Meet Alfa
Alfa’s passion for beauty and skincare has taken her all across the globe. Throughout her career as an esthetician, she has honed her craft working in salons domestically and abroad, where she studied and trained in Italy. In recognition of her talent, past employers often appointed Alfa to leadership roles, but even these managerial positions left her wanting more— her own salon.
Upon moving to Miami with her husband and son, Alfa was finally able to open that dream salon where she now offers a variety of services including facials, massages, manicures, pedicures, and even cryotherapy. The autonomy and flexibility she now has as an entrepreneur is a new and exciting reality for Alfa.
“I had always worked for other people, but now I get to be my own boss. I can determine my own schedule, and it’s incredibly freeing.”
However, becoming a business owner came with new responsibilities, costs, and challenges, especially those presented in the wake of COVID-19.Between pivoting her business to an at-home service and the constant need to reorder expensive products, Alfa needed help.
“There came a point when I could only afford to pay rent. No products, no chairs, nor any of the other equipment and supplies I needed to build out a fully functional salon.”
Alfa is relatively new to Grameen America having only been in her current salon for about seven months, but she is already reaping the benefits of her membership. After just one loan, Alfa is now able to regularly restock her costly supplies that she once worried would run out. She is also gradually getting to know the other entrepreneurs in her center better as she attends weekly meetings.
“This is all still fairly new to me, but I have really been enjoying seeing everyone at the virtual meetings. They have been very kind and welcoming.”
Looking forward, Alfa’s two months with Grameen America has her already planning for future business opportunities. She is currently eyeing a second location for another salon that her husband and son would jointly manage, turning her once small venture into a larger family business.
