Uncrowned Community Builders

Buffalo's own Yvonne Hudson has been an icon in the beauty industry for over 30 years. As the owner of Yvonne's Beauty Cutique, she credits success to her faith in God and the support of her husband.

Yvonne began her career in cosmetology from the ground up by working as a maid in the beauty shop in the old Hengerer's Department Store (which later became Kaufmann's) in Buffalo. She became more involved in the industry as she pursued her training at the Roberts School of Beauty. Her perseverance was realized as she became the first Black hair stylist at Hengerer's. Yvonne continues to hone her skills by attending advanced training at Dudley University.

After praying and asking the Lord for guidance and encouraged by her husband, Robert Hudson, and son, Keith Pollard, Yvonne opened Yvonne's Beauty Cutique in 1972. Thirty years later, she gives thanks for her blessings and begins and each day with prayer. As she puts it, "It makes good business sense to put God first, family second, and career third." Yvonne, true to her Virgo nature is a perfectionist, taking great pride in her work and puts forth every effort to ensure that her client's needs are met. A true testament to her skills and caring is evidenced in the fact that she has maintained clients from her Hengerer days. It has been a tradition in her salon to maintain a solid team of professionals. The salon has been recognized as a winner in many hair styling competitions as well as having been honored as the most professional salon in the area. Other stylists have been inspired to follow in her footsteps and like a Mother, she has nurtured, supported and encouraged her stylists to move on, while embracing and mentoring younger ones. On any given holiday, you will find former stylists returning to say hello. When asked why she has been so successful over the years, her answer is simple, "Every morning when I turn the key, I invite God in."

There's a time in everyone's life when one wishes to take it a bit easy and Yvonne plans to do just that by turning the reins of Yvonne's Beauty Cutique into the wonderful hands of Lisa Daniels and Noel Mobley. No, she's not retiring, just taking a breather from the task of operating a business for over thirty years.

Yvonne and her husband, Robert, are very active members of Pleasant Grove Baptist Church. This leisure pace will afford them more time to visit family and friends, especially her grandson, Ian Sloane, of whom she's very proud.