Hi, Hey, Hello,

My next Blog Feature is such a inspiring beauty inside and out.

Meet Nikki Maar of @shopnikkimaar and @nikkimaarsalon 🎙💇🏽‍♀️

In our interview we take a trip down memory lane on how she got started, as well as a behind the scenes look at all things hair and then “THE STORY OF BEAUTY BY NIKKI MAAR”✍🏽❤️✂️💯 

Let’s get inspired and learn some tips, trick, tools and so much more in our interview🤩💛✨✍🏽

Nikki Maar 

Entrepreneur + Founder of Nikki Maar and Nikki Maar Salon

Featured Entrepreneur: Meet Nikki Maar – Entrepreneur + Founder of Nikki Maar and Nikki Maar Salon

Interviewed by: Anna Svetlik De La Rosa 

Episode: # 73

Date: 10/3/2021

Q1.   What did you want to be growing up?

 I always wanted to be a lawyer. I loved seeing the way they commanded attention of an audience, how they spoke with direction and would have all eyes/ears on them. It fascinated me every time to see how an individual could display so much authority under so much pressure.

Q2. Tell us all about you and the story of how you have gotten to this point in your life?

ummm it’s been a long road for sure with lots of twists and turns and highs and lows … I’ve probably made every mistake possible.

I think to make a long story short my failures were what led to where I am now. I grew up similar and very different to a lot of Dominican kids in New York. My father gained a job as a superintendent and moved us to TriBeCa when I was 10 years old. I had to live in two parallel worlds at a young age. Growing up I was a very proud Dominican, I knew the national anthem as a kid we sang it when it came on the radio at noon every day. That pride and what it meant was embedded in me and would be what shaped me later on as a woman.

I was molded by my eclectic up bringing in this amazing world of diversity. I learned to be a free thinker and to voice my opinion with out fear. I also learned to be very descriptive with my words and to communicate effectively. I grew up very freely at PS. 234 which was different from The catholic school I had originally attended.  At that catholic school, children simply needed to listen, wear uniforms and sit in rows on wooden desk.

In my new amazing school we started our morning with meetings and an agenda on the direction of our day. In fourth grade I addressed my teacher by her name as she addressed me we were equals and respectful. That gave me the confidence at a young age to speak and gave me the desire to be heard. One of the best skills I’ve ever learned.

Q3.  What do you think some mistakes women make when it comes to achieving their goals?

Women are held to different standards among women. I feel like we tend to be more competitive against each other instead of working together to help one another rise higher.

I personally believe, It makes us less likely to look to other women for mentorship or even guidance.

I also believe as woman of color we are raised to be warriors for our families. We are very self sacrificing and we don’t address our mental health early on as we should.

Self-care has recently become a must in our lives and I think we should identify our real needs and address them.  For example as an entrepreneur, taking a day off from time to time is a must.  Others may need to start going for walks in nature, a run, try a dance class, even enroll in cooking lessons or try new things that may not fit their normal day to day lives.

This may all be mundane, but those little shifts can make such an amazing impact on our overall health and outlook on our lives.

Time management, not something I really took seriously until I needed to and it was awakening. The importance of time management can affect all areas of our life, our mental health, our finances, our relationships. We all have the same 24 hours in a day and how we use it is what separates each one of us. Knowing what to make a priority, dedicate our time to vs what should not be given more than 10 min. I can remember, I would go on and on complaining about some nonsense, my mother would say, “Nikki Nikki, stop wasting too much airtime on that”  I would then stop and rethink how much energy I was actually wasting on something that wasn’t productive to anything or even real to me.

Q4.  What is one of your most treasured accomplishments?

Signing on the dotted line for the purchase of my salon. I wrote my dream in my journal in 2009 and I was able to go back to it and show my husband how it finally became a reality. 

Q5.  Tell how you process work load stress or personal stress or just to much coming at you at one time? Ex: Workout/Exercise, Meditation, Journal or all the above.

I stop and regroup – prioritize by most important. I’m old school so I get satisfaction from making a list and crossing things off.

Also I do this thing we’re I slow the clock down, when I feel like everything is too much. I take a deep breath and I say to myself, “slow the clock down” then I start taking my time and do everything with patience as well as treating myself kindly.

This works especially well in traffic. I find when I’m running late the time goes by faster because I’m in a rush and I get so frustrated.

