“Your talent will take you to the top, but only your character will keep you there.”
– Stevie Wonders Coaching
Introducing Stevie Wonders Coaching for aspiring hairstylists and barber
Owner and operator of Miracles Beauty and Barber Salon in Salon Plaza District Heights, Stevie “Wonders” Dickens is a Washington, DC native with over 30 years of experience in styling, barbering and running successful businesses.
Knowing the importance of community involvement, Stevie offers a coaching and apprenticeship program for hairstylists and barbers who dream of owning their own shop someday.
Nothing Short of a Miracle!
Let’s hear from Stevie Wonders himself…
Never underestimating where a person is at, I remain humble. Believing in them, I act as a role model, inspiring them that life can get better.
No matter who the person is, celebrity or otherwise, my mission remains the same. I strive to improve one’s quality of life, one Wonder at a time. My intention is to be a role model to men, women and young adults. I coach my clients to believe in themselves.
To get to this point in my life, I’ve learned a lot. I’ve had dreams, built it, and then had to let it go.
Years ago I owned two big salons – Miracle 1 and Miracle 2. Click to get the whole story about how the Miracles Beauty and Barber Salon came to be.
Believe in Yourself!
Because of life circumstances, some people stop believing they can turn their life around. Maybe they lost a loved one. Or they had alcoholic parents. They have nobody as a role model. I show them how to start their own business and save for their future.
Many think,
“I’m young, I’m making a lot of money, and I’m good.”
But as they get older, they can’t work like they used to. Then when they look back, they see they spent money on all that amounted to nothing.
What they need is the inspiration to be motivated to do more with their lives. My role at Stevie Wonders Coaching is to meet them there, wherever they find themselves. I’m willing to do that for them, to meet them where they are.
“Let my light shine so that others may see their glory.”
A lot of people don’t go to church. They’re hurting on the inside, but still they don’t go to church. You are the only church they see. People say to me,
“There’s something different about you.”
God’s light is in my life. By serving others with coaching and training, they are uplifted.
Who else is afraid of the unknown?
Many people are. And yet, there is always a next step forward, a way to rebuild, even better than before. Although the way forward may not be clear, it’s the ability to move forward that matters.
Often I wind up helping people who come into my salon. One Saturday I had a walk-in, a guy. I got talking to him. I was telling him about the work I do on the side – buying and selling gold, and my work with individuals in care. He said,
“Man you just inspired me to want more in life.”
Here’s another story. One of the guys who used to work for me got inspired to do more. Seeing all the things that I’ve done, he branched out on his own and became an entrepreneur. Several men and women have left me and started their own shop.
Stevie Wonders Coaching
If you are a stylist or barber, you might be wondering,
“How much would you need to start up a salon business?”
Well, that depends. First I’d ask you, where do you want to go with it? Large or small? If you lease property that’s equipped for a salon, all you need is 2 months in advance to get started.
But having the money to get started isn’t the biggest challenge. In the beginning you might be thinking,
“I’m going to have 5 people working for me and be making $10 grand a month…”
Then reality hits. Remember, in a big salon like that, you are managing people. When you manage people, you have a lot of different personalities. How much can you really take? Before you take on the challenge, ask yourself:
“Can I deal with all of this? This person is a taker, all they want to do is create trouble in the shop.”
Can you handle it? To manage a salon, you have to be a people-person who can work with the different personalities. It isn’t all peaches and cream.
If you want to explore and easier way — WITHOUT all the headaches of hiring and firing other stylists or barbers — check out Salon Plaza Studios:
To whom much is give, much is required
Wow, I didn’t know how it was until I got out on my own. Thinking back to my mother who tried to put rules and regulations on me, now I understand what she was saying.
If you look at me now, you think it looks so good, because I’m smiling. You’d never guess that I came from not having, with a mom who worked for herself and no dad. Living in a one bedroom apt, I didn’t have a bedroom.
Today, I’m living a dream.
The first guy in my family who went to college, I graduated from Capitol College in Laurel with a degree in electrical engineering. I knew I wanted to cut hair, but my mother wanted me to have a degree.
Truth be told, I never worked in the field as an engineer. Always passionate about being a barber, I could have saved the 40K and gone to barber school for 5K.
That’s why I will never tell my kids what to do. I have a wife of 20 years with 5 children. My wife is a daycare provider in our home. My youngest is a 14-year-old daughter. She wants to be a barber/stylist when she gets older. My 16-year-old daughter wants to be both a stylist and a math teacher. And I have one son who is 30 years old.
Coaching them is a heartening experience. It’s so great when they understand what you’ve been doing and teaching them.
Gain People Skills with Stevie Wonders Coaching
Why not take all the skills at the position you have, start your own business and go to the top? First, learn your craft.
Then you have to gain business skills. Where you’re working now you can learn all that, too — if you pay attention.
One thing Stevie Wonders Coaching teaches is people skills. To succeed in the business world, you’ve got to have people skills. Use calm words, say good morning and ask,
“How are you doing today?”
Smile. Smiling makes you more approachable. It’s ok to smile; it’s ok to speak. This breaks the ice, and then the other person gets to talking.
A person is a lot more than they appear to be. You might look down on the person at the register. While they are trying to be pleasant, you are being nasty. Eventually this person could be the person that you are calling when they start their own catering business.
“Why do you keep working to support other people’s dreams? Instead, why not open your own shop?”
My best advice is to be your own boss.
Salon plaza makes it easy because you don’t have to manage anyone. At Salon Plaza you can set your own atmosphere, keep your own hours and never have to ask permission to take time off.
Everything is included in your rent – utilities, maintenance, wifi and so much more. You’ll get to be as innovative and creative as your talent allows you to be.
Request a VIP Tour
If you are an aspiring stylist or barber in Maryland or Virginia, maybe it’s time you got introduced to our community of salon owners at Salon Plaza…