Mompreneurs: Life As A New Mom With Angela C. Stevens

Mompreneurs: Angela C. Stevens — Source: Angela C. Stevens

Angela C. Stevens is in her motherhood era. The Emmy Award-winning hairstylist is embracing life’s next chapter—growing her beauty empire while settling into family life. The new mom sat down with Mompreneurs host Nancy Redd to reflect on her journey—from working trade shows to styling celebrity clientele (including Rihanna, Eve, and Keke Palmer) to launching multiple hair product lines.

‘Instead of playing with toys I was playing with hair‘

Stevens—aka Angela C. Styles—was destined for hair excellence early on. At 19, she earned her license, eager to dive into every opportunity as a young stylist. From running her own salon to working in TV and film, one opportunity led to another. “I just wanted to do it all,” she said.

Though the beauty world can be fiercely competitive, Stevens focused on her own path. “My motto was just to do my best for me, and that’s gotten me really far,” she said. “I never really looked at other people like, Oh I gotta do better than them…because what’s for you is for you.”

‘I just followed my passion‘

Her career blossomed over time, fueled by passion, plenty of “grit,” and the support of mentors, friends, and even clients. “I just followed my passion,” she said. “I loved what I did so much that opportunities would come, and I would build on those opportunities.”

She began her journey with Cantu Beauty as a “platform artist,” showcasing the brand’s hair care products at trade shows and events. “I built a relationship over time and I would give them my feedback on their products,” she said. From there, Stevens became a brand consultant, and was ultimately offered the opportunity to develop her own product line with Cantu: Protective Styles by Angela.

‘Girl, your body is not going to work for you like this forever’

Using her hair expertise off the salon floor gave Stevens a welcome reprieve from hands-on work.

“I have carpal tunnel in my wrist,” she explained. “I used to do a ton of blow drying and flat iron work…I started to feel that pain in my wrist. Even now, here and there, I’ll get a sharp pain and I have to brace it and stretch it. So that was a key reminder of like, girl, your body is not going to work for you like this forever.”

The serial mompreneur spent years growing and diversifying her business ecosystem. She’s not only a celebrity hairstylist, she’s a media personality, appearing on WeTV’s reality series, L.A. Hair. She’s also a children’s book author and founder and CEO of luxury extensions brand, Trace Beauty.

Success came with challenges

While Stevens’ impact on the beauty industry is undeniable, her success didn’t happen overnight. She’s candid about the inevitable stumbles that come with entrepreneurship. “There’s pitfalls,” she said. “There’s a lot of challenges that happen in between, so you just have to be okay with that.”

I feel like your closed doors are just as important as your open doors, because it allows you to reflect on what worked, what didn’t work, and it gives you the experience to move forward.
Angela C. Stevens

Entrepreneurship allowed the new mom to set her own pace

After years of pouring into her career, Stevens is now embracing a new chapter as a wife and mother. Life changed quickly after meeting her husband—what she described as a “whirlwind” experience. “I was 35, freezing my eggs, single. And met my husband on Hinge, and everything just happened,” she recalled.

Now fully in her “suburban housewife” era, Stevens is enjoying her motherhood journey with son, Ashton. “It has expanded my mind in so many ways and also allowed me to learn myself in a completely different way,” she said. “I love being a mom.”

With her business ventures in place, Stevens has the freedom to focus on what matters most. “This season, I’m enjoying having the flexibility to say ‘no.’”

Don’t miss out on the full conversation. Watch or listen to this episode of Mompreneurs below.

Catch new episodes of Mompreneurs every week

Every week, we celebrate beautiful Black entrepreneurs who are simultaneously amazing business moguls and awesome moms. Join host and New York Times bestselling author Nancy Redd as these mompreneurs share their life stories and inspiring advice. Watch Mompreneurs on MadameNoire’s YouTube channel. Or listen to the podcast online on the Urban One Podcast Network.