She gave up school to help her family, but didn’t give up her dream of helping people.
This month 22-year-old Tiana Bell opened the “Allen Michael Experience,” a hair salon in Southfield. She originally planned to become a doctor so she could help people. Now she helps her clients, many of them cancer patients, by creating wigs.
“I really don’t know how this turned into something so big,” said Bell. “I was supposed to be a doctor. I just, I don’t know, my love for hair just took over.”
So did her compassion. Bell made the decision to quit her pre-med program at Michigan State when her mom was diagnosed with cancer. She had recently begun to take up wig making as a hobby, but quickly it became a business to help the family, including her three brothers.
In fact, the name of the business also something close to her heart. The business, called Allen Michael Experience, is named after her 12-year-old brother who has autism.
“His teachers get excited that he has something of his own,” said Bell. “He’s like, ‘They’re coming to my salon?,’ and I tell him, ‘Yeah, they’re coming to your salon.’” He gets so excited.”
Bell told 7 Action News that everything began to move quickly. Roughly two years after starting to make wigs for a living, she had the opportunity to open up her own hair store. She didn’t plan on creating a salon, but quickly changed paths again because of her customers.
“This was supposed to just be a hair store where I sell extension and wigs,” said Bell. “I had so many women wanting to come in and have me put the wigs on them, and show them what to do. So, that’s how this whole place became more than just a hair store.”
If you’d like to learn more about the salon, or reach out to Tiana Bell you can visit the store’s website: www.AllenMichaelVirginHair.com
