How Cheyanne Tunti is Buildling Community in Metro Vancouver's Local Beauty Industry

Inspiring a New Generation of Indigenous Entrepreneurs

Cheyanne Tunti, Founder of Tunti Beauty Bar

As a second-generation entrepreneur, Cheyanne Tunti says she’s drawing on deep wells as sources of strength to persevere in her journey of building a business in Metro Vancouver. Her faith in God and her father’s inspiring journey as a businessman from Ghana have been unfailing sources of hope as she navigates the world of entrepreneurship.

“It's the grace of God because I didn't study business. Just putting my trust in Him and trying to do things unto Him – not for people, not for myself – just to push the will of God forward,” she says. “My dad is an entrepreneur and has a successful construction business, doing stucco. He's always been an entrepreneur, so I've been able to see that it can be done, but more so, I've seen his trust in God and his leaning on God to run his business.” 

As a young, Black entrepreneur in Metro Vancouver, Cheyanne is building Tunti Beauty Bar from the ground up. Cheyenne got her start in the beauty industry five years ago as a lash technician. Soon after completing the course, she realised there were other skills she needed to master, such as sales and customer service. “It’s funny, because you think you're just going to get clients right away once you know how to do it, but it's actually a skill that needs to be honed and perfected.” After focusing on her craft for the first year, she chose to work out of a salon, so she could be mentored for four more years. 

“Learning the business, learning clients, how to interact with clients, learning the skill and perfecting the skill,” she says. “After four years, I finally was feeling like my growth was capped, like I couldn't do anything else. My books were full. I had a groove going. And so I was thinking what's next? So I took the leap of faith and – even though I was comfortable – I wanted to figure out how I could open my own shop. That was always the goal.”

After looking into leasing, she had initially planned to open a home-based business. Then she stumbled upon a business for sale on Facebook marketplace. It ticked all the boxes for her: a lash salon with all the equipment needed to get started. She contacted the owner and began the process of acquiring the business. By April 2023, she took the keys. After a year in business, social media marketing and advertising are still top priorities, as she builds a new clientele for the beauty business she took over. 

“Word of mouth is a big one in the beauty industry,” she says. Strategic partnerships through events and collaborations have also helped Cheyanne build clientele and community. “It's more than just putting makeup on or putting lashes on. I've always been a person who likes to connect and see people joyful.” Since then, she has grown the business: from a small client base to tapping into the power of community to reach new customers. 

Experts predict North America will see the fastest growth of the global eyelash extensions market over the next few years. Always looking to grow her business, Cheyanne is now in the middle of a strategic relocation. Well over half a million people call Surrey, British Columbia, home already but it’s expected the metro Vancouver city will surpass the 750,000 mark by 2029. By 2026, the provincial government is projecting the population will climb to over a million. With data indicating “highly populated urban areas are ideal locations” for beauty salons, Tunti Beauty is positioning itself to be in the right place, at the right time.

 “It was all research. When I started the business plan, it was just researching which sections I needed and using my network,” Cheyanne says. With so much diversity in her family and network – her father is from Ghana, while her mother is Indigenous – Cheyanne is eager to learn more about her Indigenous roots. 

“I don't see very many Indigenous entrepreneurs, especially in the beauty space. So, I would like to be like an avenue to bring Indigenous people into this space.” For young, Black-Indigenous entrepreneurs looking to launch their ventures, Cheyanne offers this advice: do it while you’re young.

“I think entrepreneurship is very glamourized. I think many people have said within the first five years [it’s] hustle, hustle, hustle, which I'm in right now,” she says. “I'm always an advocate for trying everything until you figure out what is your thing. Take a smart risk. Do your research. Figure out – down to the T – how much it's going to take, what it's going to take, and really evaluate if it's what you want to do.”