By SHEALYNN PRATT
Some students on campus are carrying multiple titles: athlete, friend, student and entrepreneur.
How exactly are they running a business on campus at the same time as attending practices, turning in assignments and maintaining a social life? While growing a business out of a college dorm presents unique challenges, several Northwestern students are proving that adversity is just another part of the process.
Morgan Robinette, a cheerleader from Waukomis, opened her business, XOthreads, last December. She creates custom embroidered pieces and also offers hemming and seamstress services. When she began her business, she had one goal in mind.
“I wanted to give people things that were affordable and fully customizable,” Robinette said.
With peer support, XOthreads has seen exceptional growth in the past year and a half. Robinette said the dynamic of serving her peers creates a unique connection and comfort level for her customers.
“It makes people comfortable and makes them willing to ask questions because I’m not an authoritative figure,” she said.
Despite the success of XOthreads, Robinette noted that accessibility to fabric materials and postal delays in Alva have been challenges.
“Especially for one of my newer products [mocknecks], since it is in such high demand, it can be hard to find anything here with a reasonable price but is still really good quality,” Robinette said.
Regardless of the logistical struggles, she said owning her own business has been rewarding, particularly because she values leadership and service.
“Being able to provide people with not only a service but a product is a really refreshing and rewarding feeling, especially when they’re loving it as much as I love doing it,” Robinette said.
Her focus on leadership and service aligns with the nursing career that she is currently pursuing. She noted that starting a business has not derailed her plans to work in the medical field; it has broadened her perspective.
“It really opened my eyes to the fact that there are bigger things out there, and I know that this can make as much money as being a PA [physician’s assistant] would,” Robinette said. “My mom has not only taught me that through her success but also through the success I’m finding on campus.”
Robinette developed her passion for sewing through her mother, who also owns an embroidery and design business.
However, she said owning a business in college comes with both rewards and sacrifices, including less time for a social life. She mentioned having to set aside time to prioritize her business and protect its reputation.
Dr. Roger Brown, associate professor of principles of management, emphasized that this discipline is what distinguishes student entrepreneurs.
“One of the biggest things is time management,” Brown said. “The students that are working have to balance their academic commitments and devote time to their clients.”
Robinette said she discovered that business ownership requires a level of professionalism that can be difficult to navigate with friends.
“You learn a lot about professionalism in the classroom, but there is a completely different side of it when it comes to owning your own business,”she said. “If I’m not professional and communicative with friends on the XOthreads account then I’m not going to be as professional with anyone else.”
She encourages more people to start their own business, even if they begin as just a hobby, like her own.
“I love seeing nails and hair [businesses] and all of that because it really makes our small community big.” Robinette said.
While Robinette focuses on textiles, other students are filling different gaps in the Alva market —specifically in beauty.
Temi Michaels, from Broken Arrow, is a thrower on the track team, and offers multiple beauty services, including nails, hair and henna.
Michaels started her business, TemsBeauty, at the beginning of her college career and did not originally plan for success. She began by doing her own hair and nails.
“Freshman year, I had people asking me who did my nails or my hair, and I kept saying ‘myself’,” Michaels said.
Her friends encouraged her to start the business, and she began doing hair on the side. Michaels recalled being surprised when her clientele grew from one person to multiple people reaching out within a week.
“I didn’t even know what I wanted to name it,” Michaels said. “But it is something that I am good at, so why not expand it and explore the different aspects?”
What started as a hobby quickly turned into a necessary service for the community. Michaels emphasized the importance of her business in a town with a lack of access to hair care for women of color.
“There’s no hair salons here for us, so it helped people who wanted to get their hair done while they’re away from their hometown stylist,” Michaels said.
She introduced henna last year as a way to bring her Nigerian culture to campus, but mentioned it is also enjoyable for clients.
“People that want tattoos can test out the design before getting it,” Michaels said.
She noted, like Robinette, the lack of resources in Alva makes it more difficult and expensive for her to access the supplies she needs to run her business.
“In bigger towns, there are hair stores that you can get hair supplies at or nail stores that you can get nail stuff from, but I have to buy everything online.” Michaels said.
Despite these obstacles, Michaels remains focused on her work rather than the competition.