Example: I take a deep breath and I say, “slow the clock down, I’ll get there when I get there. My frustration is not gonna make this go faster.”  After saying that and doing the breath work, the situation always seem a lot easier and start moving smoother, perception can change everything”.

Q6. How do you balance your entrepreneur life with friends or family members that don’t understand the challenges we experience? 

Sometimes I find that being an entrepreneur even though I’m always surrounded by people I get lonely, but I’m very close to my mother and father. I keep them involved in my day to day routines and I trust them to always have my best interest. I regularly bounce ideas off of them, listen to how their day go and it gives me a break from my hectic schedule.

FaceTime calls keep us close even when we aren’t.

My husband and I are best friends/business partners and we have to take a break from time to time and turn off work. We enjoy our quiet time together, but we also understand the hustle so it works in our relationship. It’s important to me to always have a positive environment for my employees and the clients that I serve. I keep a solid group of like minded friends around me that all move on the same energy.  That sure does help us respect each other’s dedication to work and makes a great place to work.

Q7. Do you have any mentors or coaches?

My mentor I would have to say is my father, he has always guided me as woman in a man’s world. He also guides and directs me on how it works.   Together my parents have both shown me the importance of self empowerment in having my own, but also how to keep myself balanced as a wife.

Q8. What makes your business unique?

• First and foremost it would be Me, I stand in my truth and true to who I am.
• Secondly, my genuine nature is displayed with anyone that I work with as well as all my customers. They know that they will receive the very best on every level.
• Lastly, my brand represents integrity which I stand behind unapologetically. I have structure in my business, but it is important to me to have everyone feel comfortable and part of a family.

Q9. What advice would you give someone who is interested in starting their own business?

Just do it, don’t be scared because you’ll figure it out along the way.  No one really knows what they’re doing in the beginning. Just believe in yourself and you’ll learn everything you need to as you go.

Q10. I want to have a little fun with ya. You don’t have to be a certain personality to be beautiful, successful, smart or talented, just be you👇🏽Check out fun preferences below:

▫️Pick one or the other:

• Gold or Silver: Both 
• Gucci or Balenciaga: Gucci
• Dogs or Cats: Dogs 
• Nike or Puma: Nike
• Sweet or Salty: Sweet
• Summer or Winter: Love Winter
• Pancakes or Waffles: Pancakes
• Diamonds or Pearls: Pearls 
• Netflix or YouTube: Netflix
• Reading Books or Audible Books: Audible
• Instagram or Twitter: Instagram
• Toilet paper: (1 ply or 2 ply): 2 
• Red or Pink: Red
• Iced Coffee or Hot Coffee: Iced Coffee 
• Comedy Movie or Action Movie: Comedy

🔌Nikki’s PR: @alyiv 

📸Photo’s By: Ronald Reid Website: HERE

and Instagram: @reidtv

More About Nikki Maar👇🏽:

Nikki Maar Products: A Home to Organic Hair Products 

Stay Beautiful with Nikki Maar Salon! 💖

Schedule your appointment now! 📲

Contact Nikki Maar – 1-833-424-MAAR ☎️

Address: 6011 Park Avenue West New York, New Jersey 07093 📍

•NIKKI MAAR is an intimate and trendy Salon that provides custom styling and beauty services to enhance your everyday look for a more confident feeling. Our commitment is to provide a quality experience with exceptional services and ensure our clients with satisfying results. With years of experience and training, our dedicated staff is ready to serve your beauty needs.

Website: HERE

Instagram – Shop Nikki Maar: HERE

Instagram – Nikki Maar Salon: HERE

THE STORY OF BEAUTY BY NIKKI MAAR

NIKKI MAAR, a certified beauty industry professional created these products with one goal in mind: the wellbeing of our clients. We believe that everybody deserves to feel great about the way they look, and our products are made with Africa’s best kept secrets, Chebe powder; a mix of chebe seeds from the croton zambesicus plant, mahllaba soubiane seeds, missic stone, cloves and samour resin. Chebe is handmade and created by the Basara Arad women of Chad Africa who are known to have thick, long hair. This special mixture is formulated to keep you hair moisturized and lubricated, hence preventing breakage. We have specially created these products with you in mind and the secret is now in your hands…

Xo