Mary 'Sparrow' Agyapong's journey to success in the hair braiding industry in the United States of America had a challenging start.

Upon her arrival in the United States several years ago, Mary 'Sparrow' Agyapong, eager to braid her hair, faced an unexpected obstacle as she struggled to find a suitable salon.

During an exclusive interview with Doreen Abanema Abayaa in The Bronx, New York City, the 27-year-old revealed that she and her father were shocked when the braider they approached demanded $140 for the service.

She further explained that even the discounted rate they received was higher because of her Ghanaian heritage.

“When I first moved here, I went to get my hair braided and the lady was like, because we are Ghanaians, she was going to charge about $140, and my dad was surprised.

So, I asked, 'What if we are not Ghanaians? How much was it going to be?' and she said more than $140,” she narrated.

Without hesitation, Mary quickly instructed her father to gather the necessary tools for hair braiding, expressing her determination to take on the task herself.

From that moment on, she recounted, her journey as a braider in The Bronx began.

“So, I just told my dad, 'Listen, just buy me the stuff; I’m going to start doing my own hair'. I started doing my own hair and started doing that of my friends; my mom joined me after some months and I started doing my mom’s hair. And now, look at me, I have my own business,” she told Doreen Abanema Abayaa.

Mary now has a strong conviction about her craft: “When I touch your hair, you’re not going anywhere else; you’re staying because the magic happens here.”

Mary also provided insights into the fulfilling nature of her work and how it has enriched her life.

“Not to brag, but [I have over 500 clients]. I work from Monday to Saturday... I work on three to four clients a day, depending on the hair. Sometimes, two, one. Like I said, it depends on the hair.

“I had an assistant who I was helping because she came from Ghana and needed support before she got into the system. So, I was helping her until she stood on her feet. So, she’s started school and it needs time so she stopped coming. I’m very fast when it comes to braiding; I braid really fast and sometimes, I let my friends help me if I have a lot of people,” she added.

Asked what the biggest trick to being successful in the business is, Mary said it requires a lot of patience.

“In this business, if you don’t have patience, you cannot deal with customers. Customers are always right; you have to know you are dealing with people.

Everybody has their attitudes, mood swings and stuff, and in the morning, people can come in with bad attitudes, but what can you do but do something to cheer them up?” she stressed.

Until she got into this business, Mary trained as an electronic engineer and hopes to be able to return to school when she has completed her building project.