Today we’d like to introduce you to Kacie-Ashley Awah.
Hi Kacie-Ashley, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started learning to braid at age 13. I had gotten a style known as “Senegalese Twists” which if installed a certain way are prone to slipping out. After a few weeks I had lost several twists so I decided to watch a video and learn how to fix it. Once I applied what I leaned I decided I wanted to try braiding my hair myself next time. And I did. I remember coming to school after spending 3 days doing my hair and telling my friends I did my hair myself and nobody believed me. But then I did it again and again and I started getting questions from friends asking me to do their hair, but I always said “no” simply because I knew how long it took and I didn’t feel confident I would be able to spend that much time doing someone else’s hair. Finally At age 15 I was a freshman in highschool and I wanted to try braiding someone else’s hair. I recruited my friend Sydney as my first client. And it was a bit of a disaster. She did not buy the braiding hair I asked her to which makes a huge difference. We ran out of hair on the first that but surprisingly we were making good progress. Day 2 is where it went downhill again we ran out of hair but this time we were also running out of time. So I ended up having to rush and do larger parts in the front I was so disappointed with the finished look. when we got to school I then had a few girl joke about the poor outcome of her hair. Not directly but the indirect “oh these are the braids u did”. But that didn’t deter me completely a year later we moved to a new city and I was in a new highschool. While walking home from the bus stop I heard a girl in my neighborhood complaining about her braider canceling and for whatever reason I volunteered myself claiming I could do her braids since I do mine, and she agreed. This time was different we had the right products, I was a lot faster than last time and we finished in a reasonable time! Next thing I know a friend of hers asked to book a service as well. I was in business. Just posting before and after pictures on my Snapchat story and growing through word of mouth. A year later I started taking things a bit more seriously I dedicated my page to posting photos of my work, I started having people reach out through instagram and Snapchat to book. I created a price list and shared it obnoxiously. I mean every single Snapchat contact and instagram follower received a copy of every updated price list and “sale flyer” and it was working, as I continue to grow I leveled up from scheduling through text to a scheduling site, Cash App deposits, to using Square to collect deposits and payments. In 2022 I created the style known as “Island Twists” it’s crazy how life comes full circle. The first style I learned to do were twists and the style I went viral for/ created were an adaptation of those very twists. 2025 I did officially announce my retirement. In the last year I wrote my first book “The art of Delusion”( The radical faith that turns the impossible into the inevitable” a mindset shifting book based on the radical self belief and faith I’ve adopted throughout the years. I have many things in the works currently a soon coming braiding shop, a new hair tool I’m in the process of inventing/ perfecting. I also plan on starting my Podcast this November
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There’s no such thing as a smooth road. If the road isn’t little bit rocky you might be walking the wrong way.
Struggles I faced were my business slowing down in the beginning of 2022. I will start by saying I’m a Christian and I do believe in the power of prayer. I did a 3 day dry fast no food, no water asking God to help me and change my business for the better. He gave me the idea for “Island Twists” next thing I know I went from hoping I had at least 4 clients a week, to my month being fully booked in 20 minutes.
My most recent struggle was when I became burnt out behind the chair and decided to step away from braiding the thing I loved was not only burning me out mentally but physically my body was in constant pain, I couldn’t stand longer than 5 minutes without pain in my lower back. I was exhausted!!
Last road block has been my business page getting hacked, even though I planned on retiring I never expected God would make me stand on it fully. I lost access to my page and it forced me to expand in new ways. It gave me time to work on my book. Gave me time to reset and plan new things. I feel I’m still in the messy middle but that’s where God does his best work!
We’ve been impressed with Kash Styles, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
I Specialized in Braids/Hair styling. I think the most important take away from
My business is to not only have faith in yourself and your craft, but enjoy every part of the process. Braiding in itself is something you have to apply the term “Trust the process” the beginning looks like not much is happening sometimes halfway through a style I’m not even sure I’m going to like the outcome, you start getting tired but once you’re looking at the finished product you’re glad you didn’t stop, you’re glad you pushed through any doubt, the boredom (Braiding is in fact boring! Up to 10 hours of the same repetitive process is nothing fun) but when you push through those parts of life where it feels mundane when the excitement has died down and you hold on to discipline what you create is a beautiful work of art!
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
Books:
Th Bible
“The Art Of Delusion” Kacie Manoh
“Start more than you can finish” Becky Blades
“The Power of Broke” Daymond John”
Podcasts:
Diary of a CEO
Kinzer Mind And Body
And something that really helps me is keeping journals for all parts of life. I have a faith journal for prayers, a journal for business, a journal for just day to day life and getting ideas out of my head and onto paper
Contact Info:
- Instagram: Kash.manoh
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/@thekasheffect?si=wvHe80RAtaAL2Frt
