything wrong with me per se, but because my career and “lifestyle” often create problems in my romantic relationships.
View from my hotel room
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I’ve been told everything from, ‘I can’t continue to date you because you seem to choose your career over wanting to settle down and have kids’ by a man after only the second date to ‘Maybe if you just sat down somewhere for a while, I’d actually wife you’ by someone who has honestly never proven themselves to be the settle down type. And these are only a handful of the things I’ve been told over the years.
It’s been frustrating, to say the least, and there have even been seasons where I purposely dimmed my light in hopes that my career wouldn’t push away potential suitors. I know what you’re thinking, “Girl, why would you even consider that? If they’re for you, it won’t matter what you do.” Hey, don’t judge me, but also, I one hundred percent agree.
My hotel bathroom
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That’s why this recent moment in Switzerland was right on time. When I first walked into the hotel to check in, I was blown away by the surrounding beauty. It was a five-star property with one of the world’s most famous thermal bathhouses. Yet, it was something about seeing that 90% of the hotel’s guests were couples, that forced me to sit back for a bit of introspection—while soaking in the thermal spa, of course.
As I went through the mental conversation, there was a battle of sorts. On one hand, I knew that being able to partake in experiences like the one I was having at that moment was important to me. I knew that, at times I actually love being able to dabble in the finer things—after all, I’ve worked hard to be able to afford them. On the other hand, and sadly, I knew that sometimes being a single Black woman that publicly showcases her “luxurious” habits can intimidate men and even scare them off from pursuing you under the guise of them feeling like they “can’t do anything for you, because you have everything.”
My hotel room
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So, what is a girl to do?
Do I minimize/hide the life and experiences that I have? Do I play down the hard work I’ve put in to get where I am professionally? Or, do I risk being single in exchange for being able to have said life, without backlash?
Luckily, the joy that I felt while being at this property won. There was something about taking a full day to simply pamper myself at the bathhouse and in my in-room steam shower and soaker tub, indulging in cuisine from a 2-star Michelin restaurant and doing all of this while surrounded by an amazing group of Black women that reminded me—this is certainly the life I was meant to live and that I deserve. Even if it means that right now, I’ll just have to provide it for myself until the right partner comes along. And honestly, I’m okay with that.
Restaurant at 7132 hotel
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