About Marquetta Breslin

I’m often asked how I got into this business, and so I decided to write the highlights of my life to give you a glimpse into who I am and how I got where I am today…

A “Girly Girl” From Day One

I grew up in a tiny town (didn’t even have a traffic light until a few years ago!) called Bunn, north of Raleigh in North Carolina.

When I was 3 years old, my parents enrolled me in ballet class, and I LOVED every minute of it. My mom used to tell me that I looked like I’d been doing ballet for years!

I continued with ballet lessons until I was 13, when I talked my mother into letting me sit out for a year, and, well… let’s just say it’s been one long year! But I love dancing, and I always told myself that if I didn’t do hair, I would be a dancer.

See, I’ve always been a girly girl at heart – even when I was in my baggy-clothes phase! My passion for hair began when my mom or my Aunt Ella would straighten and curl my hair. After my hair was done, I sat in front of the mirror for hours! LOL I even got in trouble in kindergarten for using my mirror and comb in class, and my teacher had a conference with my mother to talk about my behavior.

Growing Up Is Hard To Do

Fast forward to the 5th grade. My mom, my brothers, and I moved to Raleigh, and I became the “new kid” in school. From 5th grade to 7th grade, kids picked on me for my big eyes and my big teeth, and they made fun of me because I didn’t wear the name-brand clothes that some of my “friends” did.

The teasing hurt at the time, but looking back, I can see that my determination to rise above that experience helped to make me a stronger person.

We moved back to Bunn for my last year of middle school and four years of high school. In middle school I played basketball; or maybe I should say I made the team – I definitely wasn’t the best player! Still, I was always athletic and into sports.

In high school I tried out for basketball again, and I was so excited when I made it; after the first season, though, I lost interest in basketball and decided to try out for cheerleading. I was the only freshman who made the varsity squad, and I knew this was my thing.

I LOVED being a cheerleader – it was so much fun! I ended up cheering and running track until I graduated from high school. My high school years were bittersweet – freshman year was a lot of fun, but after my parents separated in my sophomore year, my grades declined, and I lost my enthusiasm for school, but I still managed to keep my grades “above the yellow line” as they say on The Bigget Loser.

Now What? Life After High School

After graduation, my mom insisted that I get out of the house and go back to school, so I enrolled at Wake Tech Community College. I only attended 2 or 3 semesters before I dropped out due to transportation issues and lack of motivation. One of my fondest memories is my Grandpa giving me gas money so that I could make it to school. He always told me that there was no excuse for me not to make it. At that time gas was cheap, so $3.00 would get me to school and back for a few days.

After I dropped out of college and sat around the house for a few months, it was time for the family reunion in Myrtle Beach, which was held during Black Bike Week. I was 18 and had been attending the reunion since I was about 14 or 15, so I knew what to expect, and I was ready for some fun!

Finding My Path To The Future

But just before I left for Myrtle Beach, I was feeling low – I didn’t have a job, my car had been repossessed, and I wasn’t in college anymore. I was at home watching Hip Hop week on MTV. At that time I was into Hip Hop big time! I wanted to be at Hip Hop Week so bad! I had no idea how little old me could contribute. Still, I wanted so badly to be a part of it all.

Then I had an idea. I called my cousin in New Jersey and told her that I wanted to come visit after the reunion. I would leave Myrtle Beach with my aunt and go to New Jersey for 2 weeks before I returned home. My cousin didn’t really believe me…but I was determined, and I followed through.

When I got to Jersey, I had a strong feeling that I was supposed to be there, but I didn’t know why. A couple of days after I arrived, my cousin and her boyfriend told me about a temp agency that was hiring for a position at a pharmaceutical company, not far from where we lived. I’ve always been spontaneous, so I decided to check it out, and I was hired for the job.

Afterward, I called my mom to let her know I wouldn’t be coming home for a while, and I worked for the pharmaceutical company for almost a year. A short time after the contract ended, I enrolled at Union County College in Union, New Jersey. In October 1999, I landed a job at Circuit City, working with my cousin, and I remained there until I enlisted in the Air Force.

How I Joined The Air Force – And Changed My Life Forever

Deciding to join the Air Force was one of the best moves I’ve ever made. It started one Sunday while I was working at Circuit City. A guy came in, dressed in an Army uniform, and I asked him what he did and how he liked his job.

He shared with me some of his experiences, and I knew almost immediately that I wanted to join the Army. Within a day or two, I called an Army recruiter and was on my way to sign the paperwork to enlist.

Then my cousin’s boyfriend came home from school and told me about an Air Force recruiter he had talked to. He gave me a ton of information about the Air Force and convinced me that I should change my plans and contact the Air Force recruiter ASAP – and I did.

