Today we’d like to introduce you to Kacia Cowan.
Kacia, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Ever since I was 12 years old, I wanted to be a hairartist. I dreamed of making people look their best, and of touching their hearts in the process. Over the past 11 1/2 years, I have dedicated myself to learning all that I could about this craft. I wake up each and every day with the anticipation of what’s next. Throughout out the years I have worked for others, I have owned a salon and I have rented a chair. I’ve done it all. I have done hair in Shawnee, Oklahoma, Hollywood, LA and nowhere in Houston, Texas. Through the changes, one thing remains the same. Wake up, work hard, chase dreams, and repeat. You have to have the hunger and the drive to keep moving forward. I always think about Walt Disney, being told no over 300 times to build Disneyland, and he did it anyway. It encourages me not to settle for anything less, to bring the best experience as well as expertise to my guests, as well as build the business I want unapologetically.
Has it been a smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth and easy road. I started my career in Shawnee, OK. Its a town of about 35,000. I opened my salon in 2011. I left the security of a paycheck to make this dream a reality. It was a lot of trial and error; how to market when there was only Facebook at the time. I left that 11 months later for a better opportunity of renting a chair at Tangles Salon. It always worked out taking those risks. I always flourished more in the next place. I thought of new creative ways to market myself and keep building my business and my name.
Fast forward to 2016, my husband and I decided to leave everything we have ever known and moved to Hollywood. Talk about a change going from a small town to not knowing a soul and trying to build a business from scratch. It was an adventure for sure. I had to figure out how to get my name out there, how to make my name stand out with so many others in my market. As well as how to take good pictures of hair, how to advertise, how do use Instagram because they didn’t use Facebook much there. I had to make a brand for myself. A voice for myself on social media.! It was a new world, but I was very determined to learn how to build a clientele and a new way. I learned a lot about myself in LA and I definitely stretched me and grew me in many ways.
We got the opportunity to move to Houston, Texas three years ago. So again I was faced with having to build a clientele as well as researching salons, areas, what hashtags to use and how to direct my Instagram to Houstonians. How to make a clientele in Texas. In two years time, I hustled and I built my clientele. My grit paid off. I took clients others wouldn’t, took on box hair color clients and transformed them. I made relationships as well as friendships with my guests. I learned how do use Instagram to my advantage to get my name out there. I’m still building my empire and still getting my business to exactly where I want it to be.
Five months ago, I got an opportunity to work at one of the best salons here in Houston, known as The Upperhand River Oaks, so I took it. Everywhere I go, I’m always striving for more and how to make myself even better. Just as a piece of coal has been pressed to become a diamond, I’m thankful for all the bumps in the road in the learning experiences.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the KC.HairArtistry story.
I’m a color and a blonde specialist, now that doesn’t mean I’m able to perform miracles and take anyone any color, it means I am able to tell you what your hair can do while preserving the integrity of the hair and what you will need to do to get there as well as offer up ideas. I live for a sensible balayage as well as color corrections, I’m down for major transformations. I’m not afraid of 6hr projects.
I’m certified in Babe Hair Extensions: hand tied, I tip, flat tip, fusion and tape whether you just want some volume, or some fullness around the face where the hair is more fragile, or some length I’ve got something for everyone. I do Keratin smoothing treatments, I am certified in Brazilian Blowouts. Knowing both treatments, I am able to determine which will work better for you and your lifestyle. They are so helpful for having good hair days here in houston where that humidity is thick
I have an old fashioned minset when it comes to taking care of my guests in my chair, I have three rules: 1) take care of the people who take care of you 2) do it right and do it once 3) if I’m not happy with it you’re not leaving. I wanna take care of my guests how I would want to be taken care of; with honesty, integrity and someone who actually cares about them not just OK, we’re done, next!
How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
It is crazy how much the hair industry had evolved in five years, it is completely different from when I started 11 years ago! I feel like hairdressers are finally viewing their craft as a business instead of a hobby, which is amazing! Were being taught how to charge correctly, I feel like the business is going to evolve big time. As far as color goes lived-in looks and balayage wont be going away any time soon. The chunky look is coming back, but in a new way. It will be softer but still have that bold definition. I also see more low maintenance as far as just some brightness around the face with a few pops of color throughout but nothing real heavy, more of a beachy feel. Extensions are just beginning! They wont be going anywhere any time soon! They are so versatile to so many styles as well as colors! Those curtain bangs are really coming back! We’ll see more of that sexy vintage finge on the horizon!
Contact Info:
- Address: The Upperhand River Oaks, Hollywood LA
1905 Westheimer Rd, Houston, Tx 77098 - Website: KaciaCowan.com
- Phone: 405 416 4432
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/kc_hairartistry
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/k.c.hairartistry
Image Credit:
Nicole Vigliotti, Kacia Cowan
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