Entrepreneurship is rising at Lasell as student-run hair and nail businesses bring in new customers all across campus. One of these businesses, Braided By Bo, is run by senior psychology major Sara Beauchamp, who began in late February of 2024. Beauchamp has been styling her own hair since she was a child.
“The last few years, however, I’ve begun to take hair care practices seriously and I found [an] interest in protective hairstyles,” said Beauchamp.
She began practicing protective hairstyles like braids, locks and twists on a cosmetic doll before moving on to practice with her friends.
“I knew that if I was going to make a brand, I wanted it to be diverse and I wanted to offer different styles,” said Beauchamp. Braids By Bo advertises on Instagram and TikTok, but Beauchamp reports that word of mouth is how she has accumulated most of her clients.
Beauchamp started her business to create “a space where [she] can tap into [her] creativity and have fun.” Her passion for her business stems from making others feel good about themselves by giving them a new look. Beauchamp says the highlight of starting her brand was the opportunity to style hair for models in RUNWAY 2024, Lasell’s annual fashion showcase.
“I had so much fun doing that and it made me proud that I began doing hair more seriously,” said Beauchamp, who plans on working towards her master’s in Psychology after graduation in the spring and continuing to enjoy doing hair.
Beauty by Becca is another student-run hair and nail business on campus. Sophomore fashion design and production major Rebecca Ramos’s path in the beauty industry started with her attending cosmetology school.
“After high school, I wasn’t super excited to jump into college, so I went for something I knew I loved, which was hair,” said Ramos.
After receiving her license she entered the industry, starting her own beauty business and working in a salon. Ramos explains that she relies on the small community of Lasell as her most integral form of promotion. Though she has a following on her beauty account—where she frequently posts her work—she finds that word of mouth on campus has had more of an impact on her business.
Artistic freedom and self-expression are some of the main reasons why people love to put time into their hair and nails, as it allows people to express themselves and have fun.
“My favorite nails to do are usually anything long,” said Ramos. “Whether [the shape] is stiletto, almond, or square, it just gives you [an] endless amount of space to draw whatever you want.”
For hair, Ramos favors styles of the nineties with lots of volume and texture but comments that in the future she hopes to experiment more with shorter hair and shag cuts.
Ramos describes being able to follow her passion for hair and nails, and seeing the joy of her clients after a new set of nails or freshly styled hair to be incredibly rewarding. Ramos comments that pursuing her passion for beauty is really what drives her and has allowed her business to thrive.
“It just feels very natural,” said Ramos.
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