We had the good fortune of connecting with Philesha Alise Stern and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Philesha Alise, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
My journey was a little different than most. After working in the hair industry for nearly 10 years, the salon o built my core clientele with announced their closure. Giving only two weeks notice!!!

I was pregnant with my second child at the time & knew I needed the flexibility to be a wife, mother and to keep my clients. They trusted me for all those years and I wanted to keep that!

I took the biggest leap of faith, scraped together every last penny and opened my first salon suite location. The greatest decision I made in my career. I now own a full service salon with 6 chairs!!

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Boujee Curls is unlike any other salon in Southern, CA. It is a full service salon, offering and incredible range of services to women and men wearing their natural textures. We don’t use any toxins or harsh chemicals for any services & provide education for our clientele.

Finding a “Curl specialist” is one of the hardest parts of wearing your hair natural. Many cosmetologist are not skilled, although licensed, to work with our hair. I knew that needed to change and I needed to be the one to step up!

Easy??? Never, there is no easy way to become successful. No matter the industry. This was YEARSSS of hustling, hard work, financial sacrifice and discipline that got me here. Everything I’ve achieved has been with my two hands and both feet! Hard work and sacrifice make the reward that much greater!

Some lessons I’ve learned along the way:
Integrity is the best quality to have in business. You have the passion and the idea already, so remain true to your core values and the reward is already yours. Word of mouth still go further than reviews and social apps, so be good to people and watch just how far your business grows!

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.
We have brunch at Lokels Only first! Then we swing by Find Your Hilltop in Inglewood for coffee and snacks.

Spend a day at Melrose Trading post to get some great vintage finds.

We hike hidden trails & spend a day at the Irvine Great park!!

Since summer is ending, we finish the week with a bonfire at Dockweiler beach!

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I love connecting with other entrepreneurs in similar industries. I’ve been blessed to work with a dear friend of mine, Abriana, who hosts and plans natural hair events. She is helping to create the sense of community that we both feel are missing and necessary for women and their hair! AB has been a huge inspiration to me. She is a bold leader and is beyond passionate about her industry. I am grateful to collaborate with her on many new and upcoming projects!

Website: www.BoujeeCurls.com

Instagram: Hairby__PhileshaAlise

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.