Issue 043 - Featuring Magic Manes

Shop Name: Magic Manes Hair
Owner: Brina Bujkovsky
Instagram: @magicmaneshair
Facebook Page: Magic Manes Shop
Website: https://magic-manes.com
“Our products are not only fun - they instill confidence and promote self-expression.” -Brina Bujkovsky, Owner
Magic Manes Hair has been changing girls' (of all ages) lives since early 2019. With the most fun, high-quality, hair pieces you've ever seen, this shop takes every outfit to the next level! Whether you're going all out for a costume party or you just want fun hair because it's Wednesday, the owner, Brina, has something to finish off your look.
Located in sunny San Diego, California, this extra colorful small shop offers ready- to-ship hair pieces with shipping as fast as Amazon — fulfilling most orders the same or the next day. Brina occasionally opens pre-orders for items that are on the way but most things are ready to ship. The gorgeous "unicorn hair" pieces are custom manufactured colorful hair extensions specifically for kids (but fun for moms too). They also offer a line of unique, hand-braided “Boho” style clip-in braids that are handmade to order. Once this handmade line was added, Brina fell in love! She LOVES braiding the Boho Braid line! Every order is unique and special. She has so much fun picking the different styles and embellishments to create a
one-of-a-kind set of fun hair braids for her customers! In total, Magic Manes offers 6 different hair extension styles in many colors and textures. From clip-in hair extensions and braids to tie-on ponytails, elastic banded braids, hair buns, loose braiding hair, and halo hair extensions. There's literally something for everyone.
Running a small business is not new to Brina. She is a born entrepreneur! She started selling packs of chewing gum to other kids on the school bus as a Kindergartener and has always appreciated being able to set her own schedule, set and achieve her own goals, and build a capital nest egg for whatever is next. With a large, tight-knit extended family that is local to her, being able to spend time with them is a top priority and sharing the pride of watching her two children grow up is priceless. Being her own boss makes those truly important things possible for her. Magic Manes is her 3rd eCommerce shop. After selling her last venture, she wanted to find something she could sell from home that wouldn’t be fragile in the mail and would be easy to market using social media. Magic Manes came about from Brina's love for wearing halo hair pieces and the instant confidence they inspire. Her daughter and friends were very into all things unicorn and rainbows when she was brainstorming her next adventure so the idea of magical unicorn hair seemed like a fun product line to market. And man, is it fun!
With a Unicorn, rainbow-loving child and a life-long struggle with thin, straight hair that hardly grows, Brina found in her research that today’s synthetic hair extensions are affordable and high-quality. Adding a hair piece instantly transforms your look, and with a rainbow of options, one is never enough. Her daughter and friends were a big inspiration behind the shop — they love fashion and expressing themselves with color so bringing the idea to life came easy. They also made testing the products easy. Magic Manes offers something no one else in the small shop world does — high-quality hair extensions in custom, exclusive colors. Every item available on their site is thoroughly tested for quality, comfort, and weight. If it’s not easy to put in and uncomfortable to wear all day, they don’t sell it.
Although owning a small business is not new to Brina, the joy that comes from delighted customers and seeing the same names pop up in the orders list year after year is still a thrill for her. Receiving thank you notes from pleased customers who are impressed with the products and service is a great joy as well.
If you haven't ventured into the world of unicorn hair, don't wait any longer! The items offered by Magic Manes are instant confidence boosters! Once you try them, you'll wonder how you ever went without!
Welcome to your new small shop addiction!

1. Are you more of a hunter or a gatherer? I’m a hunter for sure
2. You’re a new addition to the crayon box. What color would you be and why? I’m a metallic seafoam green/blue because I love looking at the sea
3. You find a lottery ticket that ends up winning $10 million. What would you do? Build a family compound somewhere near the ocean with several sustainable pod homes on it. Raise puppies and goats. Build a ceramics studio. Donate the rest to charity.
4.What do you think about when you’re alone in your car? I spend a lot of time thinking about my kids when they aren’t with me - how cute, smart and clever they are. Then they get in the car, start poking each other and it’s all over. Or politics/state of the world.
5. What’s your favorite ’90s jam? “"Your Woman” by White Town, 1997
6. If you could be any animal in the world, what animal would you be and why? I’m pretty stoked to be a human living in California. The mental burden can be challenging but music, travel and tacos make it all worth it.
7. What was the last gift you gave someone? I’m not much of a gifter - it’s not my love language. I hate wasteful spending and the thought of junk in a landfill or floating in the ocean. I recently donated money as a birthday gift in a friend’s name to a favorite cause.
8. What were you like in high school? I didn’t keep a locker as I had no intention to pursue higher education. I was working on a novel. I was learning to play guitar. I had everyone start calling me “Briné.” I won “most talented.” I drove a convertible VW Bug and had a college boyfriend.
9. What’s the last thing you watched on TV and why did you choose to watch it? I’ve been watching the new Kids in the Hall and the series on the First Ladies. I don’t really click around too much - I just watch the first thing that appeals.
10. Any advice for your previous boss? I haven’t had a boss in over 20 years. I can’t even remember my last boss. 11. Tell me something about your last job, other than money, that would have inspired you to keep working there. The last time I worked for someone else, I was quite young. I felt dismissed as a young female working in technology. At that time, our femininity was considered a flaw and we were urged to act more like our male counterparts. I might have stayed longer at previous jobs if I was more respected for what I brought to the table. 12. What is the funniest thing that has happened to you recently? My husband is quite possibly the cutest, dorkiest man on the planet and he’s constantly cracking us up.
13. What is your dream job? That’s an oxymoron but I’ll humor you. I want to be a touring lead singer of a world famous band. But maybe for just a week or so. I get homesick and need a lot of sleep.
14. What inspires you? Good people doing kind things. Social progress. Nature.
15. What’s your food/drink guilty pleasure? I rarely eat or drink anything that makes me feel guilty but I understand the question. Let’s go with hot fudge sundaes and double IPAs - but not together.
16. What are you known for? Ugh. Maybe being that weird mom that never talks to the other moms at school functions? My family knows me for being creative and always hatching new fantastical ideas.
17. What do you work toward in your free time? All of my time is free time. I work on being happy and balanced. I work on providing a solid and warm foundation for the kids. I work on social and political causes that are important to me. I work on my friendships and family relationships.
18. What’s the most interesting thing about you that we wouldn’t learn without asking this question? I rarely discuss business with anyone and no one ever asks. I guess they assume I am a homemaker. I’ve launched several successful businesses and I’ve been a fellow with two tech start-up accelerators as well as a mentor for young entrepreneurs.
19. How would you rate your memory? Steel trap. Photographic. It’s genetic too because my oldest is the same.
20. If you woke up and had 2,000 unread emails and could only answer 300 of them, how would you choose which ones to answer? I currently have 18,660 unread emails so this is not something I burden myself with. I only address customer service issues and important business.
21. What pizza topping best represents you? Mushrooms because they’re cute and squatty
22. Describe the color yellow to somebody who is blind. Yellow is the color of bright light energy
23. If you were to get rid of one state in the U.S., which would it be and why? I think we could combine the Dakotas and no one would notice. Make Puerto Rico a state instead.
24. What is your favorite tv show to watch when you’re alone with the remote? Working Moms
25. Are you now who you thought you would be ten years ago? Yes, more or less. I built my lifestyle from the ground up and now I’m able to enjoy the fruits of my labor.