Today we’d like to introduce you to Courtney Richards.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Courtney. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I’ve been doing hair for what feels like my entire life. I was that kid who cut up her friend’s hair in the kitchen when her mom wasn’t home. Upon completing my cosmetology program, I went the path I understood was the way to a successful career. I found an apprenticeship in a high-end salon in River oaks. While I learned a lot from some wonderful mentors, I never felt like I fit in nor fulfilled in the things I was doing everyday. After a few years of bouncing around, I ended up working at a small chain of barbershops based out of Austin that was looking to expand into Houston. I hadn’t spent much time doing men’s hair up until that point, and I assumed that men didn’t really care about their hair that much.
But it only took a few weeks of working with men’s hair that I learned that men indeed did care, but most had not received more grooming education beyond soap equals clean. This sparked a totally new way for me to communicate and connect with my clients. I realized there was no reason why someone biologically female or biologically male should be charged differently for the same service, and that if I spent the same amount of time educating my clients on caring for their hair outside of my chair as I did cutting their hair, then my clients would enjoy their style for more than the day of their haircut. After three years at the barbershop, Covid-19 brought their intended expansion into Houston to a sudden close. With no job, very little money, and a lot of loyal clients waiting for a haircut, I decided it was finally time to be a business owner.
I opened The SINC Haircut Laboratory on May 18th, 2020, two days after the state government gave the green light for salons to reopen. And I am doing it differently. This is not a salon, nor a barbershop. This is a haircut laboratory, and we are for everyone. We provide a full-service hair experience, at affordable, gender-free pricing, with an emphasis on education for your specific hair type. Each client goes home with a personalized post-haircut information card with all the how-to’s listed to care for their hair between services. Every product costs $20 to avoid that awkward conversation with your stylist after they show you a new product. And the best part is our one client in, one client out a policy, so you can enjoy a one on one experience with your stylist and feel safe during the Covid-19 pandemic.
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?
My first instinct upon reading this question was to laugh to myself. Of course, it wasn’t easy. I have no idea what I’m doing. I came from a working-class family in East Houston and didn’t know a single thing about owning a business. I had to swallow my pride and figure out what I needed and who to ask to create a business from scratch in three weeks. The only word for it is “amazement’ for the amount of people who stepped up to help me get everything lined up for our opening day. I never considered myself a person with lots of friends, but I know now that I was wrong, and I have some of the most genuine friendships a person could ever ask for. What I’ve taken away from all of this: You have more friends than you think.
Please tell us about The SINC Haircut Laboratory.
I do hair. I can give good haircuts. I can do a great balayage, I can cover grays, I can do a fantastic blowout. But honestly, that’s probably the least important part of what I do day-to-day. I’m an educator. I give people the confidence and skills to have healthy, well-styled hair. Ultimately, what keeps clients coming back is the opportunity to help them understand their hair and teach them in a way that no other stylist has. Also, removing gender-based services makes it comfortable for people from all walks of life. While it wasn’t what I intended when I removed gender from my business model, I am so proud that I have become an ally for Houston’s LGBTQ+ community and considered one of Google’s top gay-friendly businesses in the Houston area.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
In second grade, my mom let me bleach the front two pieces in the bang area of my hair. I thought I was so cool with my little blonde streaks that I was sure I was going to be the coolest kid in my class. I wasn’t. But I will never forget the feeling of confidence two little packets of bleach gave me, even if it was just for that one day.
Pricing:
- Short Haircut – $30
- Short Haircut (scissors only) – $40
- Long Dry Haircut – $45
- Long Haircut + Blow-dry – $55
- Blowout – $45
- Beard Trim – $10
- Highlight/Balayage – starts at $175 (includes blow-dry)
Contact Info:
- Address: 5836 North Main, Suite 9
Houston, TX 77009 - Website: www.thesinc.salon
- Phone: (601) 301-2182
- Email: appointments@thesinc.salon
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/thesinchaircutlaboratory
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/thesinchaircutlaboratory
Image Credit:
Tanner Vanover
Suggest a story: VoyageHouston is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
