Meet Erica “Ms. Precious” McGee

Hi Erica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
Well I found myself sitting in the front row at the Atlanta Barber Conference in the Spring of 2019 listening and learning from some of the most elite barber/stylists in the Beauty and Barber industry. I have been a licensed Cosmetologist and entrepreneur for over 15 years and had attended conferences and trainings regularly. Little did I know this would be the one to change my life! A few short months after the Atlanta Barber Conference I relocated to the DFW to train and work with one of the highest paid barbers of his time that spoke on the very stage.

After listening to James “JT” Thomas, tell his story of how he became Steve Harvey’s Personal Barber receiving $1500 per hair cut in the 80’s for the TV series “The Steve Harvey Show”. He began working with countless celebrities such as the late great Bernie Mac, Cedric the Entertainer, D.L. Hugely and touring with The Kings of Comedy. Being in the industry allowed him to have a front row seat of how the Television and Movie industry worked. He cut and styled more celebrities than he could remember however he shared with the audience and in his book that he worked with Ricky Smiley, Denzell Washington, and non other than the Oprah Winfrey.

I have always been a firm believer in Mentorship and I figured if I was going to complete the barber cross over program I wanted to work with the best of the best even if it meant relocating. Before he closed he asked did anyone have any questions and I quickly raised my hand and asked him if I could take him to lunch!

A few short months later we met in Atlanta again for Steve Harvey’s mentoring camp where I made the decision to make the move to start my 300 hour course at his school Williams Barber College in Fort Worth, TX and rebuild my businesses here in the DFW. I relocated to the DFW July 4, 2019 and we had lunch on July 7th! Their was only one problem I was flat broke, burnt out, and homeless!

My name is Erica Lennell McGee but I’m affectionately known as “Ms. Precious,” licensed Cosmetologist since 2006 owner of BME Enterprise LLC, umbrella company for Beautiful Me Hair salon and Portrait Studio as well as BME Screen Printing and home of the “Motivate Me Movement” or M3 my initiative to motivate, inspire, and encourage people to follow their dreams.

I was born in Springfield, IL on October 5, 1984 and raised in Fayetteville, NC by two amazing parents John and Linda McGee-Henderson with an older Brother and a younger sister. I had a good childhood but I won’t paint a distorted picture for you my biological father Lonnie Davis died when I was only eight months old and my mother relocated us from the Midwest to the south several years later which allowed for better opportunities. We didn’t have much but I still had a great childhood.

Being a daddy’s girl with a father that equipped me to work hard and earn money by providing a service or product is what I in part give credit to for some of my entrepreneurial skills. I remember asking my daddy for $5 to go purchase hair products from the store and he would say go make me a plate of food, or the lawn mower is outside, my car needs to be washed, buffed , and waxed you get the picture.

This simply meant if you want to earn money you need to provide a product or service and customer service is key! He was grooming me not only for the real world but for the world of Entrepreneurship. After completing high school and one year at Benedict College where I truly discovered my love of hair in Mather Hall, I then went on to cosmetology school because there simply wasn’t enough money for me to peruse both a four year degree and my cosmetology license it was an easy choice. I went with my heart .

Let’s fast forward to me being homeless, but right before I do that I must share that in a very short time of completing Kenneth Shuler School of Cosmetology about five years or so, I thought I had arrived! I had  built a massive clientele and following both for my salon and screen printing business. I was earning six figures, printing for elementary middle and high schools, local Recreation centers, even the Columbia Metropolitan Airport all with a full staff of employees, and running two Mentorship programs with several local colleges all before the age of 30 years old.

I told myself failure wasn’t an option and I worked very hard to achieve my goals. But little did I know that failure really wasn’t an option it’s apart of the journey. So you probably guessed it, that’s right here comes the obstacles. I learned your either in a crisis, coming out of a crisis, or about to go through a crisis. That season of my life was called “Burn out”, something I didn’t think was real.

So more about this thing called homelessness. I learned that if your name isn’t on a lease your considered homeless so you don’t necessarily have to be living on the street to be homeless. I was putting everything into my business which made me business poor and didn’t even realize my name wasn’t on a lease anywhere as I was renting my best friend Carlos’s spare bedroom. I had several credit cards and lines of credit, billboards around town, and the three phone lines I said I would have and literally more business than I could handle. Yeah I said that too! It’s funny now because I literally manifested all those things in prior months not knowing how it would affect me as a young entrepreneur.

It hasn’t been an easy road but it has definitely been worth it and I’m excited about this next chapter here in the DFW!

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I would say parts of the road were smooth but every journey has its challenges. As stated before I over came homelessness several times. The thought of  relocating and rebuilding was one of my biggest challenges especially being flat broke. But with grit and determination I knew it was possible!

After a major flood hit Columbia, SC in October 4, 2015 the day before my 31st birthday I woke up and found myself homeless again. I looked over the banister of my two story town home to find my belongings floating around in my living room.

