Meet Miny Tafesse
A force of positive energy at Abyssinia Hair & Beauty Clinic
Miny Tafesse’s family wanted her to become a lawyer. Instead, she followed her passion for the beauty industry and now owns three Abyssinia Hair & Beauty Clinic locations.
She opened the first Abyssinia salon in 2000 in Nairobi, Kenya, where she grew up. She moved to the Pacific Northwest to be closer to her younger brother. While looking for a place to open a salon, she found Renton.
Miny’s warmth, styling skills and business vision have made Abyssinia successful in Renton since the salon opened in 2014.
Then COVID-19 arrived.
“The pandemic shook me for a few weeks,” she said. The salon had to close, and Abyssinia delayed franchise expansion plans.
The community came together, her landlord was flexible and on June 6 they were allowed to reopen with safety measures in place.
“As soon as I turned on the ‘open’ sign we were extremely busy,” Miny said.
Since then she has arrived early and stayed late to accommodate clients while following the state’s operating guidelines.
“If you work hard…you will make it”
“If you work hard, you will recover,” she said. “With positive energy, you will make it.”
Miny plans to use her positive energy to train more people and add franchises, allowing stylists to grow their own business.
Meeting different people is a joy of this industry, Miny said. She especially likes being among the diverse nationalities of people in the U.S.
Her African background has never been a hurdle when dealing with anyone in town.
“No one has treated me differently or doubted me. The only question people ask is if I have time to see them today!”
