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About Dionne

Dionne James began braiding hair at just 12 years old in Queens, New York. By 20, she owned her first salon — but even while she was “booked solid,” she was stuck chasing survival instead of building wealth.

That changed the night she had only $47 in her account. From that moment, Dionne created her signature Freedom Formula: Skill + Strategy + Systems = Scalable Success.

Today, Dionne leads a portfolio that includes:

• Essence of Braiding & Weaving Hair Studio

• Beauty Brillionaires University

• Youth Braiding Academy

• Eusoyah Properties LLC

• Dionne James Soulutions — a vegan haircare line

• Dionne James Speaks

She’s also the author of The Hustle Is Real: Millionaire Stylist and a proud Honorary Member of Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Incorporated (2023)

Her story has been featured in Essence, Sophisticate’s Black Hair, Lifetime Movie Network, and AMC — inspiring thousands of women to turn their hustle into freedom

Signature Talks

Freedom Behind the Chair

Her journey from $150 braids to a million-dollar portfolio — and the lessons every entrepreneur can use to scale beyond the chair.

Booked Solid but Stuck?

The three traps keeping stylists from building wealth — and the proven systems to break free.

Skill + Strategy + Systems = Scalable Success — a blueprint for creatives and entrepreneurs ready to grow without burnout

The Freedom Formula

Services & Impact

Dionne’s programs, workshops, and coaching experiences are built for beauty professionals, entrepreneurs, and youth ready to thrive in purpose and profit.

Workshops & Coaching

Business growth, branding, and wealth-building strategies.

Youth Programs

Empowering teens through skill-based education and mentorship.

Partnerships with organizations that champion empowerment and legacy — including programs with Fulton County DA’s Office, inspiring and equipping youth through beauty, education, and entrepreneurship.

Brand & Nonprofit Collaborations

Each talk or session leaves audiences inspired, equipped, and ready to act.

The Hair Craft Project

A Living Legacy in American Art

I was honored to be one of the featured artists in The Hair Craft Project, a groundbreaking national art installation conceived by Sonya Clark that celebrates the artistry, geometry, and cultural power of Black hair braiding.

My work — created with the same hands that have braided over 20,000 heads — became part of this historic exhibition, blending traditional hair braiding with fine art to challenge the boundaries between craft and high art.

This project has been showcased at major museums across the country, including:

• Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (Boston, MA)

• Smithsonian Institution (Washington, D.C.)

• Telfair Museums / Jepson Center for the Arts (Savannah, GA)

• Austin Museum of Art (Austin, TX)

• Taubman Museum of Art (Roanoke, VA)

• Museum of Contemporary Craft (Portland, OR)

• High Museum of Art (Atlanta, GA)

• National museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA) (Washington, D.C.)

  Galleries & Additional Exhibition Venues

  • 1708 Gallery (Richmond, VA)

  • Real Art Ways (Hartford, CT)

  • Morean Arts Center (St. Petersburg, FL)

  • Burr and Burton Academy / Currier Museum–connected community exhibition (Manchester, NH)

  • Cummer Museum of Art & Gardens (Jacksonville, FL)

  • Richmond Center for Visual Arts (Kalamazoo, MI)

  • Cleveland Institute of Art – Reinberger Gallery (Cleveland, OH)

  • Kohler Arts Center (Sheboygan, WI)

  • Indiana University – Grunwald Gallery (Bloomington, IN)

  • Bristol Art Museum (Bristol, RI)

  • The African American Museum in Philadelphia (Philadelphia, PA)

  • The Clark Center for African & African American Art & Culture (San Francisco, CA)

  University Art Museums & Academic Venues

  • Vassar College – Palmer Gallery (Poughkeepsie, NY)

  • Duke University – Rubenstein Arts Center (Durham, NC)

  • University of Wisconsin–Madison, School of Human Ecology Gallery (Madison, WI)

  • Virginia Commonwealth University Gallery (Richmond, VA)

Today, my work from this project is part of the permanent collection of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston — a piece of living cultural history and a testament to the beauty and power of Black hair artistry.

This recognition isn’t just personal — it’s generational. My braiding comes from a lineage of women — my grandmother, mother, and aunt — who passed down the craft.
To see those skills enshrined in museums across the U.S. is proof that our culture is not just style — it’s legacy, art, and power.

Testimonials

“I went from unlicensed beginner to thriving braider with over 20K followers — Dionne’s mentorship changed my life.”

- Enyah Eggleston

“Her coaching helped me transform my salon into a full-service beauty and retail brand.”

Bamba, Richmond VA

“The Hustle is real made me cry, then it made me change. I saw myself on every page”

Tia L., Reader & Braider in Atlanta

The Hustle Is Real, Millionaire Stylist

Dionne James brings you the story of a talent that began at the age of 5, evolving into a rewarding and ever-changing passion. Experience her journey of trials and tribulations and learn how to thrive within an industry where your hustle is the truest form of survival. Here lies the opportunity to gain firsthand knowledge at reaching millionaire status. Perhaps you are just beginning your journey in the hair industry, maybe a new business owner, or have been doing the same things with little results, Dionne takes you on a ride, exposing all of the highs and lows a Master Stylist faces throughout her career. With a passion to help others succeed both financially and spiritually, The Hustle is Real will surely become the go-to book for salon owners, industry moguls, and entrepreneurs everywhere.

You don’t just need another speaker.
You need a voice that inspires action and builds legacy.

Bring Dionne James to your next conference, summit, or stage and give your audience a message that lasts beyond applause.