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ERIKA BETHEA

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NATURAL HAIR EDUCATOR, CONSULTANT, LICENSED COSMETOLOGIST, ADVOCATE

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 For  15 years, Erika Beathea has been unapologetically passionate about nurturing and educating women and girls who wear their naturally textured hair. Erika’s inspiration as an African dancer led her to culturally appreciate naturally textured hair.  In 2010, Ms Bethea opened Honeylocs Natural Hair Care Salon; here she teaches her clients and staff how to  embrace their textured hair.  Honeylocs’ motto is to “Work What God Gave You!”   HoneyLocs is a “safe space” for women/girls that want to embrace their kinky, curly coils.  Erika commits herself to making textured hair styles a “standard” of beauty around the world.  

In 2015  Ms. Bethes co-authored  Behind Her Brand Vol 2, where she  shares her journey to becoming a beauty industry artist.  Behind Her Brand Vol 2 is a journey of lessons,  obstacles, thought processes, and victories you go through when building your business.   Erika candidly shares her genesis journey of entrepreneurship to encourage other female entrepreneurs along their path to building their businesses. 

 

In 2020, Erika expanded her educational consulting services to Ghana, West Africa. During the pandemic Erika immersed herself into the Ghanian culture by temporarily residing in Ghana.   She recognized the opportunity to build a bridge with the Natural Hair Community through education of textured hair cutting, coloring and styling.  

 

With over 15 years experience as a loctician and natural hair stylist Erika is a Licensed Cosmetologist graduating with honors from Toni & Guy Academy and a Rezo Certified Curly Cutting  and Color Specialist.  She is a HBCU graduate of Winston Salem State University with a B.A in Business administration. 

 

 As an industry visionary, Ms. Bethea is a currently committed to natural hair advocacy work to elevate  hair bias and texture discrimination  within the beauty industry and in the world. Ericka sees the natural hair industry and textured hair inclusion in this country as a path to emotional healing, self care and wellbeing to all black women around the world.

 

“It is my passion to create a legacy framework that will uplift our community, as we honor our past and  stand on the shoulders of the women entrepreneurs who came before us."