As long as Monique Clark Muhammad can remember, she has dreamed of owning and operating her own beauty salon. In December 2011, those dreams came true and on Dec. 17, she, along with her clients, family and close friends, celebrated the fifth-year anniversary of Heavenly Hair and Body Salon LLC.
Located in suite 3 at 810 Wood St., in Wilkinsburg, Muhammad describes the salon as offering a full range of hair and body services for women, men and children.
“Heavenly Hair and Body Salon is more than a business—it’s a ministry of service, offering a life changing experience. It’s a place for the entire family. We do not just offer high quality and affordable prices. We offer an experience for each individual customer,” said Muhammad.
“Monique is one of a few people I trust to do my hair,” said Pam Farmer, a long-time client. “I followed her here from JCPenney’s where I was a client. “I’m very proud of Monique. She is a hard worker and concerned about her clients. I have watched her grow in this business.”
A graduate of Empire Beauty School in Monroeville, Muhammad, who loves to make people look and feel good, says she has been doing hair since she was 16 and a stylist since 2007. Once gaining her Cosmetology and Master Teachers degree, she has worked in various salons throughout Wilkinsburg and at JCPenney’s.
Viewing her five years as a salon owner as a continuous learning experience, Muhammad said she is very appreciative of her customers, family and friends. “They have provided me with the support, guidance and encouragement needed to continuously grow and develop.” She also acknowledged that her expert stylists and top of the line products assist in offering the clients nothing but the best and a great experience.
To anyone with dreams of becoming an entrepreneur, Muhammad reccomends seeking help from the many organizations available to provide assistance. She identified Pittsburgh Gateways, the Wilkinsburg Community Development Corporation and Kiva as entities of value during her journey.
“Prior to opening, Pittsburgh Gateways helped me to develop a business plan. That process helped me think things out, and to stay organized and on point,” says Muhammad. She credits the Wilkinsburg CDC for their assistance in providing funding for signage. Last year, the business was named Salon of the Year in Wilkinsburg. “With the help of Kiva, I was able to implement new marketing strategies for the business as well as expand inventory to help offer my customers a better experience.”
Also, indicating that every business should have a niche or something that makes them unique, especially in the hair care and beauty industry, Muhammad identifies the specialty of Heavenly Hair and Body Salon is that she provides her customers with a heavenly atmosphere that caters to their individual needs.
Jasion Coleman, the owner of Lioness Community Care and a resident of Cranberry Township, verifies that the treatment he gets as a client has been one of a heavenly experience. “Monique cares for my dreadlocks at a satisfactory level. She’s consistent, ethical and I’ve witnessed her meet her client’s needs.”
Coleman is also pleased with Monique’s Heavenly Hair Oil, a hair product she created. “Heavenly Hair Oil is made of Aragon and a mixture of oils that I find helps strengthen the hair. It’s high in vitamins and makes the hair shinny and soft,” she describes.
Heavenly Hair and Body Salon also serves as a distributor for Mayvenn hair products.
In addition to being an entrepreneur, Muhammad considers herself a community advocate. For 14 years, she worked in East Hills as a community organizer, a youth director for eight years, and served as the president of the East Hills Residents Preservation and Development Corporation for six years.
A strong, family-oriented person, Muhammad, currently a Wilkinsburg resident and longtime East Hills resident, is the daughter of Adam and Claudia Wells and has nine siblings. She and her husband, Eric, a.k.a Malik Muhammad, have a blended family that includes 11 children, a mixture of biological, adopted and step-children.
Continuously focused on ways to help others, Muhammad has hopes to one day open a beauty camp geared towards young people ages 8 to 13 to provide outreach to assist in building self-esteem, and to teach etiquette and style techniques.
In the future, Muhammad said her goal is to keep a strong client base, be successful with her first salon, and open a few more Heavenly Hair and Body Salons within the Pittsburgh region as a way to pass something down to her children.
“My goal is for our professional team of experts to provide quality hair and body services, excellent customer service, great prices, top of the line products, and an atmosphere righteously filled with peace and joy just like heaven.”
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