Locking on Her Dreams
Raquel Cheatem's leap of faith has landed her in a great career
By Tabitha Ervin
Ink Spot Contributing Editor
Raquel Cheatem has been a barber since 2008. It's a skill she considered a hobby or, at best, a side job in her home. For years, the idea of taking a leap of faith and turning her passion into a full-time job seemed unfathomable to Raquel, primarily because she had children and needed a guaranteed income as a single mom.
In her role as a career advocate for Blue Jacket, Inc., Raquel supported ex-offenders to overcome several barriers. And while she found the work fulfilling, she started to question why she wasn't pursuing her own dreams. With a business degree and a background in case management and facilitation plus skills in barbering and braiding, Raquel started to consider how she could make her dream job – which would mean longer hours – a reality. This included making plans to sustain herself as a full-time entrepreneur.
In March of 2019, Raquel took a leap of faith and hasn’t looked back! She's booked out 60-90 days offering razor shaves, cuts, locs and retwists, and retightening at this time. And as the primary trained person in Fort Wayne for the Sisterlocks(TM) System, she’s a hot commodity.
I recently talked to Raquel about her journey from case manager to hair entrepreneur and minister. It's an example of how education is never a waste, and how to apply old skills to new endeavors.
Tabitha: Raquel I’m so excited for you and this journey you’re on, so tell me about taking the leap of faith!
Raquel: Well, I have been connected to Yvonne’s Barber Shop (1221 Oxford St.) for years. She taught me a lot and has been a supportive mentor over the years. One day after church at New Covenant, Neco Beasly and I had a conversation about doing hair and barbering full-time. I prayed and prayed and tried to figure out how I was going to support my household as a single mom responsible for the primary care of my children and income. I was passionate and didn’t realize the talents I possessed. When my passion and talent came together along with wanting to serve the community with much prayer and support from Neco, I was able to step out on faith and begin this journey of entrepreneurship.
Neco and I first worked in a salon together across the street from what ended up being Neco’s current salon (2810 Maplecrest Dr). Once she opened House of Neco, we moved into that facility and I have been able to serve and do ministry from my chair that I never knew would happen.
Tabitha: Tell me about how you see it as a ministry.
Raquel: I get to use my talents to serve men and women by supporting and lifting people up. I learned in my time at Blue Jacket that it was my calling but at the salon, I am now doing it on another level. I get to build relationships and support people on their journey as well as talk and pray as needed.
Tabitha: This is awesome so tell me about the Sisterlock System
Raquel: I am the only stylist-certified in Fort Wayne to date doing the Sisterlock System (according to their registry), which I went to California to be trained on by the creator herself, Dr. Cromwell. She joined our class to meet us and offer some tips. It was four days of training and I learned a lot about the system of Sisterlocks. In the future, I will be looking to become a trainer myself.
Tabitha: Congratulations! I am so proud of you!
