Today we’d like to introduce you to Kaitlin Smith.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
Flashback to the one picture of me at five – Velcro rollers in my hair (that I expertly placed myself) and a Dum Dum in my mouth. Of course, everyone will say they just knew I’d become a hairstylist, but even I didn’t know that’d be my profession.
I went to college, immediately after high school, to pursue a nursing degree. I thought it was the only way to go since I always loved the idea of helping others and saving lives. However, I hated college. Nothing about attending made me happy – the classes, the people, the atmosphere. I remember going home and crying, almost daily, about how miserable I was while pursuing a career that I had no real attachment to.
My mom told me I needed to do something because I couldn’t be a bum (and I agreed). The idea of living at home was never appealing to me, especially coming from a small town. I brought up the idea of beauty school, only to be met with a few scoffs and being told that doing hair wasn’t a real career.
It didn’t come easy, and the road has NEVER been smooth, but I have been quite successful in my chosen career path. I was able to combine my love for art with my passion for science. I was able to prove that a career in beauty is a real career and that’s is definitely nothing to scoff at.
I’ve been a stylist for almost nine years. As of May of this year, I am now a small business owner. It’s something I never saw for myself, but it has been so rewarding.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Oh, the struggles. There were the days I didn’t want to get out of bed, the crooked business owners, and those few clients I just couldn’t quite deliver the results they were hoping for.
There were so many times I wanted to just quit school because I was exhausted or bored or just plain tired of having to give so much of myself away socially. Getting through beauty school was both mentally and physically draining. After school, taking on an assisting position was even more demanding. Having to learn how to read the cues of another stylist and all of their clients, with the pay of a starving artist – it was stressful.
After slowly building a clientele, and moving salons as my needs changed as a professional stylist, my personal life took a toll. I married young and divorced young. While my personal life was taking a beating, my professional life was thriving. Since I love a good challenge, I found myself expecting a baby and trying to take my career to the next level.
Being a working mother is hard, but it is so worth it. Career-minded women don’t have to sacrifice one for the other. You can have it all – a thriving career, a good relationship, and a family. Trust me, I know it’s tough but the reward is very much worth the struggle. If it weren’t for my tiny human, I don’t think I’d be as driven as I currently am.
Tell us about your business. What do you do, what do you specialize in?
I’m a hairstylist in the Montrose/River Oaks area, and I have been for the past six years. I specialize in corrective color, blonding, and hair extensions. I always joke with my clients that I don’t get paid to cut hair off, I get paid to add hair. It’s a terrible joke, but it’s definitely the truth. I love the power of transformative work and I love that I have the ability to change a person’s entire look.
As a brand, I’m still developing. I’m constantly evolving and growing. I’m always investing in myself with classes, tools, advanced techniques, etc. I’m always doing my best to stay on top of trends so that I can provide the best services to meet my clients’ needs.
I feel my love of transformative looks is what sets me apart from others – especially with extensions. I feel like my eye for color really helps me create the most seamless looks. I recently invested in education for semi-permanent hair extensions for those with hair loss on the top of their heads; typically extensions can only be worn by individuals with enough hair to cover the bonds. With this technique, there’s now an option for almost all women. It’s very exciting.
Who do you look up to? How have they inspired you?
Honestly, any of the women I’ve worked under. I’ve always had the opportunity to work under or with some boss babes. It’s not easy being a business owner, and it’s even harder being a business owner and woman/mom/wife.
I loved working with strong women that didn’t take no for an answer or apologize for being large and in charge.
Pricing:
- Color – $80+
- Blonding – $120+
- Extensions + transformative work – priced upon consultation
Contact Info:
- Address: 1407 Richmond Avenue
Houston, TX 77006 - Website: https://square.site/book/EV7SDWKT8ZB3N/kaitlin-smith-stylist-houston-tx
- Phone: 832-995-2349
- Email: laissez.haire@gmail.com
- Instagram: @laissez_haire
Image Credit:
Sarah-Anne Hernandez Photography
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