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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Rihanna Talks Shedding Expectations And Finding Balance As A Mother
Since becoming a mother in 2022, Rihanna has defined parenthood by her terms and hopes to pass that sense of autonomy on to her children.
For Vogue China’s April cover story, Rihanna shared her perspective on raising her two sons with A$AP Rocky, and how she hopes to preserve her children’s uniqueness, devoid of societal expectations.
"The most beautiful thing...is that [children] come into the world with their own individuality and sincerity, without any logic or conformity,” she told the publication. “Which usually makes you feel that you must fit into a certain group."
The “Work” artist, known for her trendsetting style and captivating persona, expressed her desire to support children in fully embracing their individuality and encouraging them to be whoever they want to be. "It's really beautiful to see and I want to continue to help them navigate that and make sure that they know they can be whoever they want to be,” she says.
She continues, “They should embrace it completely, because it's beautiful, and it's unique. I love them just that way."
From shattering music charts to shaking up the beauty industry, Rihanna has forged a path that has since created the “dream” life we see today. One that she says has made her parents proud of.
“I’m living my dream,” she continued. “My parents were very proud of that because they just wanted me to be happy and successful. So, I think the key thing is to find some kind of balance. Yes, balance is important. Do this and you get the best of both worlds. You can write your own life the way you want, and it will be beautiful. Sometimes, you just need to let go of everyone’s expectations and start living your own story.”
Rihanna, who shares sons, RZA, 23 months, and Riot, 8 months, with rapper A$AP Rocky, recently shared her vision for expanding her family in the future in Interview Magazine.
When stylist Mel Ottenberg asked about the number of additional children she hoped to have, Rihanna replied, "As many as God wants me to have.”
"I don't know what God wants, but I would go for more than two. I would try for my girl,” she adds. “But of course, if it's another boy, it's another boy."
Featured image by Neil MockfordWireImage