Ever love a hobby so much that you turn it into an occupation? Well, Morelle Ndileba did just that with her start-up hairstyling business RelleStylz. Morelle is a QUEST student from Cohort 37, double majoring in Information Systems and Operations Management and Business Analytics. On campus, she is also in the Academic Achievements Program (AAP), where she is an ambassador for incoming freshmen, and a resident assistant at the South Campus Commons. She especially loves working as an RA when planning floor events for her residents to relax and meet one another. Given her academic involvements, one might wonder how Morelle also finds the time to single-handedly run a successful hairstyling business, RelleStylz.
Morelle Ndileba (Cohort 37)
Learning new techniques and mastering old ones with her mother, Morelle developed a passion for braiding hair in her pre-teenage years. In 2016, she decided to channel this passion into a formal business and launched RelleStylz on Instagram. The business has since expanded to other platforms, including Pinterest and YouTube, but Morelle praises Instagram for playing a magical role in bringing in new followers and customers. By 2019, RelleStylz had become a full-fledged hairstyling service, but also a full-time commitment. Morelle decided to take a step back from the business to attend college, and the account went inactive, losing much of its following. As Morelle started her journey at the University of Maryland, RelleStylz journey would continue on too.
RelleStylz was relaunched in the summer of 2020, amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. With a focus on sanitary measures and customer service, Morelle began working 4-5 day weeks to keep up with her exponentially-growing customer base. In fact, she would open booking appointments at noon on the 21st of every month, and all slots would be booked within the first 20 minutes! RelleStylz’s unique clientele ranges from men to elderly to residents out-of-state, each returning for Morelle’s stylistic precision and personality. “Parlor talk with each customer has allowed me to build some very close relationships, and I love to see beaming smiles as clients walk out post-hair transformation,” Morelle says when recalling her favorite aspect of working. Today, Rellestylz continues its services on weekends, offering over 5 different styles of braids, and having over 1,000 active followers.
To anyone on the fence about turning their interests into a career, Morelle encourages you to just do it! There is opportunity, clients, and a profit margin everywhere, and people are more willing than ever to try new things. With the hair industry itself, new hairstyles are coming out everyday, and there is a spot for you whether you excel right away or grow following a learning curve.
To truly see Morelle’s amazing hair transformations, check out her platform @RelleStylz!