Tutu Maniacs: How a Mom Nurtured a Dream into a Business

Some say that entrepreneurs are made. Others say that they’re born. But in many cases, many entrepreneurs are nurtured. Such is the case with newly graduated VMF Flourish Fellowship alumna DeAndrea Byrd, founder and CEO of Tutu Maniacs.

Born and raised in Atlanta, DeAndrea diverted from the family legacy of education. Although she always respected and admired the profession, she felt that there was something else out there for her and she chose to go off the beaten path in search of her calling.

Since middle school, DeAndrea always had a knack for entrepreneurship and styling hair. She found her trade, honed her skills, and began earning consistent income. As expected, DeAndrea went to college but realized that she’d much rather spend her time, energy, and money building something lasting for herself and future family. But, as with many small business origin stories, there was a gap between the planting of deep seeded dreams of entrepreneurship and its flourishing and fulfillment.

In the time between, DeAndrea got married, had children, and started a family. In addition to being a hairstylist she also worked in the medical field. However, dreams of full-time entrepreneurship persisted and became irresistible.

On the weekends, DeAndrea would have her daughters Zuri and Zaria with her in the beauty shop. To keep the girls occupied and help them enjoy their weekend, DeAndrea would give them the princess treatment—complete with little manicures, pedicures, and makeovers — all while wearing tutus. DeAndrea’s youngest, Zuri, took the experience to heart and fell in love with her tutu and wouldn’t want to take it off. “She always found a reason to wear her tutu and believed she was a real princess,” DeAndrea recalls. “Other people saw the tutus and how cute they looked and started asking where I got them from. That’s when the idea for Tutu Maniacs was born.”

Leveraging her connections, relationships, and experiences, she saw an opportunity to buy back some of her time and give her a little physical relief from standing all day to pursue what she truly wanted to do — be a more active mom and available for her kids when they need her. She worked with her business partner who was skilled at sewing and they began to craft an experience that little girls would love and enjoy. After gaining some traction, Tutu Maniacs opened their on-site location in Atlanta’s Greenbriar Mall. Being community minded and wanting her own community to have a fun, memorable experience for their kids, she intentionally chose to open in a predominantly Black-community.

Today, Tutu Maniacs continues to grow and thrive, and so do her children.

Entrepreneurship has afforded DeAndrea the opportunity to be with her children more, but it’s also given her an opportunity to nurture the entrepreneur in her family in ways that she didn’t get to experience. Now, thanks to her influence, all three of kids have their own business ventures and are serious about growing and scaling them. “At first I wasn’t sure if they were listening to me when I pushed them to look into creating their own businesses. I thought I was getting on their nerves. But it did inspire them, and look where they are now!”

When asked about what she enjoyed most about being a part of the Flourish Fellowship, she responded with “Commununity.” She went on to explain how much and a relief it was to connect with other people who not only looked like her and had similar life experiences, but also identified with current challenges. “Having a stronger network and a larger friend base is one of the added benefits of joining the Village through Flourish Fellowship,” she added.

For all the entrepreneurs out there, especially other mom-preneurs, DeAndrea says, “Don’t give up! There’s no such thing as balance [in our world], but know that everything will balance itself out. Remember that your children are listening, even when you think they aren’t. They see you and they hear you.”

To DeAndrea and all of the entrepreneurial moms in the Village and throughout our community, we salute you and say “Happy Mother’s Day!”