Glam Shop founder and television personality Sierra Gates is getting real about her successful career as a serial entrepreneur and starring on popular VH1 show “Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta.”
The 29-year-old boss talked to Atlanta Black Star in an exclusive interview on Monday, May 18. She addressed her friendship with fellow cast member Karlie Redd, spoke on “LHHATL” virtual reunion rumors that have circulated and discussed how she’s been helping women start their own businesses amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Gates joined the VH1 series in 2017 and quickly became an integral member of the cast. She was approached by “LHH” producers in 2016 to join the show.
“Being on the show added to my life because my life was already a great life,” said the young entrepreneur. “I was already working, I was already a boss in my own eyes. I literally started with nothing, got my first shop on Peters Street — that’s a very popular strip in Atlanta — and I was already a girl boss, so basically the show and just the platform help add onto everything I was doing.”
On the show, we saw Gates form close bonds with Tokyo Vanity and Redd, but her friendship with Redd ended after the two got in a physical altercation that was on display in the March 23 episode. Gates was upset at Redd for failing to show up on time to help the makeup artist in court. However, in a March 30 Instagram post, Gates apologized to Redd for assaulting her.
“I’ve apologized so many times, but I really feel like my friend Karlie deserves a public apology because that shouldn’t have happened,” Gates said in her video at the time. “Karlie has always been a great person to me, so that was nothing that was planned. That was nothing that I wanted to happen.”
When asked about the status of her and Redd’s friendship, Gates said, “We really don’t speak anymore, so that’s basically it.” She did add that she was close with the rest of her “LHHATL” cast members and called them her “dysfunctional” family.
Her storyline — and those of the rest of the cast — came to a halt when producers were forced to end the season early due to the COVID-19 pandemic. There have been rumors about the season 9 reunion special being held virtually, but the hairstylist said she’s not sure if the hearsay was true.
“I don’t know what we going to be doing,” she said. “I’m lost in the sauce.”
While several celebrities were enjoying TikTok amid the global outbreak, Gates was focused on helping other women secure the bag.
“I just created a wave of ways that women could make money, starting their own businesses while they are sitting at home,” she said.
Gates recently launched her 2020 Glam Class in which she teaches clients three to six different techniques to microblade and do eyelash extensions. She also created a vendors list of the different wholesalers she purchases from.
