Today we’d like to introduce you to Venita Graves.
Hi Venita, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
In 2003 my journey began with breast cancer. Doing a self-exam I found a lump and that is where my story began.. I went through chemotherapy for six rounds and lost my hair due to the ravishing effects of the cancer treatment. As a hair stylist and salon owner my desire was to find beautiful wigs to carry me through the loss of my hair. At the time wigs were costly and the ones that was donated through the hospital were not as stylish for me in the way I wanted to look. After my treatment and surgery I volunteered at MD. Anderson cancer center in Houston every Monday, I would donate my time and talent to help other women with the wigs that they supplied. Cutting shaping and styling wigs was my pleasure after going through so many wigs while I was in treatment. my desire to have a place where women can go and receive beautiful wigs was how Beauty Beyond Breast Cancer was birthed. Since the conception of our non-profit organization we have given away hundreds of wigs and have helped women look good and feel fantastic while going through treatment and beyond. Because we believe in inspiring, assisting, and motivating women to look good, feel good and move through their survivorship with grace and style, we have taken that inspiration to the runway. We have produced seven annual amazing fashion shows featuring all breast cancer survivors on the runway and it has been amazing how we make these women feel.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It is very important for Beauty Beyond Breast Cancer to obtain the funding that’s needed to maintain our headquarters where we provide beautiful wigs. Every year we receive wig donations from different organizations and people who have the heart to donate wigs for women. Putting on our annual fashion shows has made our journey in our non-profit a lot smoother and has been the catalyst in keeping our headquarters running smoothly.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m a hair stylist, salon owner, runway model and choreographer along with being a 23 year breast cancer survivor. I have been in the beauty and fashion industry and owned my own salon for the last 50 years. In the salon I specialize in healthy hair and within the fashion industry, I can choreograph a fashion show that attracts a sold out show yearly. I am very proud to say that I’m 70 years young and still working. I have clients that I can also proudly say I have cared for their hair since they were very young. What sets me apart in my business is simple, My clients have standing appointments and we have a long-term relationship we are more like family and love each other dearly.. But more than that I love love love what I do. My clients and friends absolutely love my involvement in the breast cancer community and supports me and everything I do to help make our annual fashion shows a success.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Networking is essential in the hair care business, and the breast cancer community. When it comes to advocating and supporting women that’s going through the ravishing effects of cancer and losing their hair, it’s not difficult to connect with other organizations to network with and assist women with anything they need. I consider my associates as first responders when it comes to assisting women when they find out they have cancer. A woman will always go to her hair stylist to share the fact that she’s going through or about to go through cancer treatment and possibly lose her hair. As a first responder Beauty Beyond Breast Cancer is located in Salon Meyerland with 75 other salon suites. We are readily available to assist and inspire these women with beautiful wigs that’s complementary, yes you heard me, that’s right free. Our main fundraiser for BBBC is our annual Survivors Fashion Show where I mentor, inspire and motivate women to feel beautiful beyond the cancer treatments that changed their lives, lost their hair, eyebrows, breasts, endured the effects of radiation, the swelling from lymphedema and more. It’s God’s gift that I’m able to lift the self esteem of survivors and inspire them to reveal their beauty
Pricing:
- ALL WIGS ARE COMPLIMENTARY TO WOMEN WHO LOSE THEIR HAIR WHILE GOING THROUGH CANCER TREATMENT
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.beautybeyondbc.org
- Instagram: Beauty Beyond Breast Cancer
- Facebook: Venita Graves
