Building Confidence, Community, and Legacy Through Beauty
Following a Legacy of Community Builders
Long before she owned a salon, Joyell Lewis understood the role small businesses play in a community.
Entrepreneurship was a familiar part of her upbringing. Her family roots span generations of business ownership, from farming and barbering to salon ownership. Beyond her own family, she watched entrepreneurs throughout her neighborhood build businesses in carpentry, real estate, childcare, and other industries.
What stood out to her wasn’t simply that these businesses existed—it was the role they played in people’s lives.
Many became trusted community pillars. They were places where people found opportunity, independence, safety, and connection. They created gathering spaces, provided essential services, and became woven into the fabric of the neighborhoods they served.
Those examples shaped how Joyell viewed entrepreneurship from an early age. Business ownership wasn’t just about creating income. It was about creating something meaningful that people could rely on.
Today, through Joyola Mei Salon, she is carrying that tradition forward.
Finding a Calling That Never Went Away
If you had asked Joyell what she wanted to be growing up, hairstylist may not have been her first answer.
Over the years, she imagined many different career paths. She was interested in archaeology, anthropology, architecture, and political science. At one point, she even interned with the Michigan House of Representatives.
Yet no matter where her interests took her, hairstyling remained a constant presence in her life.
What started as something she enjoyed naturally continued to follow her throughout every stage of her career exploration. While other interests came and went, hair care always remained part of the picture.
Eventually, that passion evolved into a profession.
Joyell completed an apprenticeship, attended beauty school, and earned her cosmetology license in 2011. As she built her skills and client base, she developed a deeper understanding of the work itself—not just styling hair, but helping people feel better about themselves.
For Joyell, beauty was never simply about appearance. It was about care.
If you had asked Joyell what she wanted to be growing up, hairstylist may not have been her first answer.
Over the years, she imagined many different career paths. She was interested in archaeology, anthropology, architecture, and political science. At one point, she even interned with the Michigan House of Representatives.
Yet no matter where her interests took her, hairstyling remained a constant presence in her life.
What started as something she enjoyed naturally continued to follow her throughout every stage of her career exploration. While other interests came and went, hair care always remained part of the picture.
Eventually, that passion evolved into a profession.
Joyell completed an apprenticeship, attended beauty school, and earned her cosmetology license in 2011. As she built her skills and client base, she developed a deeper understanding of the work itself—not just styling hair, but helping people feel better about themselves.
For Joyell, beauty was never simply about appearance. It was about care.
More Than Hair
Owning a salon comes with a level of responsibility that extends beyond providing a service.
Joyell believes beauty professionals often meet people during vulnerable moments. Whether someone is preparing for a major life event, rebuilding confidence, or simply taking time to care for themselves, the salon experience is deeply personal.
That understanding has shaped the philosophy behind Joyola Mei Salon.
The business takes a holistic approach to beauty, focusing not only on results but also on wellness. Recognizing the prevalence of harmful ingredients throughout the beauty industry, Joyell intentionally prioritizes clean, non-toxic products that support both clients and the professionals using them every day.
She views hairstylists as artists whose canvas is the hair and scalp of the people they serve. Creating a healthy environment for those artists is just as important as creating positive outcomes for clients.
That commitment also influences the businesses she chooses to support, such as Black-owned and women-owned product brands that align with Joyola Mei’s values around wellness, quality, and sustainability.
The salon is also working toward developing its own product line—a long-term goal that reflects Joyell’s desire to contribute to a healthier and more inclusive beauty industry.
When Someone Else Saw the Possibility
Although Joyell had spent years building her expertise as a stylist, becoming a salon owner required a different level of belief in herself.
One of the turning points came through an unexpected conversation with a client.
Recognizing Joyell’s talent and professionalism, the client offered to become her business partner and help open a salon together. While Joyell already had a business plan and a vision for what she wanted to build, securing the financial resources to launch remained a challenge.
The offer was meaningful for another reason. For the first time, someone was viewing her not only as a stylist, but as a business owner. That perspective stayed with her.
Through an introduction from Michigan Women Forward, Joyell connected with ProsperUs and applied for a loan in 2021. The funding provided the support she needed to move forward with opening a space of her own. By the end of the process, she realized she no longer needed a business partner to make her vision a reality. She had the resources to do it herself.
