How This Beauty Boss Is Growing Her Business (And Her Clients’ Edges)

Crystal Simmons is all about growth — whether it’s her clients’ edges, her business, or those coming up behind her. At just 29, the licensed cosmetologist has been working in the beauty game for over a decade to turn her passion into a platform for success. And now, even in the midst of a pandemic, her beauty brand Ador’e by Crysie is blooming.

[SEE ALSO: How These Hairstylists Are Ensuring Success During The Pandemic]

But, the Baltimore native admits she almost missed her calling, losing interest in hair after not initially seeing the growth or success she wanted. She credits her father for helping her to think bigger. “He said, ‘Do I want to look like a boss, or be a boss.” She chose the grind over glamour and got to work with a few partners to open up her first salon in 2015.

Weaves were in such high-demand from her clients that it was a no-brainer for the Baltimore native to launch a line of luxury hair extensions line. And, it paid off. “I made $4,000 in less than three weeks,” she tells SADIAA.

Then came her now top-selling Mango Hair Growth oil that had literally been at her fingertips for years. She had been hand mixing the sweet-smelling mango and tea tree oil concoction for clients but had no thoughts of selling it.

“I was just using it to help my clients’ hair grow,” she says. But her clients wanted it in their hands. “They kept saying, ‘The product that you’ve been using on my hair has really been working… My hair is growing… My edges are coming back. I need some of that… I need to take that with me.'”

She took a batch to Bronner Bros’ February 2020 show and sold out the first day. “I was just amazed. People from all over — nail techs, barbers, colorists — were buying my products.”

Not only did she know she had a winner, she was reminded to always bet on herself and her ideas. She decided to open her own solo salon suite to work on her vision. “My career started skyrocketing… When I finally got on my own, I soared, my products started booming. I started getting more clients, I started getting really busy.”

And, when the pandemic hit, she was able to see what was working and what she needed to work on. “I literally came into business with my eyes closed. This definitely made me find my identity.”

Now, she’s poised for success and looking to help other beauty bosses find their niche.

“I want to be a business consultant to help other young Black entrepreneurs start their business. I want to give them the recipes for the bakery; the knowledge I wish I had. The money wasn’t a problem, it was the knowledge that I really needed to really get me where I needed to go.”

She also has dreams of opening her cosmetology and barber school with another friend to equip hairstyling hopefuls with more styling and entrepreneurial education than school provided her. “I also want to open suites so women can have their own personality, be their own boss in their own suite.”

In the meantime, with her hometown experiencing new COVID-19 restrictions, she has put all of her marketing efforts towards her online retail services. She is in the midst of site redesign and product expansion. She says to look out for beauty box next month. She is also developing a men’s beard oil line, a hydrating hair oil, and cleansing and conditioning products. 

“I want to make great products that people will love.”

Click here to learn more about Crystal Simmons and Ador’e By Crysie.