How I Got Here

It’s July, 2015. I jumped straight into becoming an independent hairstylist. I left my corporate job where I had a guaranteed salary, bonus opportunities, paid time off, car and cell phone allowances, healthcare benefits and so much more. I had had this nagging feeling for so long that whatever I was doing was not what I was supposed to do but I was so afraid to do anything other than what felt SAFE.

After months of thinking it over, crunching the numbers and trying to talk myself into just being ok with what I already had, I finally did it. I put my notice into the corporation I worked at. The graciously accepted it while also telling me that if I stayed until a certain time I would qualify for all of my bonuses and they would also pay out my paid time off. Between everything I walked out of my job with nearly 3 months of salary paid to me-proof to me that you should never burn any bridges with anyone!

The first weekend I worked in my new salon was 4th of July weekend. and, as luck would have it, I went home only to discover….

I WAS PREGNANT.

I promise I didn’t plan to get pregnant with every new job I took in my 20’s-ha, it just happened!

Being pregnant was both a blessing and a curse. It was a blessing because it definitely gave me my why to PUSH through and do everything I wanted to with my clientele but it was a curse because it also made it that much harder.

My goal when I first became an independent stylist was to have a 6 figure career. I wanted to create a lifestyle I had never had before and I naively believed I could do that while cutting down the time I worked because of the prices I could charge. However, I forgot to realize that with the increase in pricing meant different expectations from the clients I was working with. It meant that clients had expectations that the work I would give them would be more than the hair I was used to giving at the Walmart I had worked at the previous 5 years. There was definitely a learning curve those first months. There were LOTS of tears and sleepless nights.

But it was all worth it to me. I had a goal and I was going to do everything I could to meet that goal. I adopted the mindset that if I wanted success I had to be available to my clients any day and any time they wanted me. I would do any service I could-kids cuts, mens cuts, women’s cuts, facial waxing, etc. I just felt like I had to be a servant to all my clients. Which lead me to the belief right after I had my daughter that I had to get back to work as soon as possible because my clientele wouldn’t stick around and I wouldn’t be able to survive losing any of them. So for years, thats exactly what I did. I worked all the days, all the hours and took on as many clients as I could. I wanted to completely fill every second of everyday with clients and got nervous if the space wasn’t full.

But. This lead to major burn out.

I hated not being home with my kids. I hardly ever got to put them to bed or eat dinner with them. I missed all their evening and weekend activities because I “had” to work. I didn’t get to enjoy time with my husband. I felt over worked, underpaid and under valued. I was desperate to get more of my time back.

And that is when I fell into extensions.

Funny enough, my entire career I had always believed that extensions were a waste of time and money and they would ruin your natural hair. I had never seen extensions that I though looked good. And I also could never see myself as a stylist who could do THAT! But I started to follow the education of Natural Beaded Rows Extensions and the lifestyle they talked about was everything I wanted and more. Which is exactly what made me to jump in without fear back in 2018.

The last 6 years have been a rollercoaster to say the least. I taught myself how to be an expert in extensions. I went through 2 salon location moves. I made it to the other side of covid with my business still intact. I have worked with 5 different assistants. ive built a clientele that once seemed like something I’d only have in my dreams. I’ve built a schedule that I never thought would be possible.

And that is all fine and good…. but for me it isn’t enough.

My true passion has ALWAYS been to change the hair industry. I wanted to help other hairstylists have a life of freedom. Ever since I was that 5 year old little girl having hair shows on her cat, I KNEW I was meant to do something big with hair.

What that is I still don’t know. But I do know that the thing I will be focusing on moving forward is putting education out about what I do and how I do it. Whether that is with extensions, color, business, etc.

I’m excited to begin this journey and hope you come along with me! I can’t wait to give more of what I have to give!