Today we’d like to introduce you to Clemente Javier.
Clemente, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
Healthy long beautiful hair is my passion, or maybe obsession. Working today as a full-time Long Hair Specialist is a long-held dream that I get to live now. I fell in love with long hair as a young child (long before I lost my own hair lol) and I have been practicing my work with long hair care since I was 15. I recently turned 36 and the days off for my birthday had me eager to get back to it. Its been a long path so far and I’m happy to say today that in my work I’m living my dream daily.
When I was 15 starting sophomore year I was starting a center on the varsity basketball team because in a mostly Mexican school 6ft is tall! I didn’t know there was a cosmetology program in my high school otherwise I would have never started basketball. My dad and coach were almost speechless as I notified each that I decided to quit because I found out about the cosmetology program. Neither could understand why I would throw away “opportunities.” My father gets it now. Unfortunately, that wise and rebellious young man got kicked out of school halfway through the cosmetology program. I swore I’d get back to it as soon as possible.
Before I would get back to pursuing my passion I had a child, joined the military, and went off to a war. In the army, I was stationed in Germany with a medical unit where most of the female soldiers happen to be. All the girls would come to my place to get hair and makeup ready for the night before we went out. Of course, all the guys wanted to hang out at my place too soon many nights the party just stayed there, it was great. In Iraq, women came to my tent to feel feminine in the face of so much struggle and masculinity.
As soon as I got out of the army I ran to a college and started the cosmetology program from the beginning once again. Raising kids while getting a career on track has been a mind-bending balancing act from the very beginning. I have struggled to maintain dedication at times, where to some people getting a “regular job” would have seemed a better idea.
Instead of that I’ve focused on all aspects of health & beauty and maintained a dedication to work as a Long Hair Specialist. I’ve been practicing yoga as long as I’ve been obsessed with hair, basically my whole life. I became a yoga teacher 10 years ago and at the same time studied nutrition with a focus on counseling and training others to make health shifts in their lives. A few years ago I helped some friends open a juice bar in a yoga studio where I coached yoga students on nutritional cleansing. All of this focus has continuously been dedicated to my practice of helping women grow healthy powerful beautiful long hair.
Finding a place to work on my craft and build my business has been an odyssey of salons and people who I’ve learned so much from, each and every one. At times it has been the most difficult aspect of my career being in constant search for the right environment for my work. I even built a private home studio that I worked for a few years. Now with my family/team/hustle squad at Charlize Alexandra Hair and Makeup Studio, I’ve been here far longer than anywhere else ever. No matter what you do it’s who you do it with that makes life truly beautiful.
Now I am surrounded by powerful women who are all dedicated artists and self-propelled businesswomen. Our studio is an incredible place to visit so working there is indescribably fulfilling. I am still working on growing my business long and healthy as my client’s hair! I still face the challenges that come with being a focused parent, partner, artist and entrepreneur but I get to live my dream. I get to do my work as a Long Hair Specialist and I get to work with people who I truly love and admire. I guess when I think about growing my business I just want it longer!! 🙂
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?
Haha! Has anyone ever found a smooth road?:) I surely have not. Getting to here today has had its bumps and turbulence for sure. When I started the cosmetology program in high school I only made it halfway through before getting expelled from school for having way too much fun.
I had a child as I was graduating high school (still having too much fun!) so I joined the military assuming this to be a good job to get on my feet and go to college. I joined 3 months before the Sept 11 events so all plans I had for my future got thrown out the window and I was in a war before I had a chance to start college classes.
Once I got out and got back to a cosmetology program I had a family already. Sometimes I don’t know how I even made it through school with so many responsibilities multiple jobs and the insanity of being in my twenties through it all.
It would be great to say that once I finished and got my license everything went smoothly from there. Being a focused parent/partner/artist/ entrepreneur is a lot to balance and it’s often a struggle. Probably the biggest struggle of all was finding the right environment for my work. It is difficult to be a passionate artist and entrepreneur while navigating the business and work ethic of others. I have been in very uncomfortable salons and had to make the break and sacrifice the losses.
I’ve been in salons where there were attempts to redirect clientele I built from word of mouth. I’ve been in salons that charged me for my clients drinking water. It’s crazy out there haha! I’ve been with Charlize Alexandra Hair and Makeup Studio for years longer than anywhere else and I feel like I work with my family now.
Charlize Alexandra Hair and Makeup Studio – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am a Long Hair Specialist. I have spent my career focused on the details and nuances of growing and maintaining healthy powerful beautiful long hair. I have a deep understanding of how to protect and strengthen the structural integrity of human hair and this leads to stronger length in growth for my clients.
With a simple and customizable system for getting anyone to their strongest longest hair, I can guide someone with a pixie cut through growing out healthy lower back length without it being a struggle to maintain. I use shears to shape and polish ends but my focus is growing hair.
Most hairstylists get scissor happy because of the confusion of charging their clients for cutting hair instead of charging for the shape they walk away with and wake up with every single day. I regularly talk clients out of cutting for treatments and styling instead. After a little TLC, it’s clear that this is all that was needed. Most of my clients who follow maintenance suggestions require very little effort or visits to keep their hair powerfully beautiful.
I often receive messages from women thanking me for convincing them to let me help them grow their hair instead of cutting it all off for a fast change. The results of my work and the happiness I bring to my clients is definitely what I am most proud of as a passionate artist and entrepreneur.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
I feel so much pride in my work and the joy that it brings to my clients. I also feel so proud of the people around me and I know how supportive this is to my career. Being so filled with gratitude and pride in my accomplishments as well as the successes of those around me makes it difficult to pinpoint a moment of pride.
And I often think about 15-year-old Clemente who turned down a starting position on the varsity basketball team to pursue his passion to be a Long Hair Specialist. I am always so proud of that young man!
Contact Info:
- Address: 3219 Houston Ave.
- Website: Charlizealexandrastudio.com / hairbyclemente.com
- Phone: 7138611700
- Instagram: @namasteclemente / @hairhealthyaf
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