Meet Kyra Foster | Entrepreneur | Black Owned

We had the good fortune of connecting with Kyra Foster and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Kyra, can you walk us through the thought-process of starting your business?
When I 1st started my own business in 2015 I initially was sitting at work thinking that I needed an additional income. I wanted to be my own boss! It took me a while to sit and think of different things that I was truly interested in and finally it came to me. I knew that I would have Success selling hair extensions based on how much money I spent with other companies! At the time I was working corporate and to be honest I hated it so much, that was additional motivation for me to try to find a way that I could be my own boss. I started thinking that I’m always getting my hair done, I wear weave all of the time, research shows the industry is growing, so why not go for it! Thats where I came up with Elegant Xtensionz which is now Elegant Extensions SD!

I always wore weave when I was young, my stepmom used to let me start off with just wearing a few tracks in the back and from there I was addicted! I knew this was the right thing for me to invest in. After doing lots of research I realized that I could make so much money doing something that I love on top of helping other women out, making women feel more beautiful than they are because for me, I know when I wear a weave it’s just an extension of my beauty but I feel so good! Some even say it brings out their alter ego depending on what type of weave they wear.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
I would say the thing that sets me apart from others is having experience. I opened my own salon a few years ago which is something a lot of entrepreneurs starting out cannot say. It was a very proud moment for me and others around me as well. I felt like I was inspiration to my friends and peers just knowing that someone so young was able to open a business A business that looked nice and was doing well! I say having experience sets me apart because I was able to “succeed” and then fail, you know, and that’s hard to do, it’s hard to look at, hard to accept. Me closing my salon a few years ago was so hard for me to do but, now starting all over is even more exciting than before! This time starting around I’m going to do so many things different, so many things I didn’t do before because of that past experience. I was able to learn so much, I learned from my failures, I learned from doing more research, so I know that this time around is going to be more successful. I’m excited and I’m so determined for everyone who buys hair extensions to know Elegant Extensions SD! I can’t wait to see what that growth looks like. Before I can get there I had some personal growing to do. Today I realize, I am just like any new entrepreneur right now. Although, I have so much experience and I did start my business a long time ago, I realized I am starting out all over. I now have to start from the bottom again. My thought process has changed so much. I thought coming back into this, you know it would be hard but, I did not think it would be as hard. I am realizing that with time things change and the industry has certainly changed. So I have to adapt, I have to market all over. I have to gain my customer’s back and I’m up for that. I’m excited for the challenge and I hope that everyone is here for the journey with Elegant Extensions SD!

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
If I had a friend coming into town for a long week for a long week we would start off by definitely visiting the beaches. You can’t come to California and not visit the beaches! I also love exercising and hiking so, if my friend is active then I would suggest a nice hike. For drinks, I would suggest suggest stopping by Louisiana purchase SD for a nice little hangout and maybe a little lunch in the daytime. At night I would suggest eating at C Level or Eddie V’s. We could also get a facial on a different day. I know a couple of great ladies who own their own spas. One is called the formula skin Care lab by Stephanie J and another great esthetician in San Diego is Kim Arnold. I go there all the time and they are both great business owners and offer great services as well. Another great area that I would suggest for a drinks is Hillcrest seek it all is but it’ll cross and have a good time chill vibes and see great people! I’m not into the club scenes anymore but, we do have some good clubs in San Diego as well and if my friend wanted to go I would be a team player and just go…for one night!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Definitely, I want start with going back in time to where it really started, like I said the reason why I fell in love with wearing hair extensions is because my stepmom introduced me to them. years later in adulthood I started my business and my main support system was my boyfriend at the time and my little sister, my baby sister Carrie. She supported me so so much no matter what I did, no matter what I wanted to do she was there for me and rooted me on. She always made me feel so admired and that helped me keep going. so if there’s one main person but I want to shout out it would definitely be her. I just want to let her know that I love her so much and I can’t thank her enough for the love and motivation she gave to me. RIP Sissy 8/28/21 🖤

Website: Elegantextensionssd.com

Instagram: Elegantextensions_sd

Facebook: Elegant Extensions SD