We had the good fortune of connecting with Dinah Taylor and we’ve shared our conversation below.
Hi Dinah, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Dinah did it actually started out as a beauty brand by trade I am a licensed cosmetologist in Ohio, and while working in the salon we had a semi annual sale which led to our website crashing and since I’ve just always been good with technology the owner of the salon asked me to create a pop-up site to navigate the customers attempting to shop to a form to fill out for them to be able to place their orders. She the began telling all of her clients I was a web designer! I became a self-taught web designer overnight lol and I’ve been doing it for 10 years now!
What should our readers know about your business?
So as I said before Dinah Did It is a multifaceted Business. There are a bunch of different businesses that fall under one brand. I was fortunate enough to attend a high school that had trade programs in it so I graduate high school in 2011 and went to state board for my cosmetology license a week later. So the initial thought process of me being a business owner was “who did your hair…? Dinah Did It” And under the beauty brand I had a extensions line and a product to help regrow your edges if you experience hair loss. But the other side of my business was birth by accident like I said with the Salon website crashing so then that became “who did your website, Dinah Did It”. Also under the umbrella of my business is Slay Station Cincy: My beauty based vending machine that I own with my best friend and my younger sister. Where you can find my best friend’s hair extensions line Lola Doll Beauty, and my younger sisters lash extensions and tools from her beauty line Lashed By Aujah and of course any item that you would need to do a flawless install! My main focus right now is my Web Design business and what sets me apart in that industry is I’ve made my businesses focal point be the starter business that may not have a huge budget for Web Design but needs a website for online presidents. My cheapest Web Design package starts at $150 for design. I wanted to give back in a way that I feel like was hard for me when I first started out getting my online presents together. Although this hasn’t been an easy journey I wouldn’t trade it for the world I’ve had some of the greatest experiences of my life due to something I found that I could do by accident. I’ve just learned that if one thing doesn’t work pivot and do something else and find a way to make them all connect. My first 75 clients were all from the beauty industry from professionals that I had cross paths with while I was a hairstylist so I was able to design websites from both of the business owner and from the client standpoint because that at that point I have been on both sides . I’ve learned..Don’t let anything stop you from growth if one thing doesn’t work do something else!
Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
So with me being in the beauty industry the only places I have been able to visit while I have been in town have been my clients and friends businesses check out The Foreign Experience beauty salon. Also check out My Body Snatcher for all of your body shaping garments, post op needs, massages and body sculpting needs.
Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
As far as both my beauty career am I Web Design journey I owe it all to Sharon “ The WeaveMaster” Shearer and Candice “MsCandy” Smith. The owners of the beauty salon I worked in as a stylist and also my very first clients as a web designer. They encouraged me to pivot in my career when the cosmetology industry slowed down and turn my Web Design and talent into a business. I would also like to send a shout out to all of my friend circle who is full of female bosses who encourage me on a daily when business is great when business is rough and they definitely kept me going through Covid when business got extremely slow. Without them I don’t know where I would be!
Website: WWW.DINAHTAYLOR.COM
Instagram: WEBDESIGNS_BY_DINAH
Twitter: WEB DESIGNS BY DINAH
Facebook: WEB DESIGNS BY DINAH