“I admire anyone starting a business in college and wanting to make money so I’ve never been the jealous type,” Michaels said. “I know my work and prices, so if they like it then they do, but if they’re not able to afford it then I will refer them to someone more affordable.”
Michaels explained that she charges what she feels her work is worth, which allows her to continue investing in her business while making a profit.
Balancing life as an athlete, executive club member, business owner and student is challenging, she added.
“I’m majoring in biology and minoring in chemistry, so I have a lot of homework to do,” Michaels said. “When your schedule is changing weekly with meetings, practice, meets and homework, it is not easy, but whenever you enjoy it, it’s easier.”
She said her social life has been affected as she prioritizes academics and business.
“I won’t cancel on somebody at the last minute, so if I have to forfeit a hangout or stay up until 2 in the morning studying because I have a client, I will,” Michaels said. “The sacrifice is worth it.”
The head chair of the business department, Dr. Garrett Lahr agrees with Michael’s approach.
“Prioritize what is important,” Lahr said. “If you’re really trying to grow that business and be successful academically, then you probably won’t be spending a lot of time at the bar or going to concerts. It won’t be on your schedule.”
Michaels said the campus community is what makes running her business so rewarding, noting that support extends beyond students. She said staff and faculty have also supported her business and that she has even done a professor’s nails.
She said the biggest challenges are the limited clientele and resources, but the biggest advantage is community support.
“Even people at church know my business and it is easier to advertise in a small town where people talk a lot.” Michaels said.
As student-run businesses continue to grow in popularity, Michaels encourages people to start their own.
“Keep going and keep doing it,” Michaels said. “Just do you and don’t let other businesses phase you. Don’t be jealous of other businesses and be confident in your own talent. Let your work speak for itself”
That is exactly what hairstylist Kerr’Yelle Carter is doing. Carter is a freshman from Houston, Texas and is a sprinter on the track team. She is the first hairstylist in Alva to offer wig installs, feed-in braids and re-twists at an affordable price.
Carter said she knew that she had to bring her business to Alva.
“I know that I’m good at doing wigs, and I saw that nobody does wigs here,” she said. “That’s when I knew I could bring something to the school, so nobody will have to go far or simply not have their hair done.”
Lahr said Carter has the first step down. He added, entrepreneurship is something that can’t be taught through theory. You have to find a demographic and space for your services.
“The first thing they always say in entrepreneurship is that you have to identify a need,” Lahr said. “A need in the local area or in society that needs to be filled.”
Carter said offering the services she does doesn’t just fill a gap on campus; it fills something inside the client.
“Sometimes it is their first wig, or they had it done by someone else and they didn’t like it,” Carter said. “But then I installed it and they love it and post it. That makes me really happy.”
Carter has been doing hair for more than a year and takes pride in her work, but she highlighted the challenges that come with starting a business with pre-established businesses in the area.
“A lot of people were going to the upperclassmen [who do hair] at the start of the year.” Carter said.
She explained that what sets her apart is her price, and clients notice it.
“I charge $45 for feed-in braids, which is more affordable than anyone at the school,” Carter said. “We give the same quality of work but people are just going to go to the one that is cheaper.”
She added that pricing plays a huge part in her business.
“We are in college and everybody is going through certain things,” Carter said. “So I am not going to be charging the prices that I would be at home”
Moving a business from Dallas to Alva is difficult, but she gave credit to the campus culture for building her clientele.
“Everybody knows everybody, so you know that if one hairstylist is booked up, then you can go to someone else, and that someone else is me!” Carter said.
She added that the small-town dynamic and support from other sports teams encourage growth.
“In the beginning of the year, it was hard to build up clientele because nobody really knows me,” Carter said. “But then the football players started needing their hair done and that started to get my name out there.”
As her business continues to grow, Carter continues to learn. She shared that gaining a better understanding of people is the biggest thing her business has taught her.
“If someone doesn’t have the money or is having a bad day I try to make it work,” Carter said. “And I don’t like to sit in silence so I try to make it as comfortable as possible, especially since it is in my dorm. I try to work with people.”
The services offered on campus don’t stop there. Other students are offering barber services, wedding media, photography and more.
“Whether you are the CEO of Walmart or you’re running something here in town,” Lahr said. “It is going to become your life if you choose to do it.”