Today we’d like to introduce you to Connie Sprajc.
Hi Connie, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstories with our readers.
After I graduated from Houston Baptist University (now Houston Christian University) with a Bachelor’s in Business in 2012, I began working in Human Resources and that lasted for about 4 years, but I really did not feel like it was a calling or a passion of mine. I did however really enjoy the creative outlet of doing makeup gave me. I had always spent hours and hours researching makeup, testing out cosmetics, practicing makeup on myself, and watching countless hours of makeup tutorials on YouTube. So I decided that since I had all this makeup that I accumulated and all this knowledge I should start pursuing a career as a makeup artist. I am what has been considered a self-taught makeup artist.
My weekend hustle for about a year in addition to my 9-5 office job was marketing myself as a makeup artist.
Instagram proved to be an invaluable resource. There I posted every single client, model, family member, or friend that I did makeup for. And after some time of doing anyone and everyone’s makeup, I began to have a significant gallery of work which then helped me to secure bigger jobs like weddings. Once I began working at weddings, doing hair was a natural next step. So I quit my HR job and enrolled in cosmetology school and was the first to graduate in my class just 10 months later.
After school, I secured an apprenticeship and those typically 1-2 years, but once again I applied that same drive that I had for building my makeup skills to building my hair skills and graduated from my apprenticeship 6 months later. Now I have been doing hair for almost five years. I am a fully booked stylist and last May, I started my own business working as an independent hairstylist. I now work in a salon suite. I specialize in extensions and balayage and my business continues to grow.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
There are so many hair salons and talented hairstylists in Houston and the surrounding areas so it is important to try and stand out. And in my case, I was starting my career over at 30 years old and there were young men and women graduating from cosmetology school at 19 years old so I felt the pressure to get real good really fast. So how do you do that? In addition to working in a salon for an apprenticeship, I worked at Dry Bar on my days off for extra training and practice. I continued to freelance as a hair and makeup artist as well in the evenings.
I would also save up my money to take continuing education classes several times a year. What a lot of people don’t realize is that continuing education is expensive, so I spent thousands of dollars as a new stylist with very little clientele to be able to get better. I would travel to Dallas, San Antonio, and Austin to take balayage classes so I could be an expert at blonding. I would practice on doll heads, do model calls, and do lots of free hair just so I could practice. During the first two years of my career, I was the very definition of a starving artist.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a professional hairstylist who specializes in hair extensions, balayage (blonding), and haircutting. As of late, I have really become known for my extension transformations.
I have always done extensions since the beginning of my career, but this past year I really wanted to showcase my passion for extensions and transformations.
I am most proud of taking ownership of my career and being able to curate my dream clientele. I could have stayed in HR and made a living that was reliable and comfortable, but I took a risk and with the encouragement of my husband made a very fulfilling career. I look forward to going to work every day because my clients are truly amazing women. They are encouraging, kind, and I have become friends with all of them.
I stand out because of the level of care I take when doing my client’s hair. My clients know that I will always find a solution to their hair needs. Every head of hair is different, every situation is different, and they can rely on me to come up with a creative solution that only someone who is obsessed with amazing hair could come up with, and that’s me.
What matters most to you? Why?
There are a few things that I never want to lose sight of. It is absolutely necessary that my clients leave my chair completely happy with their hair every single time. This means I have to live up to my own personal work ethic which is doing my absolute best with every head of hair that I touch. It doesn’t matter what is going on in my personal life or what’s happening in the world, it is so important that my client gets the best work I can provide. And lastly, it is crucial to never stop growing and learning.
I still take several continuing education classes every year and I even take classes on services that I don’t do very often just because I want to see how other artists think or because I admire their work. And I ended up gaining new technical knowledge and a different perspective on the services that I do offer a lot of. In doing so creates a deeper understanding of my craft.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: @highbrowhair
