Daily Inspiration: Meet Anna Plotkina

Today we’d like to introduce you to Anna Plotkina.

Hi Anna, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today.
Since I was a kid, I’ve had a passion for braids, yet few around me knew how to do them until my college years. I obtained a degree in Economics in my hometown in Europe and later pursued Fashion Design upon relocating to LA. Initially employed in an appraisal company and then within the fashion industry, I felt that those jobs didn’t fit me well. The difficulty in finding the desired braiding services upon moving to LA sparked the idea of opening a braid bar in the mall. In July 2017, I launched this venture in Glendale. 

My original idea was to function as a kiosk in the Glendale Galleria, providing affordable, swift, and voguish braids in a convenient location. In 2018, we extended our services to private events, and I have fallen in love with doing parties since. We’ve had the privilege of working with renowned brands such as Guess?, Macy’s, Kendra Scott’s, among others. Our participation in the Hard Summer Music Festival marked our largest and most enduring event to date. In 2020, we were hired to work at Coachella, but our plans were thwarted by the onset of COVID-19. 

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
The biggest problem at the beginning was to find braiders. Our kiosk had to stay open 10-12 hours a day, seven days a week, whether we had customers or not. Originally, I thought I’d only manage everything. I learned basic braids from YouTube to have an idea of what my team was doing. From the start, my braids looked pretty good, and since it took some time to assemble my dream team, I began braiding clients from day one. I had never worked in customer service before, so it was nerve-wracking being in the middle of the busy mall, trying to advertise, braid hair, and learn how to run a business all at once. With the constant flow of customers, I had to keep learning new techniques to ensure we provided best service. I was amazed that within two years, I personally braided over 2,500 people. 

While the kiosk became popular quickly, high rent, wages, and other expenses made it tough to turn a profit. In fact, for the first two years, each of my part-time employees made more than I did. At the end of 2019, I was considering shutting down the kiosk. It was so hard to do after I had put so much into it! So kept prolonging the closure while party services helped us keep afloat. Then COVID-19 hit and forced us to close In April 2020. 

Another challenge in the beauty and entertainment industry is balancing work and family time on weekends. So, when your business is booming, there’s also guilt for not being there for your loved ones, especially the kids. I really needed more time with my baby, and despite the challenges COVID brought, the year-long closure gave me precious time with my 15-month-old daughter. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
We reopened in June 2021, focusing only on private events, and got swamped with requests for baby showers, birthdays, and other events. Finally, business flourished! Nowadays, after almost seven years since we started, most of our events are kids’ birthday parties. Which are my favorite because they are absolutely magical, and you always see something new, something inspiring! We get to meet talented entrepreneurs who create mind-blowing setups, balloons, cakes, backdrops, and more. I love to add our fun-colored hair touch into the mix because kids go crazy for it! Seeing kids’ faces light up when we finish their colorful braids brings me so much joy. 

I’d say we specialize in big, colorful braids and themed styles, such as those inspired by Disney Princesses, Taylor Swift, and Star Wars. When there’s a special theme, I try to decorate our station accordingly and dress up if possible. Sometimes, it just matches the theme colors, while other times, it involves more elaborate outfits, like a ballgown for a Princess-themed party. I like being creative and enjoy assisting clients and event planners in taking their parties to the next level. For instance, for a Candyland theme, I sprinkled faux sprinkles in kids’ hair, which they absolutely adored! Another time, I used yarn instead of hair extensions to replicate Jessie’s hair from Toy Story. 

I’m really proud of how far we’ve come and believe we’ve brought something new or elevated to the event community. Back in 2019, we were one of the few companies doing party hair braiding in LA. Since 2021, we’ve been able to fulfill approximately 60% of all inquiries, and I’m aware that over the past few years, we’ve inspired several individuals to start braiding hair for events. 

Contact Info:

• Website: www.anyabraids.com
• Instagram: @anyabraids
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/anya-braid-bar-glendale

Image Credits
Sarah Delgado
Blaire Going Photography
London Ellis
Navas Click
Stop Breezy Ann Photography