Being on the “James Thomas” radio show where we discussed all things about the barber and beauty industry at Dfwi Radio in Grand Praire, as a co-host covering the segment called “How it is done” allowed me to network and build relationships with local stylist Wendy Swoops of the swoop band and PR Guru “Leah Frazier” of Think Three Media and so many more amazing people in the DFW Metro Plex. I was once called a professional best friend maker so adapting in a new environment was fairly easy for me plus I just love people!

I’m now building my clientele here in South Arlington inside Salon and Spa Galleria as an independent stylist from the ground up trusting the process day by day! Continuing to build relationships with plans to start my printing company in the near future.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
Of course, I like to say I Comb hair and I’m going to put that on a shirt! We even turned the word Comb into an acronym to describe who I am, what I do, and what’s in it for you.

I’m Caring, Optimistic, a Motivator, and I’m going to bring out the Beautiful Me in you!

People often asked why I decided to open a printing company and I would always jokingly say because I’m going to put that on a shirt. But truthfully I knew that my business was your business because you can’t run your business successfully without marketing. And I love marketing and printing shirts and all types of swag.

“That’s right sister Motivate me”, those were the words that birthed the motivate me Movement. After I gave my little sister a quick pep talk those were her words and my quest to spread my Free Motivation across the nation had began.

Creating the Motivate Me brand which turned into a movement and then printing the motivate me shirts and swag for schools was one of the most amazing feelings of accomplishments for me as a young printer and entrepreneur. I was fulfilling my dream and goal to print for schools and to motivate the students at the same time, this was so fulfilling.

I participated as a guest speaker at pep rally’s, career day, PTA meetings and test prep celebrations for the students.

Some would call me a jack of all trades because of my lack of fear to try and explore new things but honestly my heart is in hair care, the printing industry, and motivating people to follow there dreams.

Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
Over the years throughout my journey I have learned numerous lessons. I will list the most impactful lessons learned below with hopes that my journey motivates, encourages, and inspires you to recognize your own lessons and to never give up on your dreams!

Lesson 1 Humility. I didn’t learn the real meaning of this word until I was 21 years old when my hair mommy owner of Before and After Hair Salon, one of my mentors in the beauty industry Ms. Sonia “DJ” Richardson in Columbia, SC told me to be humble. She was shocked at my response, which was “what’s that”? I then googled it and it wasn’t until almost ten years later and overcoming a great deal of obstacles that I truly learned how to be humble thanks DJ!

Lesson 2 What lessons did you learn? My mentor Ivan Earle would often ask me that question when faced with adversity, so it became apparent to me that in order to go to the next level I would have to recognize and acknowledge that their was a lesson to be learned at all times.

Lesson 3 It’s not about you! I visited a church when I was in my early 20’s seeking some type of solace for what ever minuscule thing I was going through and before I could get up to leave, because you see they were talking about a football game it was between Florida and south Carlina I will never forget that day. I didn’t come to hear about football I came for a word I thought to myself. It was in that next instant as I was about to dismantle my seat and head for the door the pastor said something that changed my life forever. He said it’s not about you! I turned and sat back down and said to myself is he talking directly to me and he repeated it again, he said and I quote “ it’s not about you everything your going through isn’t about you”. It’s so you can help someone else get through their storm.

Lesson 4 It’s not what you go through but how you go through. Words from my mother that still ring true to this very day. She would say P.U.S.H which meant pray until something happens thanks ma!

Lesson 5 Motivation is like taking a bath, you have to do it every day. Sometimes 3 or 4 times a day! Zig Ziglar says this all the time in his recordings. I listen to him and countless other motivational speakers such as Les Brown, Napoleon Hill, Eric Thomas, Bob Proctor, Inky Johnson, Lisa Nichols and so many more! They all inspired me to share my “Free Motivation” with the world through “The Motivate Me Movement” M3, my initiative to motivate, encourage, and inspire people for centuries to come!

It was these lessons along with listening to these phenomenal speakers that allowed me to pull myself up from the deep dark depths of countless failures, going from earning six figures as an entrepreneur to flat broke, closing the doors of my business, overcoming depression and anxiety through counseling and therapy, from being homeless and relocating to Texas and starting over with nothing but ambition and the will to win.

I also just recently committed to restarting my weight loss journey after having played lost and found with 100lbs yes you read that correctly. I lost 100lbs in 2015 and when life happened over the course of 3-5 years I gained it all back and then some. Your health is your wealth I guess you can say that’s also a lesson learned.

I’m just thankful for the opportunity to begin again here in this great state-of-the-art Texas!

I’m also thankful to no longer be homeless and for the opportunity to rebuild my businesses and my brand right here in the hearts of the DFW . I’m very thankful for all the love and support I received since relocating. You can book me for hair services as well as follow my journey on all social media platforms.

The Voyage Dallas Motivates Me! Have the best day ever, Everyday! Love you Mean it!