The Business Of Black Hair: A Conversation With Ursula Stephen, Salon CEO & Fenty Hair Powerhouse

"20 years later, I have finally earned my title of celebrity hairstylist." - Ursula Stephen

For Ursula Stephen, this statement is a reclamation. From doing hair in her mother’s Brooklyn laundry room to becoming a global hair ambassador for Fenty Hair and opening her own salon, her journey is one that she built strand by strand, client by client, moment by moment.

Her early beginnings were grounded in the heart of her mother’s Brooklyn home, specifically the laundry room. Her Grenadian mother, in true Caribbean form, had little tolerance for strands of hair being scattered around the house, so she confined Ursula to the laundry room. Ursula laughs as she recalls the demotion, describing it as the space where she shaped how she wanted things to look and feel. And while she couldn’t yet articulate what she was chasing, she knew it involved beauty, color and expression.

By the eighth grade, while her classmates were setting their sights on conventional paths like nursing and business management, Ursula knew she wanted something different. Without knowing what it would or could look like, she said to her mother that she wanted to do hair. With a visit to a hairstylist, a fellow Caribbean woman, they learned about the Sarah J. Hale High School, a vocational school with a beauty program.

At the Sarah J. Hale High School, everything changed. Her life became about hair – she participated in competitions, did hair throughout the day, and worked in salons, successfully attaining her license before graduating. Even at Brooklyn College, hair remained the center of her life, as she continued working at a salon after school and growing her clientele. Her talent spoke for itself, catapulting her through doors she previously did not fathom. As the opportunities came knocking, one was a turning point – tour with Kandi Burruss of Xscape. Saying yes was instinctive, but it meant six weeks away from her family. The first night was a whirlwind of emotions as Ursula processed the reality of being away for an extended period but she adapted quickly. In no time, she had learned the ropes and loved it.

Returning to Brooklyn meant starting over. She was back to living in her mother’s basement trying to figure out how to rebuild the clientele that she had lost during her time away, while proving to her mother that she could live off of this dream. With no agent and no name, she started taking one off jobs.

Then life aligned, as it always does when the time is right. In the early 2000s, she got the opportunity to work with Remy Ma, creating her now-iconic black-and-blonde signature look, worked with Keyshia Cole during The Way It Is era, and crucially, she signed with an agent.

Then, she got a call to work alongside Rihanna. Ursula recalls the day vividly - standing on top of a chair on a chaotic set, arms outstretched to reach Rihanna’s hair - when the singer turned to her and said, “I like you.” That simple phrase sparked a lasting partnership and opened the door to a new chapter. When Rihanna’s second album rolled around, she asked Ursula for a fresh style. The result was Rihanna’s iconic asymmetrical bob, a defining moment that cemented her role as Rihanna’s main hairstylist. “When you’re making history, you don’t know it,” Ursula reflects.

Fast forward to today, Ursula’s name carries weight. She’s not only styling A-listers such as Zendaya, Kerry Washington and Mary J. Blige but also has a namesake salon in Brooklyn that she opened in 2013. This move was never about making money but about giving back. It was about helping other stylists navigate the world of freelance and there was never a question of location. “Where else would I open a salon? I’m a big Brooklyn girl,” she says. And while people had urged her for years to open a space, she knew that she was not previously ready for the responsibilities that would come with it. She also knew that when she finally had a salon, she wanted there to be a reason people came to her. She wanted to have a name, and now, “I got a name,” she says.

Trends in the beauty industry have evolved over the years and Ursula firmly believes that Black hairstylists have always been at the center of innovation. From Remy Ma’s bold colors to Rihanna’s defining cuts, Black culture sets the tone. And while Ursula acknowledges that Black stylists are getting more credit, she is clear that there is still far to go.

“Black culture and stylists are the foundation of every and all things hair. A lot has evolved from what we have created. And a lot of what we have created has been done through identity and turned into a trend… we are the foundation.” - Ursula Stephen

To help shift the narrative, Ursula sees ownership as just one piece of the puzzle. For her, teaching, mentoring, and giving back to the next generation are just as important. They’re all part of a greater collective effort. It has always been about creating pathways and passing the torch.

Even with her many accomplishments and career milestones, one of her biggest challenges has been decision-making. “When you’re a creative person you’re happy about living your craft but adding that business aspect of it makes it a bit scarier,” she admits.  She describes it as the business of hair and expresses gratitude for her agent. Although it has become easier over the years, partly because she had no choice, she is grateful for her agent.

She is also grateful for the last 20 years. “I literally get to make people feel great about themselves, sometimes in just two hours.” While nerves don’t usually get to her, she expresses that the pressure levels fluctuate in different circumstances. Doing someone’s hair, she explains, is as much about reading the room as it is about technique. “You have to know when to push and when to pivot,” she says. “You have to work fast, stay calm under pressure, and still deliver something beautiful that photographs well from every angle, whether it’s a red carpet, cover shoot, or last minute change.”

Now, two decades in, she finally feels at ease embracing a title she once resisted. “I’m at a place where I could relax a bit. Twenty years later, I have finally earned my title of celebrity hairstylist.” A full-circle moment came when a cousin reminded her of something she said as a child. No more than 7 years old, Ursula blurted out “I know what I want to be. A hairstylist.” Although a simple statement at the time, twenty years later she has come to fully appreciate it for what it was: a calling. “My path was already set for me,” she says.

If there’s one myth she’s ready to put to rest, it’s the long-held belief that Black women cannot grow long hair. “We were taught our hair couldn’t grow. Even when we saw other Black girls with long hair, there was this disbelief that it was real,” she says. “That’s a myth. We just didn’t know our hair. Now we do. It’s another fiber. We just need to learn how to care for it.”

When asked to describe her brand in three words, she doesn’t miss a beat: “fun, cool, moody.” Then, with a laugh, she adds “I’m a Scorpio – smart, intuitive and excessive.” And that excess? It’s not too much. It’s just enough. It’s the perfect balance for someone fully owning her space, her story and her name.