What would you do if you were a natural henna artist in a community where chemical pastes were not only accepted but preferred by clients? How would you tackle the challenge of educating your market about the dangers of chemical pastes, the benefits of natural henna, and how to distinguish between the two? Would you know how to connect with your market and teach them about natural henna without offending? Hennapreneur Shirley Jayaseelan of Shirley’z Henna Artwork in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia faced these exact challenges - and built a thriving business in the process.

Face painting. Balloon twisting. Aerial arts. Trapeze. Stilt walking. We all know and understand the gamut of full blown circus arts. And henna? Gina Wolfe is bringing it all together under the umbrella of her entertainment company, LunaTrix Arts, based in Columbia, SC. The secret to the success of her business is simple: harness your community.

What if someone were to tell you that you could put your child through university with income from your henna business? Would you believe it to be possible?

Mandy Roberge, the founder of Wicked Good Henna in Massachusetts, USA not only believes it’s possible, she’s making it happen - and in a way that you might not suspect - but it didn’t start that way. The artist, who started her business nearly seven years ago, recalls that initially her motivation for working with henna was to do something that she could both enjoy and do on her own terms.

The story that Connie Tu, professional henna artist, most commonly tells about how she began with henna started with an exchange in a tattoo shop, but if you get the chance to speak with her in more depth like I did recently in an interview for the I Am Hennapreneur Artist Showcase, you’ll learn that her journey with henna began long before she ever picked up a cone.