Be inspired by black female Sweet Samba operators discuss how they became franchise owners

Sweet Samba is a high-energy, Georgia-based Brazilian wax and sugar spa chain.

Niesha Green and Chasity Tye co-franchise Sweet Samba locations in Midtown Atlanta and suburban Alpharetta. Both have 11 years of experience in the beauty industry and were motivated to become franchise owners in December 2015 because they wanted to be their own bosses. Today, the 41-year-old entrepreneurs have successfully owned and operated their two locations for five years now.

www.ETInside.com spoke with Green and Tye about what it takes to be successful business owners in today’s market.

ETI: How would you describe the Sweet Samba brand?

Green: We would describe Sweet Samba’s brand as a hip, high-energy spa that prides itself on being the best Brazilian waxing specialist in Atlanta. We are about building trust and relationships through personal connections and esthetic services.

ETI: Were you always interested in this kind of work?

Tye: When the housing market crashed, it seemed a lot of spas that I was interviewing with were closing and I was limited on the options. This led me to Sweet Samba, as they were hiring, and I adapted to the specialty skill of Brazilian waxing and ended up loving it.

ETI: Describe the skills that will be essential to future business leaders and innovators

Green: We would encourage them to absorb all on-the-job training small or large. We didn’t realize the necessity of those moments and day-to-day experiences that would prepare us for the business we conduct. We have been thrown into situations, and sometimes what we thought were catastrophic moments made us patient and strategic enough to handle mostly anything.

ETI: Describe why lifelong learning is important to you

Green: Lifelong learning is essential to growth, progression and training others in anything you do. Do you want to be good or great at what you’re doing is the question. We constantly ask ourselves this.

ETI: What is the best and worst thing about your job?

Tye: The best part of my job is my services and being able to utilize what I went to school for. The worst part about my job is the juggling act of managing all the different parts of the business and people management.

ETI: What inspires you to show up at work every day?

Tye: What inspires me to show up every day is my faith in God. Also, knowing my knowledge can be put forth in my services and grateful to put out the hard work I put in. It’s very humbling to know that I can perform services that I have trained on for so many years and provide them to our loyal clients daily.