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                                    Friday, November 14, 2025B Sectionindianapolisrecorder.comMINORITY BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTSIf you would like your business highlighted, visit directory. indianaminoritybusinessmagazine.comSafe Travels TransportBy NORAL PARHAMnoralp@indyrecorder.comSafe Travels Transport, founded by Vonnie Brown and Kelly Kirby, is a Black woman-owned transportation company based in Indianapolis.The business states on its website that it is %u201cproviding safe and reliable transport services for your peace of mind,%u201d and this is evident in its wide range of services. The company offers a range of non-medical transportation services, including but not limited to airport, animal, ambulatory, beforeand after-school, courier, event shuttling, funeral and wheelchair-friendly transportation. Safe Travels Transport also offers the Department of Corrections %u2018Ride to Unite,%u2019 providing transportation to family and friends of incarcerated individuals to visit their loved ones.Additionally, Safe Travel Transport offers accessibility by renting products such as wheelchairs, walkers and more.Those interested in learning more about the business can contact Safe Travels Transport at 833-773-8783 or via email at info@safetraveltransports.com. Noral Parham created this business highlight. Contact him at 317-762-7846 or email him at noralp@indyrecorder.com.Victor Auto RepairBy HANNA RAUWORTHhannar@indyrecorder.comVictor Auto Repair is a family-run auto shop located at 4090 Lafayette Road in Indianapolis. Led by owner and CEO Shamar Victor, the business offers a full range of maintenance and repair services isuch as oil changes, diagnostics, suspension work, transmission repair and air conditioning services.According to the company%u2019s website, Victor Auto Repair operates on a foundation of honesty, integrity and community. %u201cWhether it%u2019s a routine oil change or complex diagnostics, each vehicle gets my full attention and expert care,%u201d the statement reads. The auto shop emphasizes transparency and communication, aiming to ensure customers fully understand each repair before any work is done.Victor Auto Repair describes itself as a family business %u201crooted in community and integrity,%u201d treating customers like neighbors rather than numbers. The team%u2019s goal is to provide quality service while maintaining trust with every client who walks through the door.The shop is open Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., with Saturday appointments available upon request. For those seeking an independent, neighborhood-focused alternative to larger chain shops, Victor Auto Repair offers an experience centered on care, communication and reliability.More information is available at%u00a0victorautorepair.com.Contact Health & Environmental Reporter Hanna Rauworth at 317-762-7854 or follow her on Instagram%u00a0at @hanna.rauworth.%u00a0By CHLOE McGOWAN chloegm@indyrecorder.comThe Fybro, a new premium grooming system, is allowing men to achieve a fresh lineup right at home.Indianapolis native Aaron Russell came up with the concept of The FyBro in 2022, after failing to find a similar DIY hairline product on the market. Russell decided to take matters into his own hands by designing a single-use stick-on hairline stencil that, when paired with spray-on hair fibers, would achieve the same look and feel of a barbershop lineup.%u201c(Barbers) would take these hair fibers, which are basically very fine artificial hair, and they actually apply it around your hairline to build it up to create volume %u2026 when they come in with electric trimmers, they can create this very defined line,%u201d Russell said. %u201cI started to notice the guys at home were trying to do the same thing as the barbers. But there%u2019s two problems. Number one, most guys lack the skills that a barber has with electric trimmers. Then number two, there were no tools to allow you to do this at home.%u201dMost men get their haircut and lineup about every two weeks. After a few days when hair begins to grow back around the hairline, the look starts to fade, %u201cand then you go back to not feeling as confident as you once did,%u201d Russell said.Unlike previous stencils, which are static or just a piece of plastic, The FyBro is the first-ever stickon hairline stencil designed in the %u201cperfect shape%u201d of a forehead.%u201cI can take these hair fibers %u2014 well, first you want to use a holding spray to create a tacky base so it can stick to it %u2014 but I can take these hair fibers and I can spray it around all of the light spots,%u201d Russell said. %u201cEssentially, when I pull this off, it%u2019s going to have a perfectly straight line.