Meet Maconnie Dukuly | Model, Actress, Hair Stylist, Personal Trainer

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

Hi Maconnie, how does your business help the community?
My business helps the community and the world in many different ways. I really like this question because, at first I created my business to be able to work and pay myself the amount of money that I felt I deserved. Being my own Boss more or less. I found that every job I had taken before, I always felt I could easily take the Boss role and the the Boss also knew it! So, I did just that became my own Boss and it has been such a phenomenal ride! Now my business has taken a whole new meaning for me and I am able impact my community by teaching and showing other little girls how to do their hair. Teaching the younger generation how to feel more confident in themselves by being able to do their hair or come get their hair done by me has become one of my top priorities! As a women of color I often struggle with my self-esteem, especially when it comes to my hair and how it needs to look in public. Also, my business has taken on a lot more of the senior community and that has been absolutely exciting! I never realized how many older people love getting their hair done and just talking their stylist, I have had the pleasure of meeting a lot of my elders in this community and doing their styles as well as becoming more familiar with the neighborhood.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
My art is comprised of so many different things in my life. I have finally made my entire life all about making and doing my art! I am a creative, heart and soul! I create and make my art by doing hair, (my fave) by modeling and acting and by my social media influence. I think what set me apart form others is that I am able to create in all aspects of my life weather it be creating amainzing styles for influencers and models which i have to say is my all time favorite thing to do, connecting with others creatives making a living is absolutely amazing and I live for it! I am most proud of my modeling and acting out her in LA, I have not only had the opportunity to be on TV I also have been able to grace the pages of Cosmo and Vogue which was pretty much my goal when I first moved to LA six years ago! Whew! seems like just yesterday! Man, how did I get here! What a journey! Well, long story short I have been doing hair since I was 10 years old and I haven”t stopped since! It’s been about 20 years now that I have been styling and It’s been an incredible journey! It definitly hasn’t been easy, it has been one gigantic hurdle after another! HOw Ive been able to over come eery thing and still keep going. One word. God. He has been the only reason I am still here, still grinding, still working hard towards my dreams and goals. I’ve learned that with God and an extreme load of patience you can do anything and prevail! What I want people to know about me and my story is that Dreams do come true. Your circumstance don’t make you who you are. Just because no one else believes in your ambition, as long as you do, you will prevail. I’ve learned that staying true to myself and who I want to become and how I want my life to be in this world is all I need. I want people to know that strength doesn’t just come form inside it comes from your loved ones, it comes from God , it comes from the love that you have for yourself and what you do. That’s where my strength comes from. My brand as The Liberian Goddess speaks on learning and being a Goddess or a God because we were all made in his image. Our power our strength and our ability to keep goin in this world is all because of him. Be you, Be beautiful, Be a Goddess!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
LA is full of so many wonderful places! How do I even begin to choose! Okay for starters I would have to start the day off at Runyon a good hike and a good sweat always sets my days right. I would then take my friend to go get some delicious down south southern cooked food at a glorious restaurant called The Griddle! The scenery is so beautiful over looking the entire city and the views! Perfect ambiance to eat and get the day going! After a delicious meal, I think we would head down to the beach Laguna Beach at that. Treasure Island is what it’s called. I think Santa Monica beach and the pier is too over crowed and everyone goes there, so I would want to take them somewhere unique and simply gorgeous! Then after a long day at the beach come home take a nap and head out to the bar probably Perch my favorite bar in LA it over look the whole city and the ambiance is just phenomenal. That my friend would be exactly what I would have planned for my Best Friend and I.

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?
OOOOOooo my goodnesss! My honey and my boyfriend Luke! He is and has been a God send! He has been with me and he has been there for me from the beginning of Mooonface Salon. He has been a patient and diligent partner in my life and my career. I can’t thank my best friend, my lover, my honey, my soulmate, my business partner, my entire world! I can not thank him enough for sticking with me through all the trials and tribulations of running your own business. I want to thank my regulars! They stay consistent and they keep me fed! I have an eclectic group of clients ranging from teenagers to Rock stars to Influencers, to stars, and finally to the elders! I wanna send a very big shout out to my community and my clients, they make this life worth living by bringing so much joy into my life! Thank you for allowing me to take care of your scalps! Thank you for loving me, and supporting my business with out you guys Moonface Salon would never be!

Website: www.TheLiberianGoddess.com

Instagram: @theeliberiangoddess

Twitter: @MaconnieDukuly

Facebook: Maconnie Dukuly

Image Credits
In the photos: Maconnie Dukly- Hair Stylist/ Salon owner Daniel Dix- Client Luke Lewis- Photographer