Looking back, she remains grateful for the client who saw potential in her before she fully saw it in herself. That belief became the foundation for what would soon take shape in 2022, when Joyola Mei Salon opened its doors in Detroit’s Corktown—one of the city’s most historic and evolving neighborhoods.
Proving the Business Could Stand on Its Own
When Joyola Mei Salon opened, Joyell made a decision that would shape her confidence as an entrepreneur.
For the entire first year, she operated completely on her own.
Part of the decision was practical. Part of it was personal.
She wanted to know whether the business could survive if she was the only person responsible for making it work.
Opening in the years immediately following the COVID-19 pandemic only reinforced that mindset.
Throughout that first year, Joyell managed every aspect of the business. She served clients, maintained inventory, paid rent, managed taxes, and handled daily operations herself. The experience became a powerful lesson in what she was capable of.
The salon remained open. Clients continued returning. Bills were paid. Challenges were managed. Most importantly, she gained confidence in her ability to withstand uncertainty and keep moving forward.
Once she proved the business could stand on its own, she felt ready to begin building something bigger.
Building a Culture, Not Just a Team
Growth was never about adding people simply for the sake of expansion.
Joyell wanted to build a team that understood the culture she envisioned for the salon.
Today, Joyola Mei Salon operates with a collaborative approach that emphasizes support, respect, and connection. Team members work together to care for clients rather than operating independently, and the salon’s four-day workweek reflects Joyell’s commitment to creating a healthy work environment.
The salon has become a place where clients and staff genuinely invest in one another.
It has also become a space where young people come to learn. Aspiring beauty professionals often enter with questions, curiosity, and a desire to build skills alongside people they admire. For Joyell, creating opportunities for learning and exposure is another way entrepreneurship can positively influence a community.
What began as a one-person operation has grown into a trusted team of five.
Just as importantly, Joyell has built systems that allow the business to succeed beyond her own daily presence—an achievement she considers one of her most meaningful milestones as an owner.
Growing Through Support and Relationships
As her business expanded, Joyell became increasingly involved in Detroit’s entrepreneurial ecosystem.
She was selected as a Motor City Match award recipient in 2022 and participated in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses program in 2024. She has also worked with organizations like Black Leaders Detroit, plus Invest Detroit and the New Economy Initiative through the Michigan Beauty and Barber Association.
Most recently, she participated in ProsperUs’ Branded and Bankable Beauty Industry Cohort, where she connected with fellow beauty entrepreneurs and exchanged insights with peers navigating similar challenges and opportunities.
These experiences have broadened her perspective on what is possible for small business owners. They have also reinforced something she now shares with other entrepreneurs: support exists, and no one has to build alone.
From financing and technical assistance to education and networking opportunities, Joyell has become an advocate for helping beauty professionals access the resources available to help them grow.
As her business has grown, Joyell is also approaching another milestone—completing her ProsperUs loan journey. For her, it represents not just financial progress, but the long-term sustainability of what she built from the ground up.
Redefining Success
Over time, Joyell’s understanding of success has changed.
Early on, success meant keeping the lights on, maintaining a steady stream of clients, and ensuring bills were paid on time. Today, success looks different.
It means creating something that lasts. And building a business that reflects her values, creates opportunities for others, and contributes positively to the lives of the people it serves. Or developing a legacy rooted in care, confidence, and community.
That perspective has only deepened through the challenges of entrepreneurship, including personal health obstacles that required her to navigate difficult decisions while continuing to lead her business forward.
Those experiences reinforced her belief that resilience is not about avoiding hardship. It is about continuing to grow through it.
Looking Ahead
As Joyola Mei Salon continues to evolve, Joyell sees significant opportunities ahead.
She hopes to expand into a larger space, grow her team, and continue developing products of her own. More importantly, she wants to keep creating an environment where people feel supported, valued, and confident in who they are.
For aspiring beauty entrepreneurs, her advice is simple: believe in yourself while you’re building. Confidence often comes before certainty.
Today, Joyell is creating the kind of business she grew up admiring—one that serves people, strengthens community, and creates opportunities for others. Through beauty, entrepreneurship, and a commitment to care, she is building something designed to outlast trends, titles, and even the salon itself.
She is building a legacy.
Learn more about Joyola Mei Salon at joyolamei.com and follow them on Instagram and Facebook.
