APPLETON (NBC 26) — For many people, putting time into their appearance can be a form of therapy or a pick-me-up during difficult times. That's why helping customers look and feel their best is the passion of two beauty supply store owners in Appleton.
For Fadia Baldeh Colley, the owner of Val U Beauty Supply in downtown Appleton, her love of styling hair started during her childhood in West Africa.
“My parents used to do hair and obviously back in Africa if your parents are doing hair, you will help them," Baldeh Colley said. "They’ll tell you 'grab this, hold this, do this.'”
When she came to America, she worked as an employee at the store before taking it over in 2013. After owning the store for nearly a decade, she says she saw the transformative impact that hair care can have on customers' self esteem.
“Even the satisfaction of a wig, just to get a wig, that makes a big impact to some people’s life," Baldeh Colley said. "Creating awareness to them on how to use the particular product itself is just so rewarding.”
For Renada McGraw, the owner of Intrigue Fashions & Beauty Supply, building trust with customers was her priority when she opened her business four years ago.
“I give them the knowledge of the products their buying, the hair extensions they’re getting," McGraw said. "I don’t want a one-sell, I want a many-sell and I want my customers to trust me.”
A Chicago native, she says many hair care products for African American hairstyles can be difficult to access in Northeast Wisconsin. She says many women are forced to shop online or travel to larger cities like Milwaukee or Chicago to get the products they need.
"Think about when it’s winter time. Can they drive realistically to Milwaukee or Chicago? No. They have to keep themselves up for their appearance to go to work, when they’re looking for a job,” McGraw said.
That's why Baldeh Colley and McGraw say their stores aim to improve accessibility to beauty products while offering them at an affordable price. Both say they're relying on the community's support now more than ever after being forced to close their doors temporarily amid the pandemic.
Through the years, they've helped customers feel good about themselves through some of their most difficult times and have seen firsthand how beauty products can transform their confidence.
“Us as women, when we are down or dealing with depression, what makes us feel a little bit better? Fixing ourselves up,” McGraw said.
“Some people are going through chemotherapy, some people are losing their hair," Baldeh Colley said. "Sometimes people are going through stuff in their homes and they just want to come out and just have something to boost them up.”
You can learn more about Val U Beauty Supply and Intrigue Fashions & Beauty Supply on Facebook and Instagram.
