The Keys

After years of listening to Lisa Akbari promote her business. I finally got to the bottom of where it all got started. After farther investigation. I have found this to be a Taylor-Brown situation. Lisa Akbari was a hairdresser who with the help of her chemist husband Hussein Akbari has developed her own line of hair care products. Which she has parlayed into a beauty school and a college-credit course at Southwest Community College. She even has radio broadcasts on WDIA and WLOK.

Her shop was never a Jessie and Eliza's or a Marie's Coiffures. Those were the premiere shops back in the day. They were doing hair weaves when it was still a secret. Lisa's track record is not in the stylist chair. Her customers have special needs. She recognized women with scalp problems and who sweated in their heads. Which made using the chemicals problematic. Thus the natural hairstyles. She doesn't even do hair anymore.  All she does now is promote her hair care products.

I appreciate Mrs. Akbari's persistence. She had to make her way in a market that didn't necessarily embrace her talents. I didn't see her face for years and that's unusual. They usually have their faces on something. I only heard that unusual name for years. Since she introduced her daughter Raumesh Akbari as an important part of operations. I wondered why a beauty shop would need a lawyer? Now I think I have it figured out.. She wants to reorganize the local beauty industry. Almost like a union of sorts. Rate beauticians based on education.

Today she gave me a point of reference to start from\. She mentioned she is now working with Gandy's Barber Shop. That's where I paid for my first haircut.  Every successful barber and beautician in South Memphis has been through there at some point..He has helped a lot of people make a lot of money over the years fixinng hair. And I don't remember Lisa Akbari ever working for him. I know if William Gandy was still living. He wouldn't go along with this. She is trying to eradicate what has basically sustained him all these years. Operators who can do hair and want to make a lot of money. Making women pretty and men look good. With relaxers I might add. But they don't want the keys.