Local hairstylist and braider Danielle Whitney is on a mission to make hair care in Utah more inclusive.
Whitney brings her hair care services straight to her client, traveling to where they live to do their hair.
When she moved to Utah from New York, Whitney noticed there weren't many hair care services for people of color in her area.
"Whenever I went to a hair salon, I never knew if they could do my hair," Whitney said. "I would feel like a problem or I would feel like a burden because I had a lot of hair."
Whitney decided to do something about the 'hair care gap' in Utah.
"I knew that braiders were needed here in Utah especially, but I didn't realize how fast it would pick up," she said.
Gertrude Yetrif is one of Whitney's clients. Yetrif said finding a good stylist in Utah has not been easy and that working with Whitney has been a game-changer — especially because they are friends.
"It's always fun," Yetrif said. "We're chatting, talking the entire time, really having fun and catching up. And then she's like, 'Okay, I'm done. Like, how do you like it? Go look at it.'"
There is nothing like the confidence boost of a new hairstyle, Yetrif said.
"You can go from having a really bad day, and then you get your hair done and you're like, 'Okay, yes. That's what I needed.'"
Whitney says this feeling is what she wants for her clients. Her business is about so much more than hair — it's about empowerment, she said.
"Whatever your hair is and whatever struggles or issues that you're having, embrace it with open arms," Whitney said. "Know that your hair is your story, your hair is your culture, your hair is you, and it makes you, you."