“Sadness,” “uncertainty,” and “emotional” are normally the words used to describe a difficult experience, which is definitely how it felt when the closing of Lion’s Mane was announced.
The beauty supply store had been a staple in the Langston community for a few years and was viewed as more than a beauty supply. It was a place always filled with great vibes from both the staff and the music being played in the store. The smells of hair and nail care products filled the air. It was a place you definitely had to visit while at Langston. At the heart of it all was a young, black woman trying to make a change named Peyton Walter.
On the day it closed, she felt those same emotions mentioned earlier, along with relief, happiness, and hope towards a bright future.
But, before we get into her story, I want to ask you something: what do you do when you’re applying for different colleges, hoping to get into them, and then find out that you’re parents are not paying for your schooling? Some might give up, others might keep hope that a school will provide them with enough finances to still attend the school.
For Walter, the answer was to attend Langston, but not in the way you think. See Peyton’s journey to Langston was interesting: Langston wasn’t her first, second, or third choice, but was actually a choice made by her father, who applied for the school behind Peyton’s back, and when she found out that her parents weren’t paying for her school and that Langston was the only school willing to give her a full ride … well, it made the decision easy.
Although it wasn’t her first choice, Langston did end up being the right choice for Peyton. Walter can be described as a fit black woman with a smile that can light up any room and a brain that can solve any problem. Her heart is filled with love for all she encounters, and she is always willing to help anyone she can.
She loves her HBCU and claims that Langston will always be like a home to her.“One thing that I love about my HBCU is that black kids are able to come here and find themselves and accept themselves in a way that they probably wouldn’t be able to anywhere else,” Walter said.
While attending Langston, Peyton started her career as a chemistry major with a pre-med track and even completed an internship for NASA. She had always excelled at science and once believed it would define her entire career. It was her honors colloquium class that sparked a change in her career path.
In this class, she learned about entrepreneurship and the benefits it can have on black communities. She was taught about the rich history of Langston, which inspired her to want to contribute to Langston’s growth today.
With this mentality, Peyton wanted to bring a business to Langston. With help from her research and first-hand experience, she found that the best solution was to open a beauty supply store in the town of Langston. She decided to go with a beauty supply because she understood that many students disliked having to go all the way to Oklahoma City for hair care products.
“We wanted to create something that would not only be impactful for students but sustainable as well. We knew that the students would love it and understood that it is something that the town of Langston will always need.”
Starting and running a business at such a young age can be not only challenging but frightening. Peyton took on this challenge with a different mentality.
“For me, once I say I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it.”
She attributes this mentality to when she ran track because she described it as relying on yourself against other competitors in the race, which is why she believes she has such a high work ethic. So when it came to taking a leap of faith for the business in 2021, she had put her mind to it and said she would do it, so she did it.
Peyton stated that “getting started was the easy part.” The real challenge came when she actually started running it because she would deal with, and overcome, imposter syndrome. She had to remind herself that the Lion’s Mane was not something started by accident or by chance. This is something that she worked and planned for.
This belief in herself paid off because once she stepped into her boss/CEO mentality, put herself fully into Lion’s Mane, and became confident in herself, that’s when she really started to see the business take off and become successful.
In life, a person can be successful and seem happy on the outside, but sometimes we don’t know what they are dealing with on the inside, which is the exact scenario Peyton found herself in after running the Lion’s Mane for four years.
“I had to make a decision that was best for my own peace, sanity and wellbeing.”
The decision to leave the was not easy for her and was very emotional. She misses the Lion’s Mane, Langston students, and all the new students who were excited to come see the Lion’s Mane, and wants everyone to know that she loves them very much.
Peyton wanted to ensure that she left a positive impact with the Lion’s Mane. To her, Lion’s Mane was more than a beauty supply store; she wanted it to be a place where people could come in and chill and talk to her. She wanted it to be a place where people felt safe and were able to discuss their problems.
If someone needed advice and help, she had no issue being a mentor for them. She hoped that with her leaving Lion’s Mane that it would inspire other Langston students to take chances and open up their own businesses in the town of Langston to help their fellow students.
Now that she has left the Lion’s Mane, Peyton is starting a new job at a place called Innovation Hall, located in Oklahoma City. When asked about her plan’s Peyton said, “I don’t know what path I’m going down, but when I die, I want my name to be remembered, and I want my name to live on.”
She said whatever she chooses to do, she wants it to have a purpose and serve as a greater purpose for her. She is unsure of what’s to come, but says she is living her life and is letting God guide her towards whatever lies ahead.
Joseph Dickson
Joseph Dickson is a senior broadcast journalism major
