BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB)-When Brianna Lannie, Danielle Jackson, and Lauren Jackson decided to open the Hair Hive beauty supply store last year, they knew it wouldn’t be easy. What they never imagined was that barely a month into opening, they’d be operating during a global pandemic.
“We couldn’t control it. It was out of our hands,” said Danielle.
What should’ve been a historic moment of celebration for the three sisters, being the first Black women in Buffalo to own a beauty supply store, quickly turned into a crash course in pandemic rules. Not missing a beat, the women pivoted to curbside service and powered through.”
“We got gloves, hand sanitizer, razors, and different personal care items and that’s how we were able to get up and running.”
While many businesses had to close their doors Danielle says community support helped her and her sisters’ stay afloat.
“Just having people come in and tell their stories about how the pandemic touched them personally, these people are our family because they come in everyday, we have regulars and they’re like family now to us.”
On March 7, the sisters celebrated their one-year anniversary at 1413 Fillmore Ave and the business is going strong. They’ve expanded with more products and found success on social media telling little-known historical facts about Black hair care on Tik-Tok. While their road to becoming business owners was filled with challenges, Danielle says she’s grateful for the lessons learned and encourages others to follow their dreams.
“This was a big hiccup for us but we were able to overcome it. Just believe in the vision, believe in your passion and just stay the course.”
Kelly Khatib is a digital reporter who has been part of the News 4 team since 2019. See more of her work here.
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