Cindy's Featured Artist of the Week - Vanessa DeWalt

VANESSA DEWALT

Vanessa DeWalt is a native of Indianapolis, Indiana where she was born and raised. She attended school at Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. After graduating in 2013, Vanessa decided to move to the Carolina's for a change of scenery and for the abundance of opportunities she'd heard from others already living in the area. After a year and half of working odd jobs, Vanessa began a job in her career field. She began working as a Human Resources Manager which she loved. "I really enjoy working and engaging with people so this position was perfect."

Things were going really well at her job but after about a year, Vanessa started thinking outside of the box. She started thinking that there must be more she could do to be financially secure without being tied down to her corporate desk. After talking things over with her husband, they decided they were in a great place to take a leap of faith and start their own business. Her husband had already launched a landscaping business and was in the process of creating an app with some of his business partners, so he had a lot of knowledge as far as what it takes to start a business. With her husband's support, Vanessa started thinking of the kind of business she wanted to start. 

In early 2017, Vanessa saw something on the news that was very disturbing, but very inspiring. A young woman was shopping in a beauty supply store near Uptown Charlotte. The young woman was accused by the store owners of stealing. After she was accused of stealing, she was then attacked and thrown to the ground by a man while a woman stood over her screaming at her and calling her a thief. The woman had not stolen anything, but was racially profiled and then attacked by the Asian store owners. With Vanessa being a resident of the area and having shopped in that store, that story hit very close to home. It was that unfortunate event that helped bring Vee’s Beauty Supply to life. 

When Vanessa saw that news segment, it made her angry and hurt for that young woman who had to endure such treatment. "I felt that no one should ever be treated in such a horrible way, especially when they are spending their hard earned money in your establishment."

It was then that Vanessa's wheels started turning and she started thinking about how this situation could be avoided in the future. She thought about how she had to travel to Charlotte when she needed certain beauty and hair supplies because there weren’t any places like that in her neighborhood of Fort Mill. She felt that opening a beauty supply in the area would fill a void that was needed. It would also give people a place to come and shop where they would feel comfortable knowing that they would not be harassed or profiled simply because of their skin color.

After months of research, finding vendors and distributors, Vanessa decided it was time to leave her job. Vee’s Beauty Supply has been open since October, 2017 and Vanessa couldn’t be more excited. "I love when customers come in and they're excited because they no longer have to travel for their beauty needs. I love being a black business owner who can give others like me a comfortable and inviting place to shop. My goal is to build and grow my business to its highest potential. This store has given me the opportunity to meet and work with other like-minded individuals and I'm enjoying networking and learning more about the business."

Another goal that Vanessa has is to use her store as a platform for other creative people. Most recently, she began working with individuals who have products that they create themselves, where she gives them a space to showcase their talents and products. "It's been delightful being able to meet new people and give them an opportunity to grow. I look forward to seeing where Vee’s Beauty Supply will grow into, in the future."