When Beatrice Wilson opened her new nail salon on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive on Wednesday, she proved that age is just a number.
The 80-year-old metro Atlanta woman now has her eighth business and is not ready to slow down.
“I feel you’re never too old, it’s never too late to follow what you love doing,” she said to 11Alive.
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Before opening her latest salon, Bee Nails, she owned seven other salons throughout metro Atlanta, but she sold them ahead of her retirement in 2021.
Wilson had previously been at local car dealerships for years before she decided to do something of her own and launch her own business.
She said she attended nail school but didn’t get hired by anyone, and that inspired her to start her own salon instead of abandoning her dreams.
Wilson cherishes doing nails and owning a business as she is able to meet new people in the process, she said.
“Personally, I love being away from home and talking and interacting with people,” Wilson said.
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and City Councilmember Andrea Boone were at the grand opening of Bee Nails on Wednesday. Wilson was elated to have them around and thanked everyone for supporting her new venture.
“It’s very heartwarming for me, and I’m getting a little bit teary. I’m getting so much support from my new customers coming in here. I’m just excited,” she added.
Figures by NielsenIQ indicate that Black consumers spent $9.4 billion on beauty products in 2023, accounting for 12.5% of total U.S. beauty spending. Despite this, Black-owned brands only represent 2.5% of the beauty industry’s revenue.
Wilson hopes to make a difference in the industry even at 80. Bee Nails is larger than her other seven businesses, she said, adding that to make the salon inviting to the Adamsville community, she added warm colors for a relaxing atmosphere for customers.
