Lakia Diggs is a highly-skilled, extensively trained Master Cosmetologist with over twenty years of experience behind the chair, Lakia Diggs is the proud owner of The Kia Xperience, LLC and she takes her passion for hair far beyond creating innovative styles for her recurring clientele in New York, the DMV area, and Atlanta. Her work has also been featured in New York Fashion Week, Baltimore Fashion Week, for brands like Vogue and Vogue Italia, and for brands like Roberto Cavalli, Oscar de la Renta, and Jeremy Scott to name a few.
The creator of The Kia Xperience Follicle Stimulant Drops in both an Original Formula and a Dry and Itchy Scalp formula she took the time to combine her original formulation and also the education obtained from the Hair Loss Practitioner classes to offer a new product, geared to relieving fungal properties that cause Itchiness, dryness, and other effects. She modified the original formula plus lemongrass, tea tree, Salicylic acid and other lovely things helps with common itch, seborrheic dermatitis, and psoriasis.
Please tell us a little bit about your company – what is The Kia Xperience all about?
The Kia Xperience is about changing the trajectory from what we know the salon culture to be; unforgiving to the clients time and hair care needs, and making the everyday client the celebrity, giving top tier service, everyday glam, and a beautiful experience.
Tell us a little bit about your background and how you started your company?
Coming from a very impoverished background, I started by braiding hair for family members, neighbors, and peers as an 11-year-old; and I found what made me happy. It was a positive contrast from my home life, and I learned to be a public servant. I honed my craft for many years. Styling hair saved my life. I had a safe outlet that kept me off the streets of Baltimore, from probably doing things that could’ve ruined my life. I’m grateful to have found my passion early.
What would you say are the top 3 skills needed to be a successful entrepreneur, and why?
- Financial literacy– I feel that knowing your numbers are important. Your numbers meaning your credit score, as well as establishing business credit. Knowing your ROI for profits, projections, scaling, is severely important.
- Know when to delegate– As entrepreneurs, we start off being our own promotional team, graphic artist, marketer, accountant, stylist, and so many other roles. But it can cause a stunt in creativity and/or severe burnout. So we need to be honest with ourselves, relinquish control, and pass off those tasks and outsource where we can.
- Marketing– A lot of times, entrepreneurs have a tough time understanding who their desired client is. Or how to go about positioning themselves to attract them. So we overdo promoting, confusing it with marketing. Learning how those different fundamentals work individually and cohesively makes for successful systems; thus successful businesses.
What are your plans for the future, how do you plan to grow this company?
My plans for the future include partnering with a dermatologist to take my hair and scalp care passion to the next level within The Kia Xperience. I believe that I can change even more lives with having more knowledge in the building. I also plan to create a franchise of salons and beauty schools with a heavy focus on scalp care.
What were the top three mistakes you made starting your business and what did you learn from it?
- Underestimating the power of social media was a huge mistake. Although I used it, I definitely could have went harder and monopolized more.
- Overworking was a mistake I’ve learned starting, and in many ways, I’m still learning. When you truly love your career like myself, it’s easy to get caught up because you’re too busy having fun. But then you sit back and you think “dang, I haven’t eaten” or “I haven’t had a vacation in 2 years”. Neither are healthy.
- Balancing work life and personal life is always a struggle for me. Piggybacking from the previous point, overworking can keep you from enjoying life outside of work. Making time for self and family is so important, especially in this present climate. Life is too short.
How do you go about marketing your business and what has been the most successful form of marketing for you?
People sleep on email marketing! It’s my favorite tool! Of course, I’ve used social media, event marketing and intentional targeting. But creating a culture of exclusiveness with my subscribers has kept me booked for months out. People love special access. And the hate FOMO (fear of missing out). So as an entrepreneur, you have to use your creativeness for marketing your brand, just as you do as a producer.
What must happen for you to consider your business a success? and when do you predict it will happen?
Peace. Personally, knowing that my overhead financials is secured for months out, that’s what success looks like to me. That’s a level of peace and stability that’s unmatched. It will happen once you know your numbers, save accordingly, and be consistent with the work your branding takes.
What are the top 3 online tools and resources you’re currently using to grow your company?
Mailchimp, Square, Google.
What are three books or courses you recommend for new entrepreneurs?
- The Power of Broke by Daymond John
- Good To Great by Jim Collins
- Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert T. Kiyosaki
If you had the chance to start your career over again what would you do differently?
If I had the chance to start over, I’d create a team of people and delegate tasks to everyone who was an expert in their respective fields. I would get a lot more creative things done
If you only had $100 dollars to start a new business, knowing everything you know now, how would you spend it?
I’d spend it on marketing directly to those who can refer or connect me further. I gotta make that $100 work hard for me
How can we get in touch with you?
I’m on Instagram at @thekiaXperience and www.thekiaxperience.com
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