The Air Force recruiter used my scores from the Army test, and on June 11, 2000, I left from Long Island to join the United States Air Force! That day was a major turning point in my life; had I decided not to join the Air Force, I can’t imagine where I’d be today.

Trying To Be Cute In Basic Training

Going into the Air Force, I had no idea what to expect, but once we arrived at Lackland Air Force Base, I learned quickly…LOL! We were bused to the base from the airport, and when the bus stopped, the fun began! “GET OFF MY BUS!!!” were the first words I heard in basic training – intimidating, to say the least. But looking back now, I remember so much fun during that time!

My family loves to hear the story of my arrival at basic training. Now, I am a girly girl, and I was such a girly girl then that I didn’t own a pair of sneakers. When we were told to wear our civilian clothes to basic, I showed up in some high-heeled boots and a cute shirt! WHY on earth did I do that?

We had to form up and march to a building that seemed like 5 miles away – and I marched in my high-heeled boots! My boots made so much noise, our Military Training Instructor yelled, “WHO THE H*LL SHOWED UP FOR BASIC IN HIGH-HEELED SHOES?!” I was so scared he’d come back there and torture me that I marched on my tippy toes the rest of the way – that was the ULTIMATE calf workout!

Braiding Hair In The Dorm

Before I enlisted in the Air Force, I decided to cut my hair short and wear it with a texturizer. I shouldn’t have done that for basic training – in basic, they take all your personal items from you, including make-up and hair products. But hey – I made it work!

I started braiding hair for a couple of friends in our dorm. Before long, girls were asking me to cornrow their hair every night. All the other girls in other dorms were wondering how we all looked fly, and how we managed to have our hair done…LOL!

After graduating from basic training we all went to tech school. The girls that came with me continued to ask me to do their hair, and I acquired quite a few clients from basic to tech school. Some of my clients ended up stationed with me at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton, Virginia, where I continued to do hair until I met my husband, Ricky.

Who Says Love And Business Don’t Mix?

Ricky and I met in the dorms at Langley. We dated for 8 months, and then we got married. Ricky saw that I was always doing somebody’s hair in our tiny, 600-square-foot apartment, and he decided to start up a website to promote my hair styling services. I was reluctant; I didn’t want to jump into the business right then. But ultimately I told myself, “Why wait? Let’s just do it and see what happens.” I’ve never once looked back.

In March of 2003 we started Braids By Breslin and put an advertisement on our car, and I started getting new customers right away. People loved my work, and I was really busy. Then, when Ricky came to me with the idea of teaching other people to braid hair just like I do, I was all in. Much to my surprise, Ricky had already done the research, and he was in contact with a film producer within hours.

Within 3 weeks our first DVDs were filmed. If you had seen them, you would have cracked up. They were horrible. We filmed them over 3 times, just trying to get them right. At that time we couldn’t afford to get the DVDs mass produced, so we had the covers copied at Staples and burned the DVDs in our apartment.

Building Our Business And Our Family

That little 600 square foot apartment is where it all began – the place where my dreams started to come true. Ricky worked day and night while I did hair, and we did it all after working a full day in the Air Force. About 10 months after we got married, our daughter Nya was born; when Nya was 4 months old, I became pregnant with our son, Cale.

A little over a year after getting married and having our first baby, we learned we were going to be stationed at Charleston Air Force Base, South Carolina. We were so excited! When I was 6 months pregnant with Cale, we packed up and moved to the Low Country.

Ricky’s Air Force job at Charleston required a lot of his time and energy, but he still managed to work on the business while I was pregnant and taking care of Nya. Cale was born about a week early, in May instead of June. We quickly found out what it was like to have 2 kids, a business, and a full time job – not fun, definitely busy!

After The Air Force: Freedom

When Cale was just 4 months old, Ricky was sent to Germany for 4 months. I was left home alone with a 1-year-old and a 4-month-old. Talk about busy! Upon his return, Ricky learned he would have to leave again to go to Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar for 5 months, and so he missed almost the entire first year of Cale’s life. Ricky was fortunate to get out of the Air Force in Aug 2007.

In October of 2007 I was awarded a Special Duty position as a dorm manager at Charleston Air Force Base. It was a good job. I loved being able to chat with the Airmen, and it was a lot of fun!

Finally, in mid-July 2009, when I learned that I was being reassigned to my former job in the Air Force, I requested to get out early. Much to everyone’s surprise, including mine, my date was approved! On Aug 15, 2009, I separated from the Air Force after serving for 9 years.

Today I’m happier than ever, mainly because I have the freedom to do what I love…style hair, create new products, write, and bring you a ton of information to enrich your life!

I hope you enjoyed my story! If you have any questions at all, feel free to contact me any time.

Be blessed!

Marquetta Breslin
CEO & Founder
LaceWigTrainingCenter.com