Moving Beyond Circumstance with Majik DeCosta

What inspired you to become an entrepreneur?
What inspired me to become an entrepreneur?  The easy answer is circumstance.  The genuine answer is a bit more complex.  Becoming an entrepreneur, was not the intention, but became a necessity.  After serving a 7 year sentence and being met with the skepticism that the majority of black men are faced with everyday. The insurmountable task of finding gainful employment.  So I decided to get into a career where I wouldn’t be faced with a background check.  One that my skill would overshadow my past.

Tell us about your most profound lesson that you learned from being incarcerated.
The most profound lesson I learned during my incarceration was the importance and significance of a man’s word.  When you are locked up , you are stripped of all material things.  The things that supply you status in the outside world are all taken.  The only thing that remains is your word and integrity.  I learned to let my yes be a yes.  It enabled me to forge lasting relationships in business, because I deliver on what I promise. I value knowing that people can trust what I say.

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How have you been able to rise above the stigma from incarceration to becoming an entrepreneur?
I have been able to rise above the stigma of incarceration by walking in my truth.  I believe if you own all parts of yourself, no one else can write your narrative.  By being transparent I’ve never given anyone the power to use my past against me. My past created the man I am today. My character is a culmination of all the things I have gone through. It birthed my perserverance that has allowed me to defy the odds.  I’m thankful of that.  

What makes your style more unique than other hair stylists?
What makes my style more unique than others? I wouldn’t say it more unique, but rather just unique because I am unapologetically me. I wear what I like, what’s comfortable to me.  It reflects that.  It just happens that, that reflection is dope!

What does success look like for you?
Success for me looks like finding your place in this world and making it yours.  Creating a legacy that distinctly belongs to you. I know there can be no other Majik. You may be able to replicate portions, but never the entirety. Success is leaving your mark in this world.

How can we stay in contact with you.
IG: Walamajik