A junior at Bowling Green State University (BGSU) is helping the Black community with her own business where students can receive the care that their hair needs.
When Doriece Sanders first arrived in Bowling Green, she noticed the lack of Black hair salons and wanted to provide a service to other Black students who struggled finding local stylists.
“A lot of people would just come to my dorm and I would do their hair, and I just decided ‘why just do it for my friends, when I can do it for everyone,’” Sanders said.
Sanders runs her own hair business “StyledByRiece,” where she specializes in quick weaves, knotless braids and other affordable styles specifically catered to BGSU students.
At the beginning of the school year, Sanders was able to move her business to All in One Beauty Shack, a beauty supply store located on Wooster Street in Bowling Green.
The opening of All in One Beauty Shack became a topic of conversation within BGSU’s Black community, as it was the first local store that specialized in the hair products they needed.
According to past reporting on the store’s opening, CEO of All in One Beauty Shack, Kaveona Below, wanted her store to help the community have a closer access to hair-care products.
Before the opening of her business, many students traveled to Toledo to find a store with the products they were looking for, according to past reporting.
Sanders said she wanted to help Black students feel like they have a safe and convenient space for them to get their hair done.
“Not a lot of students can travel all the way to Toledo to go get their hair done, it’s just inconvenient for students,” she said.
Sanders said having her business located in Below’s store helped her to gain real life experience as a college student and set her apart from others.
“This is not anything that I’ve ever done before, I’ve never had my own business. So, just jumping into that while also being in school was hard,” Sanders said.
Sanders said while it’s a struggle balancing school and being a business owner, she’s used on-campus resources like her Life-Design coach and also had support from her professors.
Sanders, who’s a visual communications and technology (VCT) major with a marketing minor, said she’s learned a lot from her major that she could apply to her business.
“In class, we do a lot of project-based assignments. I was able to make postcards for my business. We learned how to make a color palette and branding for businesses,” she said.
She also said in some of her classes she’s able to learn photography as well as front-end web development, which she’s been able to use to promote her business.
“I use my friends as models and take their pictures, do photoshoots with them and stuff like that just to market,” she said.
As of January, All in One Beauty Shack’s physical storefront has closed and is set to reopen soon in the future, according to their Instagram. They are currently selling their products strictly online with delivery available.
Sanders said she’s had to move her business out of the store for now, but plans to continue as a home-based salon, and wants to expand her business in the future.
She said she’s been able to grow a presence on her social media, and wants to continue to use platforms like Instagram as a way to build up her clientele.
Those interesting in booking with Sanders can visit her website
StyledByRiece can also be found on Instagram: @StyledByRiece
