We had the good fortune of connecting with Ryan Baker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ryan, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
I grew up in salon’s as a little girl. I used to spend the entire day there, watching women not only getting and providing services to one another, but also truly bonding. There was a sense of community, sisterhood, and fellowship. As I got older, I noticed that culture being removed from salons. There was no warmth, no experience- just a service. I wanted to bring back the culture of salons I experienced as a little girl back into the beauty world.

What should our readers know about your business?
I am truly in love with what I do! The main difference between my salon and others is the experience I provide for my clients. I have so much pride in knowing that I have cultivated a safe space for women and women of color specifically to express themselves through beauty, network with one another, and create a community through shared experiences. I get so much excitement from creating relationships with my clients and watching them create relationships with each other. Getting to be apart of their lives. It’s so much more than doing nails. Building this business/brand was not easy. I faced a lot of adversity from peers due to my age. A lot of people didn’t think I was capable of starting a successful business and operating it professionally. I was only 19 when I opened my salon. I had to work extremely hard to prove that young women could be successful entrepreneurs at any age, as long as they had drive and a good work ethic. I had to learn how to work for my own pleasure, and not to prove a point to others. The more energy I put into my brand, as opposed to addressing hate, the more success I saw. I want my work to reflect my passion, I want the world to see the love I have for both my brand and those that support it.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
Charlotte is actually a really nice, and upcoming city. I think there’s something for everyone.

Some of my favorite places to eat:

El Puro- A Cuban restaurant with an AMAZING Sunday brunch and live DJ
Bocao Sushi- a Dominican fusion sushi lounge. Such an amazing concept that doubles as a restaurant and a club!

I’m not big into clubbing so I would probably recommend some of our more outdoorsy things to do like the White Water Rafting Center or hiking Crowder’s Mountain.

Charlotte is also home to 3 professional sports teams, football, basketball, and soccer so there’s always something to do there!

We have a big music scene, so there are plenty of concerts to attend on almost any given day.

One of my favorite businesses local to Charlotte, The Brown Sugar Collab- hosts pop up shops uptown at least once a month that feature several small owned businesses, a dj, and local food vendors! Definitely something I look forward to often.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would love to Shoutout my aunts Tina & Sonequa! They fostered my love for the beauty industry as a little girl.

Website: www.naildoctorclt.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/haparenee/?hl=en

Image Credits
Corey “PicMan704” Weaver

Nominate Someone: ShoutoutLA is built on recommendations and shoutouts from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.