%u201dGrowing up, Russell said he always had an %u201centrepreneurial spirit,%u201d taking on odd jobs, such as shoveling snow or cutting grass, to make money. His interest in business followed him through higher education. He studied accounting at Ball State University and then accepted a job at a %u201cbig four%u201d accounting firm.After a few years, Russell realized a traditional 9-to-5 behind a desk simply wasn%u2019t the dream career he%u2019d thought it%u2019d be, and that what he really wanted was to start his own business %u2014 and start building a legacy. Using his background as a musician in the church, Russell started offering online music lessons in 2015. That business became quite profitable, which allowed him to take a massive leap of faith by leaving his full-time job in 2019 %u2014 with his wife%u2019s full support, of course.Things didn%u2019t exactly go as planned. When Russell first told his wife, Chandice Tyson-Russell, about his plans for The FyBro, she was surprised but immediately got on board.%u201cOnce he explained it to me, and the impact that it would have, not just for him, but for all men or even women, I was sold,%u201d Tyson-Russell said. %u201cI thought that it was a brilliant idea. I knew that there would be a need for it, and I really was excited about the impact it had in the Black and brown community, with men and women who would love to be able to achieve the look without having to go see a barber every week.%u201dSo, as Russell stepped back to focus on developing his idea, Tyson-Russell said she stepped up and became the financial provider for their family. In 2023, Russell finally had a prototype, which he used to compete in Impact Indiana%u2019s PitchFeast. He impressed the judges and received a $10,000 grant to put toward securing a manufacturer and marketing for the first batch of The Fybro stencils. Despite the ups and downs in the last few years, Tyson-Russell said watching and supporting her husband go through designing, developing, and now selling The FyBro has been %u201cso incredibly inspiring.%u201d She believes in the product as much as he does and knows that it will help many others regain their confidence as the hairline plays a crucial role in how Black men present themselves.Together, Russell and Tyson-Russell have two young sons, and watching her husband work tirelessly to bring his vision to life %u201cspeaks to the work ethic, drive and legacy%u201d they want to build for their family, Tyson-Russell said.%u201cThings take time,%u201d Tyson-Russell said. %u201cThe process takes time, and if you quit, you%u2019ll never be able to see it actually happen. I think that there was never an option to quit, no matter how much he wanted to. I wasn%u2019t gonna let him.%u201dThe FyBro is not meant to replace going to the barber, but it solves a problem that many Black and brown men face when it comes to their hair, , Russell said. A lineup typically costs anywhere from $15-$40 in addition to the haircut, but only lasts a few days. The FyBro is meant to be used between visits, to refresh the hairline for a day or two before being washed out in the shower, Russell said.%u201cThere are so many celebrities and athletes and TV personalities who actually will fly their barbers in just to get a hair line up,%u201d Russell said. %u201cWe%u2019re not trying to get rid of barbers. %u2026 We love the barbers, but it [The FyBro] is a way to save money.%u201dHowever, it wasn%u2019t until early 2025 that the product started to really take off with consumers %u2014 especially on social media, Russell said. Unexpectedly, it was women who seemed to really engage with the product, commenting under posts that they%u2019d be interested in getting it for their husbands, sons and grandsons, Russell said.As their sales increased, Russell introduced more products, including beardline and side hairline stencils, a FyBro-branded hair fiber spray, a holding spray and an applicator pump.%u201cIt%u2019s not just about creating wealth,%u201d Russell said. %u201cMadam C. J. Walker %u2026 She built her empire here in Indianapolis, Indiana, where she created innovative products to help women empower themselves and feel confident, and this tool is the same way. It%u2019s about building confidence.%u201dFor more information about The Fybro or to view products, visit thefybro.com. Select products are also available on the Fybro Amazon Storefront.Contact Arts & Culture Reporter Chloe McGowan at 317-762-7848. Follow her on X @chloe_mcgowanxx.New Hoosier-made men%u2019s grooming system gives barbershop-fresh lineups between visits(Photo/Victor Auto Repair)Aaron Russell (Photo provided/Aaron Russell)Aaron Russell, founder and creator of the FyBro, the fi rst-ever stick-on hairline stencil. (Photo provided/Aaron Russell)(Photo Getty Images)The FyBro is a new premium men%u2019s grooming system designed to provide barbershop-fresh lineups in between haircuts. (Photo provided/Aaron Russell)
                                
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