By Donte Davis
On a warm, breezy late October day in Riverdale Park, Maryland, I ride shotgun in a white 2019 Mercedes Benz A-class sedan. The car pulls into a parking lot and I exit, smelling marijuana smoke coming from the sidewalk. A 5-foot-2 woman steps out of the car wearing baggy jeans, a small t-shirt, gold earrings, rings and a cross necklace. We enter a beauty supply store to pick up $3 black rubber bands. Zamiyaa Moody, owner of The Hair Muzeum, needs these for her 6:30 p.m. client.
After we leave the hair store, I hop back in the car. Moody plays one of her favorite SZA songs, “Drew Barrymore,” as we drive away. We stop at Chick-fil-A and she orders tenders, fries and a small lemonade.
Moody decides to head back home to start preparing for the appointment. Together we help set up. I move around chairs and she gathers her materials, including a 30-inch hair, combs, gorilla glue, hair gel and black rubber bands. Her sister, Zikiyaa Moody, comes downstairs. They discuss their plans for the day. They sit and talk for 15 minutes while waiting for the client. As the sisters connect and discuss their upcoming activities, it becomes clear how close they are.
Zikiyaa has always supported her sister’s endeavor, but she was concerned at first.
“To be honest, I was a little worried because I just know how people are about their hair,” she said. “They always want things to be done a certain way always. Also, because she is home based, I just worried about her safety and ours. I just told her I hoped everything works out well.”
It generally has.
“My proudest moment was seeing her graduate high school,” Zikiyaa said. “She has balanced it well and has learned to balance it with time management and uses it as a source of relaxation.”
Moody leaves the house, and the client comes in for her appointment. The path to success for any student balancing multiple roles is always a tough battle, but Moody has found a way to still pursue her goals and aspirations. A senior at Howard University, she is also a hairstylist by night. Moody is a prime example of a college student-entrepreneur.
“Hairstyling has always been a thing I wanted to pursue,” Moody said. “Being in college, it has helped me be more social to promote my brand. It is also very consistent because I have solid clientele, and social media just helps promote it more.”
For Moody, attending Howard has been a transformative experience. Outside the classroom, it has taught her how to navigate life’s complexities and step outside her comfort zone. As a naturally shy person, college was an opportunity for her to break free from old habits and push herself to be more outgoing and confident. She has had to learn how to manage her time — balancing finals week and hair appointments.
An early love of hair
Born and raised in Prince George’s County, Maryland, Moody has always been creative. As a kid she was a cheerleader and in high school was a dancer on a team. She uses her creativity in ways such as fashion, hair, music and design. Her journey to becoming a hairstylist wasn’t a straight path. While a teenager, she was dissatisfied with her own salon’s customer service. For example, her hairstylist growing up would normally be late or cancel last minute, which at a young age Moody realized was unprofessional. Also, the hairstylist would make her feel very uncomfortable with the styles and “thinning her edges.”
“When I would go to the braiding salons, they would pull my hair too tight… and I ultimately didn’t like the outcome as much as I would have if I had done it myself,” Moody said.
In eighth grade, Moody decided to take matters into her own hands. Watching videos on YouTube, she dove into the world of hair tutorials, very eager to learn how to create the styles she wanted to without all the damage she’d experienced at salons. Her mother taught her the basics, such as how to braid, but it was Moody’s determination and commitment to experiment that turned her into a self-taught stylist.
“I just decided I wanted to start doing my own hair and it all grew from there,” she said.
Moody’s entrepreneurial journey began in her freshman year at Howard. She was motivated by students around her, many of whom were pursuing their passions.
“When you go and step foot on campus, it is like you are no longer top of your class anymore,” Moody said. “Everybody who attends this school is top of their class. Everyone is good at something.”
This environment forced Moody to rethink how she could stand out and make her mark. While she initially started doing hair to earn extra money, her hairstyling side hustle became something more — a way to build connections, hone her skills and express herself creatively.
“We call it the ‘Howard hustle,'” she said. “Most people here have some sort of side hustle to make extra money.”
At work at home
Hairstyling, which Moody had begun to master, turned into a small business she ran from home. It is a delicate balance, juggling the responsibilities of a business with the heavy course load of being a senior in the School of Business, Moody balances it by doing yoga, working out and hanging out with friends. Her normal schedule consists of commuting to classes Monday- Thursday. Her hair appointments usually are in the mid-afternoons. Her major in marketing complements her hairstyling business in ways she had not expected.
“I really didn’t start getting into my major until junior year,” she admits, “but I’ve been doing hair since my freshman year.”
She has learned to apply marketing principles to her business, from understanding her target audience to branding herself on social media.
Part of what sets Moody apart is her professional approach to her business. She keeps strict boundaries and tries to communicate clearly with clients. By supporting a professional demeanor and laying out her expectations from the beginning, Moody has avoided many of the headaches that come with running a service-based business.
“I’ve had pretty great clients,” she notes, referring to having rarely had issues with lateness or payment.
Damarcus Barnes, a client of Moody’s, praised her professionalism.
“I have been going to her for three years,” he said. “I like the environment, and my hair always looks good when I leave her. She always does great work.”
Moody has developed a loyal following on campus.
“Probably 60 percent of my clients are friends or people I know,” she said. “I like doing hair because I like seeing people’s expressions when they look in the mirror and see their hair. It is fulfilling to know I have helped someone feel confident and beautiful.”
This shows the importance of word-of-mouth in a tight-knit community like Howard. Her business thrives not just because of her skills, but because of the relationships she has built. Though Moody enjoys doing hair, she knows it may not be a long-term career. She is aware of the physical toll hairstyling can take, and after years of working in the industry, she knows she wants to explore other avenues. While she has a passion for her craft, she also dreams of transitioning into a corporate career in marketing after graduation.
Moody’s ultimate goal is to continue being her own boss, running her own ventures and exploring new passions as they arise. Part of Moody’s ambition is rooted in her desire to learn and grow continuously. While she may not stay in hairstyling forever, she sees the value in expanding her skill set and sharing what she learns with others.
“I really do enjoy learning,” she said, smiling about the thought of pursuing a master’s degree.
“I want to invest in my family’s future and be fulfilled by the work I do. At the end of the day, I do it for the people—not for myself.”