Destinee Peter, Owner, Tangles Hair & Beauty Salon
Destinee Peter is a force to be reckoned with. A member of Saskatchewan’s Carry The Kettle Nakoda Nation, she became the owner of Tangles Hair and Beauty Salon at the age of 22. Since taking ownership of the salon, she has grown the business significantly with her vision and passion which has resulted in her gaining recognition throughout her community. Not only has her journey as an entrepreneur been recognized as the owner of a successful growing and thriving business, but she is also making a difference in the Indigenous community. For starters, five of her female hairstylists are of Indigenous descent and she is also promoting Indigenous economic development across Canada. She also took the time to explain to her team about her Indigenous background and how sacred hair is to Indigenous people. By insisting her team be culturally sensitive, especially to Indigenous clients, she has ensured that her salon respects her heritage and culture. Destinee is dedicated to making her business grow and ensuring the Indigenous community is recognized throughout her business’s success.
Now, eight years after taking ownership of the salon, her business is thriving more than ever. Through hard work and support from fellow local female entrepreneurs, Destinee is at the height of her career. Her successful entrepreneurship journey landed her a spot on the 2019 National Youth Panel where she didn’t hesitate to talk about the Indigenous community and why it’s important to support and encourage them. Destinee is very proud of her heritage and is always proud to share her knowledge and journey whenever she gets the chance. She knows that she wouldn’t be where she is had it not been for the support and encouragement of her community, which is why she is always looking for ways to give back to her community.
Aware that everyone is going through a difficult time due to the pandemic, Destinee took the time to sit down with her team to find ways how they can help those in need. One of the ways the salon gave back was by providing free haircuts to clients that were facing financial pressures during the pandemic. Being able to give back to the community that has contributed significantly to the success of her business was a no-brainer for Destinee, which was why she was beyond surprised by the overwhelmingly positive response she received. She has always been passionate about giving back. Prior to the pandemic, she used to teach cosmetology lessons to students about Carry the Kettle.
Focussed on finding new ways to grow her business, she invested in a laser hair removal machine recently which now accounts for twenty percent of her business. She is continuously trying to find new ideas that can contribute to the growth and success of her business. She is always on the lookout for what is trending in the beauty industry as well as actively listening to her client’s needs so she can provide them with all the services and products they need to keep them coming back.
Her success hasn’t gone unnoticed. In fact, she recently took home the Up and Coming Award at the inaugural Indigenous Entrepreneurship Awards, which was put in place by the national non-profit Pow Wow Pitch. Her successful journey has made it so many people, more specifically, women, are now looking up to her. A facilitator at the Matchsticks Indigenous Women Business Mentoring Circle, a program that is run by Women Entrepreneurs of Saskatchewan, Destinee is happy to provide advice and mentor young entrepreneurs. Having overcome many challenges to be where she is today, she looks forward to sharing her knowledge and having people learn from her mistakes.
Destinee Peter is a proud female entrepreneur of Indigenous descent who has had a successful journey as an entrepreneur and is a true inspiration to many, especially the Indigenous community.
